Street Creature Puppet Collective finds new studio; Asheville rage room in the works; Roam Collective opens shop; All Bodies Movement & Wellness expands gym; more
Also, Gospel Ice Cream launches crowdfunding campaign for brick-and-mortar
This story sponsored by Citizens Fuel Co., a family-owned Asheville company.
Here’s more of what’s going around:
Street Creature Puppet Collective has moved into a new studio - a large storage unit at the Asheville Mall. “Weird, yes, but perfect in many ways,” the collective announced recently. The group plans to hold an open house this month, with details to be announced. The collective, founded in 2012, makes puppets for parades and festivals including LEAF Global Arts, the Asheville Holiday Parade and Asheville Mardi Gras. The group also hosts work parties, workshops and visiting artists, plus much more.
Silverball Subs owner Tobias Denney told me last November that he was putting his restaurant up for sale. After taking some time to consider a few offers and re-evaluate his situation, he tells me he’s sticking with Silverball Subs and doubling down on making the restaurant even better. I already consider Silverball Subs the best in Asheville, so I can’t wait to see what Tobias has in mind. Look for new merch, and more amazing pinball machines (he’s already got an incredible selection.) Rock!
Gospel Ice Cream’s owner, who has been selling his handmade ice cream at WNC farmer’s markets for about a year, has launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for a brick-and-mortar location. Temple will be designed as a “listening bar” where visitors nosh on sweet treats, including Gospel Ice Cream, have a drink and listen to curated music played on hi-fidelity sound systems in rooms designed for an immersive experience.
The Breakroom is the name of a new “rage room” planned in the former Bonfire Barbecue restaurant location on Patton Avenue. A rage room is what it sounds like - a room to go vent your anger and frustrations by breaking stuff with hammers and bats. Stay tuned for details.
All Bodies Movement & Wellness has moved into a new, larger space in the same building it has been located in at 211 Merrimon Ave. The gym is “a queer-owned, anti-racist, trans-positive, fat-positive gym” where we believe that you are the autonomous owner of your body and you deserve a space to move your body that is supportive, affirming and completely non-judgmental,” owner Betsy Archer says in a press release. A big part of the gym’s community-building comes from offering small-group movement programs. The gym currently offers 18 group movement options including: Small Group Strength Training, Kettlebell and Barbell focused classes, 60+ Strength (a program designed specifically for seniors), All-Genders Youth Strength Training for pre-teens and teens, Pelvic Floor and Core, and a specialized class for people living with hypermobility. For more information, visit allbodiesmovement.com or email allbodiesmovement@gmail.com.
Del Vecchios is preparing to open at 1854 Hendersonville Road, unit D, according to city construction permits. The location is the former Iurato’s Pizzeria, which closed after the death of owner Bob Iurato in July 2021. Del Vecchios flagship location is 333 Merrimon Ave.
Christmas Farm Tack Shop in Leicester is now open as a consignment shop for horse tack, which is all the the equipment used to ride, handle and care for horses. The consignment shop is brand new, so inventory is low, but the goal is to make it a one-stop shop for all equestrians. Hours are by appointment only on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays.
Roam Collective, a boutique featuring modern and vintage clothing and home goods, as well as up-cycled, handmade jewelry, has opened a brick-and-mortar location at 120 Coxe Ave., unit 1C. Owners Tristan Thompson and business partner and owner Kaitlyn Staley plan to host a grand opening party at 11 a.m. on May 20. Follow @roam.collective.nc on Instagram for updates.
The Asheville Humane Society plans to host a benefit on May 20 called Plunge 4 Pets. The event will include dunk tanks, local vendors, food from Bears Smokehouse BBQ and live music by Creative Differences Americana Music, Dub Kartel and Miami Gold.
Asheville Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America will host a 10 a.m. rally Saturday at Pack Plaza to call on U.S. lawmakers to ban assault weapons.
A benefit art auction hosted by Pace Gallery in New York and co-curated by tennis champion and arts patron Venus Williams is set for May 20, with proceeds benefitting the Nina Simone Childhood Home preservation project in Polk County. The preservation project is spearheaded by the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The Action Fund aims to restore the birthplace of musical icon and civil rights activist Nina Simone in Tryon.
Artists Adam Pendleton, Ellen Gallagher, Rashid Johnson, and Julie Mehretu jointly purchased the home in 2017 to safeguard its legacy, according to a press release. The marquee artworks in the sale are co-curated by Pendleton and Williams. Alongside artworks by the artists listed above, the auction will feature work by Mary Weatherford, Stanley Whitney, Robert Longo, Cecily Brown, and other leading contemporary artists yet to be announced, in honor and recognition of Simone’s monumental contributions to the arts and social activism. Online bidding in the auction will be available to the public at 11 a.m. EDT beginning Friday, May 12, and closing Monday, May 22, at 3 p.m. EDT. All the artworks in the auction will also be available to view in person at Pace’s West 25th Street gallery in New York throughout the course of the sale, from May 12–20. Many of the participating artists plan to attend the in-person gala at Pace’s New York flagship on the evening of May 20. To inquire about purchasing tickets for the gala dinner, email ninasimone@pacegallery.com. Register for updates at pacegallery.com/nina-simone. To make an individual donation to the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund’s Nina Simone Childhood Home preservation project, go here.
Thanks for reading,
-j
Thanks for all the great info!! I love how you prioritize community collectives!