January 19, 2022 - Protest murals, record-breaking snowfall + fresh pasta

Ever wondered what happened to all the striking + powerful street art that transformed downtown during the protests of 2020? We have, and we were elated to discover they’re now part of the brand new 2020 AVL Protest Murals exhibition.

This is one of the 27 pieces in the online auction. I Photo by @artsasheville

The virtual exhibit, which also includes an online auction + speaker series, is a collaborative effort between the Asheville Area Arts Council, Martin Luther King Jr. Association of Asheville and Buncombe County, and nonprofit Equity Over Everything.

About that speaker series? It kicks off Feb. 9 with Equity Over Everything’s Aisha Adams’ reflections on 2020’s local protest art and continues Feb. 16 with Executive Director of Different Strokes! Performing Arts Collective’s Stephanie Hickling Beckman discussing what it’s like to be a BIPOC public artist in Asheville. On Feb. 23, hear from Sekou Coleman, Executive Director of Asheville Writers in the Schools and Community, speak about engaging the BIPOC community in local public art initiatives.

Organizers say to email them for more info if the piece you want isn’t online. I Photo by AVLtoday

There’s also an online auction featuring 27 of the original works, which you can purchase for yourself or to donate to a local organization (be sure you check with them first). All proceeds from the auction will be split between the Martin Luther King, Jr. Association of Asheville, Buncombe County’s Community Outreach Providing Empowerment (COPE) Program, and the Asheville Arts Council’s Arts Build Community Grant. Organizers say they hope that the auction’s proceeds “will support continued change and healing in our community.”

And in the event that there are any pieces that don’t sell, they’ll be donated to BeLoved Asheville to help build shelters for folks in our community experiencing homelessness.

Wanna get involved? Don’t miss the exhibit, be sure to register for the speakers, and get your bids in by 11:59 p.m. on Fri., Feb. 28.

Use the buttons below to share this story with all the street art enthusiasts in your life.

EVENTS

Today

Betty White Celebration of Life | Wed., Jan. 19 | 5-7 p.m. | Down Dog, 51 Sweeten Creek Rd. | Free | Dress like Betty for a chance to win prizes and raise money for Mountain Pet Rescue.
Connect Buncombe Annual Meeting | Wed., Jan. 19 | 5:30-7 p.m. | Virtual | Free | Catch up on the greenway advocacy org’s top accomplishments and learn about its goals for 2022.
Pop-Up Game Nights | Wed., Jan. 19 | 5 p.m.-12 a.m. | Asheville Beauty Academy, 28 Broadway St. | $5 | Play from a large selection of classic board games. 🎲
Wednesday Meows with MPR AVL | Wed., Jan. 19 | 6-8 p.m. | PetSmart, 150 Bleachery Blvd. | Free | Bring along a carrier to take home a new furry friend. 🐱

Tomorrow

Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration | Thurs., Jan. 20 | 7-8 p.m. | Virtual | Free | Attend to hear the Keynote Address from New York Times bestselling author and Chair of Princeton’s Department of African American Studies, Eddie Glaude Jr.

Friday

Toro Furioso | Fri., Jan. 21 | 4-11:55 p.m. | The Odditorium, 1045 Haywood Rd. | Various prices | Enjoy fiery Latin flavors at this pop-up from Chefs Ben Hester and Ryan Kline. 🌶️

Saturday

2022 Wedding Festival | Sat., Jan 22 | 10 a.m.-2 p.m. | WNC Agriculture Center | $8+ | Learn everything you need for a perfect wedding. 💍

Sunday

Caravan Palace | Sun., Jan. 23 | 8 p.m. | The Orange Peel | $27 | Enjoy a show from a French electronic band based in Paris. 🎤

We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

FIND EVEN MORE EVENTS HERE

NEWS NOTES

Weather

54º | Partly cloudy | 20% chance of rain
Meteorologists are predicting the Asheville area may get moderate snow totally roughly an inch this weekend. The majority is expected to fall Fri., Jan. 21. (Asheville Citizen-Times)

Number

125,000. That’s how many folks in the mountains currently live in poverty. That’s according to a new report from Bowen National Research conducted from January-June 2021 on the Qualla Boundary and 18 WNC counties. Dig into the full report here. (Asheville Citizen-Times)

Try This

On Sun., Jan. 23, the Blind Pig Supper Club presents Yo! MTV Raps, a six-course pop-up dinner event featuring 90s hip hop from DJ Nex Millen. The participating chefs, menu + location are currently secret, and a portion of the proceeds will go to the YMI Cultural Center. Find tickets. 🍽️

Trending

On Mon., Jan 17, the Asheville Regional Airport recorded nearly 10 and a half inches of snow. The previous record — set in 1891 — was seven inches. Thanks to Winter Storm Izzy, Asheville broke a 131-year-old record. 🏆

Learn

Savor the flavor of citrus all year long with local chef + cookbook author Ashley English’s latest virtual class, Preserving Winter Citrus. Taking place at 2 p.m. on Sun., Jan. 30, attendees will learn to make lemon curd, orange marmalade + more. Get tickets. 🍋
In case you missed it, part two of The Power of the Pivot: Navigating Life Transitions is happening on Thurs., Jan. 20. The free, virtual event, hosted by AARP Mountain NC and ABIPA, will focus on innovation + purpose, with an author talk with leadership coach Dr. Linda Jordan. Register here.*

Eat

Got a hankering for some handmade Cantonese dumplings? Great news: Chef J Chong’s next pop-up event will take place Tues., Jan. 25 at plēb urban winery (289 Lyman St.) from 4:30-7:30 p.m. Even better news? No tickets needed. 🥟

Jobs

Nonprofit FIND Outdoors is hiring multiple full + part time positions in the Pisgah National Forest for the 2022 season. Find all the available positions, plus responsibilities, qualifications, and application info, here.

Health

Do you have questions about COVID-19 testing in the Great North State? The folks at Carolina Public Press have assembled a FAQ outlining the different types of tests available, as well as costs, symptoms, variants + more.

Active

Training in the winter can be invigorating, but it can also be hard on your body. Sports performance manager Stephen Venugopal offers some tips for exercising in cold weather.*

Finance

Calling all finance aficionados: These high-paying cash back cards allow users to pocket an easy $200 bonus — even analysts are shocked by how good these deals are. Additional perks include no annual fee or 0% interest until 2023. Go ahead, start racking up huge cash back rewards. 💳*

Featured Home

Sleek Energy Star certified home on 2+ Acres in East AVL | $1,650,000 | 2 BD, 2 BA | This modern home features large glass windows to allow natural light, a deck that’s perfect for entertaining + a separate geodesic dome to use as a studio.*

*This paid content, brought to you by our advertising partners, helps make this newsletter free.

POST OF THE DAY

The pastabilities of Asheville Restaurant Week

📸 @stradaasheville

Tired of milk sandwiches yet? We sure are, and we have fantastic news: Asheville Restaurant Week kicked off yesterday, and we’re positively salivating over what we’re seeing on social media from participating restaurants.

If you’re anything like us, you may be too captivated by the housemade pasta from Strada Italiano to do much else, so we’re sharing our cheat sheet to this delectable week with y’all. We’re just generous like that.

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THE WRAP

Editor’s pick: My next snow day must-have? A friend with a plow, because I fear I shan’t leave my house for at least a week on account of my incredibly icy, shaded driveway.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Take a gander at Asheville’s walkability score.