Please Note: the Avery Gallery is CLOSED for the winter. We will open for the 2012 season in April. Our staff is still available; please call (828) 733-0054 or email info@averycountyartscouncil.org. Thank you and Happy New Year.

A Big THANK YOU to Erick’s Cheese and Wine in Banner Elk for hosting the Sparkling Celebration fundraiser on December 28th. The sparkling wine flowed, the music of Daniel Johnston played, and the art of Pam Brewer and Gaylene Petcu was enjoyed for all who attended. The Arts Council thanks Erick’s for their warm generosity and wishes them a happy, healthy, prosperous 2012! Cheers!

Avery Arts Council proudly announces the first-ever Regional Artist Project Grant recipients in Avery County

12/7/2011 LINVILLE – The Avery Arts Council would like to applaud two of our county’s artists as 2011 award recipients of the Regional Artist Project Grant (RAPG). Gaylene Petcu and Pam Brewer, both of Newland, have shown long term dedication to their respective mediums and we are pleased that they have been rewarded with funds for projects through this grant. The Avery Arts Council has been involved with RAPG, which utilizes funds from the North Carolina Arts Council, for more than a decade. This is the first time any Avery artist has been granted this award. Congratulations Gaylene and Pam!

Gaylene is a pastel painter who moved to her family’s home in Avery County four years ago.  Since then, she has become known for her beautiful paintings of the local landscapes. Her grant funding will allow her to invest in higher-quality pastels, lending more luminosity to her work.

Pam works in clay and mosaic and she plans on using her funding to make improvements to her studio in Newland.  These improvements will make her studio more accessible to the public for classes, workshops, and special projects. Beyond a doubt, the investments made in these artists will not only help advance their careers, but enrich our whole community.

Both artists will be featured in the Avery Arts Council’s upcoming Sparkling Celebration on December 28th at Erick’s Wine and Cheese.  This fundraising event will be a great opportunity to see these artists’ work, meet them in person and enjoy a sampling of sparkling wines. Read more ...

Call to Artists

The Avery Arts Council is now accepting applications for exhibition during our 2012 season. The call is open to all residents and part-time residents of Avery, Mitchel, Yancey, Madison, Buncombe, Watauga, and Ashe counties. The Call will be open until all exhibition space if filled. Applications being taken for the Avery Gallery, both Exhibiting Artists and Shop Artists; and the Dickson Gallery Exhibiting Artists. The Avery Arts Council is also responsible for furnishing special spaces in the county. Please visit the Gallery Application page for forms.