Robert Russell holds a Ph.D. in art history from Princeton and spent decades in academia. For years, he studied medieval architecture and visited the great cathedrals of Europe. But today he’s a Leicester farmer whose world revolves around goats, more than 50 does and bucks he tends at his home, Mount Gilead Farm.
Has the travel bug bitten you this spring? Familiar and new places are calling out with budding trees, blooming gardens and great weather for exploring. Hiking trails, quaint towns, gardens and sidewalk cafes are ready to grab your imagination. Many of us capture these moments with cameras, diaries or notes on our calendar.
Missed Path Sanctuary, an equine rescue charity in Pisgah National Forest, came into being more by accident than by design. Co-founders Marc DiFrancia and Mike Cooper weren’t looking to rescue horses, but they came across one—Annie—that desperately needed a home, so they provided one.
The Museum of the Cherokee People (MotCP), in Cherokee, presents an exhibition years in the making, and one that is self-funded and independent: ᏧᏂᏲᏍᎩ ᏂᎨᏒᎾ: ᏣᎳᎩ ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎯ ᏃᎴ ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏁᎦ ᏓᏂᎦᏘᎴᎬ ᎠᏰᎵ ᎤᏙᏒᎲᎢ (Unrelenting: Cherokee People and the American Revolution). The exhibition runs through December 30.
While studying Fiber Art at the University of Texas, Rachel Elise Aughtry put her passion for arts and crafts to practical use by designing and making bags she then sold at a local coffee shop and on a crafts marketplace that was brand-new at the time: Etsy.
Before pursuing art full-time, Kevin Andrew earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in Civil Engineering, worked in corporate America and exited a successful entrepreneurial business.
After a hiatus during recovery and rebuilding after Hurricane Helene, the fun, friendly and colorful 18th Annual Mermaid Parade & Festival returns to downtown Marshall on Saturday and Sunday, June 6–7. Festivities kick off Saturday at 12 p.m.
There was a time in Western North Carolina when survival depended on one thing: a dog with grit. “The region was still wild country, and a good dog was integral to survival as a hunter, a protector and a friend,” says Bob Plott, a descendant of the family behind the Plott hound, a rugged big-game hunting breed.
The Laurel of Asheville is available in both print and digital editionsWe are delighted you have chosen us to be your gateway—both through our popular print Asheville lifestyle magazine and our website—to the arts, culture, and communities that comprise the remarkable area that is Western North Carolina. In these pages, you will find behind-the-scenes stories about the region’s concerts, theatre and dance productions, festivals, restaurants, artists, and the multitude of locally-based businesses. We also enjoy bringing you features about the people and organizations who are caring for those in need, protecting our historic heritage, preserving our rich and diverse environment, and nurturing our cultural soul.
