TICKETS ARE SOLD OUT!
Join us for a mix of storytelling through art featuring some of Asheville’s dynamic art groups and initiatives for a multi-act celebration of community and creativity.
Doors at 7pm | Show at 7:30pm
Art Groups + Initiatives
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Cat Fly is an Asheville-based, non-profit film festival that highlights and supports up-and-coming indie filmmakers.
Since 2017 Cat Fly has cultivated a spirited & inclusive collective of dedicated, homegrown filmmakers who span across the Southeast.
Cat Fly was created by filmmakers, for filmmakers, with the aim to connect and build a dynamic community of passionate future collaborators in a non-competitive environment.
Featured Film:
“Bare” | Despite the disapproval of his family and friends, a man finds self-acceptance in an unorthodox way.
Mason McDonald, Director; Tabitha McDonald, Producer: Mason has always been a storyteller. Whether written or visual, he loves crafting thought provoking narratives. As a director of a multitude of short films, documentaries and commercials, Mason has a clear motive -- collaboration. Though precise in his approach, Mason works closely with his wife Tabitha, to make filmmaking a collaborative experience, from character development with actors, to the team he works with behind the camera. Collaborative storytelling through clear communication and leadership is at the core of his purpose. Both Mason and Tabitha are long time Cat Fly alums and invaluable, active members in the Asheville film community.
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The Dark City Poets Society is a free poetry group, open to writers of all ages and experience levels, based out of the Black Mountain Library. The group meets twice a month for a critique meeting and poetry reading in downtown Black Mountain.
Featured Poets:
Clint Bowman is the co-founder and co-facilitator of DCPS. He spends most of his time writing and working as a Recreation Coordinator for the Town of Black Mountain. His poetry has been published through Mud Season Review, ONE ART, California Quarterly, and North Dakota Quarterly among others.
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Melisa Pressley is the Director of the Black Mountain Library and the co-founder/facilitator of the Dark City Poets Society.*
Ruby Simoneau is a poet from Minnesota who currently works on a farm in Weaverville. Her writing appears in The Nabu Review and Conspectus Borealis.
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Andrew Smith is writer and musician based out of Black Mountain, NC. His work is predominantly inspired by philosophy and surrealist art.
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Dennis Zaragoza is a first generation Mexican-American poet who has been writing poetry since the age of 18.
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Listen to This, stories and more on stage, is a monthly storytelling series that has run in Los Angeles and now in Asheville for over ten years. Produced and hosted by Tom Chalmers, Listen to This is a curated show that features personal stories so good they should be shared on stage, along with a singer/songwriter, all built around a different theme each episode.
Featured Storyteller:
Tom Chalmers is the host and producer of Listen to This: stories and more on stage. He teaches a course in Storytelling for Performance through The Flatiron Writers Room. Tom received his BA from Columbia University, and then went on to study at Second City, Improv Olympic, and NYC's Groundlings East, where he became Artistic Director. He also teaches comedy writing and improv comedy at Warren Wilson College, The Magnetic U, and The Asheville School of Improv (which he started). Tom is a member of the popular Asheville improv troupe, Reasonably Priced Babies, and co-host of a weekly sports talk radio show on AshevilleFM 103.3 called Run That Back, Wednesdays 7-8pm.
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Open Folk is a concept born in Buenos Aires six years ago that then budded off into a second chapter in Barcelona where Zaq Suarez discovered it as a musician and played it every chance he got. In 2021, with the permission of the founders, Zaq started the third chapter of Open Folk here in Asheville. Each week features six hand-picked songwriters who play 3 songs each to an audience who is required to remain silent throughout the performances. So far, Open Folk AVL has hosted over 100 musicians from 8 states and 4 countries and they show no signs of stopping. The event is hosted and run by musicians for musicians. It's on Wednesdays because it's for locals and while they accept donations, it's always free because it's for the people.
Featured Musician:
Reddenhollow
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Slice of Life Comedy has been operating for over 11 years, on mostly Thursday nights, at The Orange Peel and other venues in Asheville. They have a combination of a 3-5m comedy open mic, blended with paid professional hosts and featured comics.
Featured Comedian:
Cody Hughes is a comedian who cut his teeth in Chicago and Atlanta. He is now based out of West North Carolina and tours the Southeast. He has opened for Lewis Black, John Oliver and Maria Bamford among others and hosts the regular Slice of Life Comedy shows at The Orange Peel’s Pulp Lounge.