In Celebration of Black History Month
Check our “Programs” page for more information on these additional events sponsored by the Friends of the North Carolina Room, scheduled for Lord Auditorium at Pack Memorial Library:
| February 22 12n-1p |
Roy Harris and Sheneika Smith — Poetry Reading, Storytelling and Singing Roy Harris is President of the Asheville Storytelling Circle and a board member of the Young Men’s Institute. Joining him in storytelling and reading will be Sheneika Smith, best known for organizing and producing “Asheville Sunday’s Best,” and for spearheading an initiative that encourages inclusion and empowerment of Black Asheville called “Date My City.” |
| March 29 12n-1p |
Terry Taylor — Greetings from Asheville: Postcards in the North Carolina Collection. Terry Taylor, veteran craft book author/editor, says much can be learned from postcards, an “ancient” form of communication (“Instagram: Humpf!”). What buildings did a city take pride in? What should tourists visit? Family photos became postcards but were rarely mailed. Come learn about the history of the post card as Taylor shares some of the gems of the NC Room’s collection. |
| April 26 6p—7p |
Elizabeth “Liz” Colton, PhD — Mountain Scenery: Discovering WNC from the 1850s, Asheville, Ancestors, and Immortality. Dr. Elizabeth Colton, president and CEO of EO Colton & Associates Global Collaboration consulting firm based in Asheville and Washington, DC, will talk about the book, Mountain Scenery: The Scenery of the Mountains of Western North Carolina and Northwestern South Carolina written by her ancestor Henry E. Colton and published in 1859. |
| May 31 12n-1p |
Lynne Poirier-Wilson — Made with the Simplest of Tools: Appalachian Rustic Style. Lynne Poirier-Wilson is a retired Museum Curator and Administrator who has worked in museums in eastern PA and western NY, and was curator with the Asheville Art Museum. Lynne has a fond affection for anything rustic and has written several articles on rustic art and furnishings. |
| June 28 12n-1p |
Bruce Johnson — Family Feud: The Bitter Battle Between E. W. Grove and Fred Seely for the Grove Park Inn. Bruce Johnson founded the National Arts and Crafts Conference at the Grove Park Inn in 1988, and continues to direct that today. He has written several books on the American Arts and Crafts movement, as well as on the Grove Park Inn, including Built For the Ages: A History of the Grove Park Inn and Tales of the Grove Park Inn. |
| July 26 6p-7p |
Martha Fullington — Richard Sharp Smith, Asheville’s Arts and Crafts Architect. Martha Fullington served as Preservation Specialist for the Western Office of North Carolina’s State Historic Preservation Office. She is passionate about Richard Sharp Smith’s transformative influence on the architecture of Asheville. Smith (1852-1924) immigrated from England in 1883, was hired by Richard Morris Hunt and sent to Asheville to oversee the construction of Biltmore estate. |
| August 30 12n-1p |
Marla Milling — Legends, Secrets and Mysteries of Asheville. Local historian and author Marla Milling will talk about her new book, Legends, Secrets and Mysteries of Asheville. In her first book, Only in Asheville: An Eclectic History, Milling interviewed over 40 people who have given Asheville a quirky and unique vibe. In this newest volume she investigates legends and mysteries that make her hometown a truly unique city. |
| September 16, Saturday 1p-3p |
Topic: Anne Penland, Asheville Native and WWI Nurse Anesthetist. Symposium speakers to be announced. Presentation will be 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM followed by a dedication ceremony for the Anne Penland historical marker. |
| October 25 6p-7p |
Presentation of the North Asheville Neighborhood History Project. |
| November 29 12n-1p |
Nan Chase—Asheville: 200 Years of Good Eating. Nan Chase is the author of Asheville: A History and several other books, including, most recently, Drink the Harvest. She has written for such publications as The New York Times, Washington Post, and Southern Living. A long-time resident of western North Carolina, she now lives in central Asheville. |
