Highlands artist to give talk at Art League

Artist, book cover designer and stamp creator Lonnie Busch will be the featured guest speaker at the Art League of Highlands meeting to be held at 1 p.m. Monday, Nov. 27, at the Civic Center Recreation park.

Busch has designed five sets of U.S. commemorative postage stamps, among them “Baseball Sluggers,” “Greetings from America,” and “Wonders of America,” a 39 cent stamp in current usage.

Busch paintings and sculpture have appeared in numerous solo and juried shows. In 2002 his sculpture “Ganesha” was juried into a traveling exhibition across China. One of his most recent projects is the cover design for Jimmy Buffett’s latest novel A Salty Piece of Land.

A resident of Highlands, Busch also has worked with the Highlands Community Players to create innovate set designs. Busch’s compositions are a result of automatic drawing, intuitive images and dreams. He will bring examples of his painting and illustration and will contrast them in terms of rhythm, harmony and order.

The public is invited to attend the Art League meeting during which Busch will speak. For more information call Caroline Cook at 828.526.2742.

Hard Candy holiday show comes to WCU

The 19th annual Hard Candy Christmas arts and crafts show will be at Western Carolina University’s Ramsey Regional Activity Center on Friday, Nov. 24 and Saturday, Nov. 25. The show is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, and admission is $2 for adults and free for children 12 and under.

More than 100 artists and master crafters will be in attendance to offer an assortment of heritage and contemporary items, such as pottery, weavings, jewelry, fused glass, boxes and chimes, pine cone birds and Shaker brooms. Heirloom ornaments including Santas, angels and snowmen will be signed, dated and available for sale. Area Christmas tree farmers also will be selling freshly cut Fraser Fir trees, swags and wreaths.

A special, early bird opening will take place on Nov. 24. The show will open at 9 a.m. for all early bird shoppers who wish to make a donation of $5 or more to the Jackson County Animal Rescue Fund, a non-profit organization that neuters and spays hundreds of animals each year. For more information contact Doris Hunter at 828.524.3405 or visit http://ramsey.wcu.edu.

Highlands gallery features art demonstrations

The Bascom-Louise Gallery in Highlands will host a day of demonstrations on Saturday, Nov. 25.

The day will feature Dave Rohrer making mug mat weavings. Visitors can weave their own mat, which will be cut from the loom to take home. Also, Donna Tew will demonstrate jewelry making, and Donna Rhodes will demonstrate felt embellishment.

A similar day of demonstrations will be held Saturday, Dec. 9, featuring quilting by Liz View, book-binding by Rachel Hamilton, clay demonstration by Pat Taylor and needle-felting by Cedar Chan.

The Bascom-Louise Gallery is located at 554 Main Street in Highlands in the Hudson Library building. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday.

Mud Dabbers sets open house Dec. 1-3

Mud Dabbers Pottery & Crafts in Balsam will host its annual open house Dec. 1-3. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday and from noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.

The shop, located just west of Waynesville on the Great Smoky Mountain Expressway, features the locally produced pottery of six members of the John Dodson family and the work of 11 potters from the Brevard and Waynesville areas.

Refreshments and apple cider in pottery cups will be served. For more information call 828.456.1916.

Contra dance series continues at SCC

The Webster Dance and the Southwestern Community College Almond Center continue the Almond Contra Dance Series on Nov. 25 with an open mic night and contra music led by caller Ron Arps.

The Almond Dance is a gathering of people who are interested in contra and square dancing. People of all ages are invited to take part in the dancing. No experience is necessary. Instruction will be provided. No partner is required. Local musicians and callers are invited to take their turn at the microphone. A $5 donation is suggested.

There will be a new dancers’ workshop at 7:30 p.m. with dancing from 8 to 10:30 p.m.

The Almond Dance takes place on the fourth Saturday of the month at the SCC Almond Center on U.S. 74 between mile marker 61 and 62 near the intersection of N.C. 28 about five miles west of Bryson City.

For more dance information call Kathy Calabrese 828.497.4709 or Ron/Cathy Arps 828.586.5478, or via email at ronarps@jackson.main.nc.us.

Jackson gingerbread competition heats up

The Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, in conjunction with Lil’ Harvey’s Catering and the Hooper House Foundation, is sponsoring the 2006 Gingerbread House Competition.

Participating contestants must decorate their pre-made gingerbread houses during a three-day class held at Lil’ Harvey’s Place in Dillsboro from Nov. 27-29. Entries will be put on display in the windows of local businesses in Sylva and Dillsboro, as well as in the gallery of the Historic Hooper House.

Competition will be held in three age groups: youth, teen and adult. One winner will be chosen from each group and each winner receives a blue ribbon plus local media recognition. All entries receive a participation ribbon.

The registration fee for the classes at Lil’ Harvey’s Place is $35 per person and includes ample supplies to decorate the pre-constructed gingerbread houses. Contestants under the age of 17 must have adult supervision during the decorating process.

Businesses in Sylva and Dillsboro that would like to have a decorated gingerbread house to display can contact Lil’ Harvey’s via email lilharveys@smnet.net or call 828.631.0674. To register for classes contact Alicia Jacobs of Lil’ Harvey’s Place at 828.631.0674 or 828.497.5081.

New chairman named for Heritage Day

Scott Philyaw, director of the Mountain Heritage Center and associate professor of history at Western Carolina University, has been named to lead Mountain Heritage Day, the university’s popular celebration of Southern Appalachian culture.

Philyaw will serve as chairman of the 30-member committee that plans and carries out the annual festival, which is always held on the last Saturday in September. The committee is composed of WCU students, faculty and staff, and local residents.

Philyaw takes over the chairmanship of Mountain Heritage Day from Jim Rowell, WCU’s senior director of marketing and promotions, who served as chairman for the 2005 and 2006 festivals.

“Jim Rowell has done a wonderful job in leading the Mountain Heritage Day Committee as it has taken care of the million-and-one details that are involved in holding the festival,” said Clifton Metcalf, WCU vice chancellor for advancement and external affairs. “This year’s Mountain Heritage Day on Sept. 30 was, by all accounts, the most highly attended one in its 32-year history.”

In planning for Mountain Heritage Day 2006, Philyaw served as co-chairman to Rowell to allow him to learn the details of leading the festival. Rowell will serve as Philyaw’s co-chairman to ease the transition as planning for the 2007 festival takes place, Metcalf said.

Raised in Caldwell and Burke counties, Philyaw is a WCU alumnus and has been a member of the university faculty for 10 years. He was named director of the Mountain Heritage Center last spring. The 2007 edition of Mountain Heritage Day will be held on WCU’s campus on Saturday, Sept. 29. For more information about Mountain Heritage Day contact the festival office at 828.227.3193.

Tickets for WCU Madrigal Dinner still available

Tickets for this year’s Madrigal Christmas Dinner at Western Carolina University are still available for Friday, Dec. 1, although the dinner on Saturday, Dec. 2, is sold out.

The annual dinner extravaganza, a tradition for Western and the surrounding community since 1970, will be in the Grandroom of Western’s A.K. Hinds University Center.

The dinner will be a re-creation of the pageantry, music and food of 16th-century England, with authentic madrigal entertainment and costumes. This year, the dinner menu will feature a choice of three entrees: pork loin seasoned with Dijon mustard and herbs and topped with caramelized onion gravy, honey citrus glazed Cornish game hen, or a vegetarian plate featuring a stuffed portabella mushroom. Accompaniments include traditional wassail, hearts of Romaine salad with sugared pecans and raspberry and red currant vinaigrette, roasted garlic mashed new potatoes, honey cinnamon glazed carrots, white chocolate bread pudding with brandy caramel sauce, rolls, tea and coffee.

The program begins at 6:30 p.m., and all patrons must be seated by 6:25 p.m. Tables will seat eight patrons each. Tickets are $18 for Western students and $30 for the general public. Tickets may be purchased on the second floor of the Hinds University Center, or by calling 828.227.7206. Ticket hours are 9 a.m. until noon and 1 until 4 p.m. weekdays.

Telephone reservations must be paid by credit card (MasterCard or Visa). Reservations are made on a first-come, first-served basis. All sales are final.