Join us in two weeks, on May 28, for the first Cork & Canvas of the summer season!
Learn to paint in a relaxed atmosphere, inspired by "Barn Above Pond" by Wolf Kahn. Each participant goes home with a finished work of art. All materials, including canvases, acrylic paint, brushes, and aprons, are provided. Our trained instructor will lead you step-by-step.
Wine, beer, and light snacks are complimentary. Learn more and sign up now at BlowingRockMuseum.org/calendar!
This week marks the last week to see our exhibition "Patrick Dougherty: Pilgrimage", and to celebrate the memories that we have made over the run of this show, we are discounting our Patrick Dougherty t-shirts by 50%! In addition to our shirts, we only have eight copies of "Sticks" left, and they are going fast.
Hurry on in to see this exhibition before it ends and pick up some sweet swag! We will be open tomorrow at 11 AM. Remember, members receive a 10% discount in our gift store.
Just a few spots left for our 2026 BRAHM summer camps! If you are looking for something inspiring for your kids this summer, register them for Purrfect Pets or Medieval Magic! Check availability and sign up at BlowingRockMuseum.org/brahm-kids. Members receive a discounted ticket price!
Camps with open spot:
Purrfect Pets July 14 - 16
Medieval Magic Session Two July 28 - 30
Join us tomorrow, May 7, at 6 pm for a journey into the fascinating and remarkable life of pioneering Japanese immigrant photographer and conservationist George Masa, with filmmaker and biographer Paul Bonesteel.
Paul Bonesteel has researched George Masa since 1999, and is the co-author of George Masa: A Life Reimagined, published by Smokies Life. This multi-media presentation will include projected images of George Masa’s & clips from the upcoming documentary film. The documentary film airs on PBS NC May 12.
Reserve a ticket at BlowingRockMuseum.org/calendar
Photos Credit
1: Camilla Calnan
2:George Masa at Biltmore Estate, Asheville, North Carolina, with two view cameras and a motion picture camera.
Archive credit: Buncombe County Special Collections, Pack Memorial Library, Asheville, North Carolina
3:Director Paul Bonesteel and co-writer/researcher Janet McCue, Tokyo, Japan
Photo credit: Nagomi Onda
Open through May 31 is our Young at Art Student Exhibition. Visit and see the art of the High Country's children. This exhibition, located in the Alexander Community Gallery, features works from 9 months of Museum visits by students from Blowing Rock School.
Mark your calendars to be at BRAHM for the reception on Thursday, May 21, at 5 pm.
Ready for the May flowers? Come and see "Springtide: BRAHM's Permanent Collection in Bloom" open through May 24. This exhibition brings together works that reflect the quiet, floral unfolding of the natural world. Presented in conjunction with the Museum’s 2026 focus on the American landscape, this installation offers a moment of warmth and renewal as the season begins to stir.
Photos: Installation View, "Springtide: BRAHM's Permanent Collection in Bloom" (March 28 - May 24), Blowing Rock Art & History Museum. Photo: Asher Davidson
Thank you to all who came to the High Country Visions II Reception last night. We had a blast celebrating these wonderful art educators of the High Country.
High Country Visions II is on view through April 25. Make sure to come and see it before it closes! We can't wait to see you here in the Museum!
Artists and Poets, our submission forms for ARS POETICA IV are open! We are accepting submissions through June 26 at 5:00 pm.
Horace, the renowned lyric poet of ancient Rome, famously wrote in Ars Poetica that “as is painting, so is poetry.” Though distinct in their methods, both art forms strive to evoke similar emotions and insights. Horace argued that when experienced together, their power to transform is even greater. This idea continues to drive the Blowing Rock Art & History Museum's (BRAHM) annual project.
ARS POETICA IV is a juried exhibition showcasing the collaborative potential between poetry and visual art. For more information and submission guidelines, visit BlowingRockMuseum.org.
Join us Thursday, April 16, 2026, at the Living Learning Center on Appalachian State's campus for a talk with world-renowned artist Patrick Dougherty. Patrick's talk will offer a deeper understanding of the ideas and processes behind his practice.
Let us know that you're coming by going to BlowingRockMuseum.org/calendar
UPCOMING EVENT: On Thursday, April 16, I will be giving a public talk at Appalachian State University in Boone, in conjunction with the “Pilgrimage” exhibition at the Blowing Rock Art & History Museum. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. and the program begins at 6:30 in the Great Hall of the Living Learning Center at 301 Bodenheimer Drive. Admission is free and open to the public.
Earlier in the day, I will spend time with students in the Art Management program for a roundtable conversation about creative practice, finding your path, and how art has a way of connecting people across communities. Those conversations are always interesting. Students tend to ask the questions that get to the point.
If you are in the mountains that evening, I hope to see you there. #stickwork #appalachianstate #publicart #artandcommunity #patrickdougherty
Join us as we welcome inaugural High Country Poet Laureate Hilda Downer to BRAHM for two inspiring programs!
Thursday, April 9, she will be in conversation with the Programs & Outreach Director Willard Watson about her poetic process and journey as an artist. This program starts at 6 pm and is presented free to the public through the generosity of Judith Phoenix.
Saturday, April 11, Downer will read some of the poems from the anthology, "Had I a Dove: Appalachian Poets on the Helene Flood", as examples of narrative poetry. She will then lead us through a workshop writing poetry or prose using different poetic techniques. This workshop starts at 10 am and is presented free to the public through the generosity of an anonymous donor.
This Saturday, April 11 join us at 11 a.m. for our April Studio Saturday.
We will be creating from the inspiration of Helen Zughaib. She is a Lebanese-American artist who paints exuberantly prismatic and patterned images that draw on the Arab experience. In her gouache and mixed-media works, Zughaib references scenes from her own Middle Eastern childhood and the plight of present-day people of Arab descent in an effort to encourage empathy and promote peaceful dialogue.
Youth aged 12-18 are invited to join us at BRAHM every second Saturday from 11:00 am until 1:00 pm this winter and spring for directed studio time inspired by famous artists. Explore new styles and processes for making art. Meet new friends and express your creative side. Materials and snacks provided.
