After opening the Modern Local Art Gallery in Mars Hill in 2022, Beth Boone went on to found the nonprofit arts collective ARTSOUP as a way to help Western North Carolina artists and their communities work together for mutual benefit. The space at 42 N. Main St. became a vital community hub following Tropical Storm Helene, but the area’s drastic decline in tourism in the wake of the storm was a significant blow to Boone’s business and the collective’s artists.
In response, local singer/songwriter Ada Khoury is partnering with Boone to bring live music to Modern Local as a way to draw more visitors to view work by WNC artists. The gallery includes exhibits of oil and acrylic paintings on canvas, watercolor, sculpture, photography and printmaking.
On Saturday, March 15, singer/songwriter Rae Miller will play a 30-minute set at 6 p.m. before the Ada Khoury Band — with Diane Matheson on bass, John Schaffner on drums and Roberta Greenspan on fiddle — gives the space a spin, playing until 9 p.m. A $10 donation at the door is suggested to help support the gallery, but no one will be turned away. avl.mx/eks
