Journey to Freedom: Harriet Tubman honored by local sculptor
- Volume 28
- / Issue 5
Cover Design Credit:
Scott Southwick
Cover Photography Credit:
Augie LaTorre
Women, especially those of color, are rarely memorialized as stat-ues. But in September, a traveling monument of abolitionist Harriet Tubman and a young girl is coming to Sylva. It’s the work of Cashiers-based sculptor Wesley Wofford, who says figurative sculpture needs to be more diverse.
arts
Q&A with Erica Abrams Locklear, professor of English at UNCA
Update, Sept. 6, 2021: This piece was updated to reflect that Natasha Tretheway’s book Native Guard is a collection of poetry. Growing up in Leicester, Erica Abrams Locklear imagined becoming…Harriet Tubman statue comes to Sylva
Western North Carolina is grappling with a controversial part of its history: monuments erected in commemoration of Confederate figures. In May, after months of debate and consideration by a specially…Ria Young named ACT’s inaugural Artistic Partner
The yearlong fellowship includes funding for a new work, a full production of her play "Transition," an internship for youths of color and a public play-reading series.Around town: Goombay Festival celebrates 40 years
The Goombay Festival celebrates African and Caribbean heritage in Asheville. Plus, the N.C. Apple Festival returns for its 75th year, Weaverville gets ready to open a new community center and…
food
Beer Scout: The Whale harpoons East Asheville location
Andrew Ross and Jesse Van Note discuss The Whale's second Asheville location, and 12 Bones' Brandon Audette connects with patrons via Instagram videos.Mask mandates 2.0 affect hospitality businesses again
The first week of August was déjà vu all over again for Jane Anderson, executive director of the Asheville Independent Restaurant Association. After a jubilant but all too brief return…What’s new in food: Buxton Hall BBQ fires up the smoke again
Over the last 18 months, Buxton Hall BBQ has undergone a literal trial by fire(s) before reopening to indoor diners Aug. 19 with a new look and expanded menu. The…
living
Local incentives aim to boost COVID-19 vaccinations
On June 26, just over two months ago, Buncombe County recorded just one new case of COVID-19. The county’s coronavirus state of emergency had ended earlier that month, and just…
news
Business in brief: A-B Tech announces credentialing program with ABCCM
“ABCCM knows that people who are houseless or experiencing homelessness are smart, motivated and often courageous persons who want the skills that lead to careers,” the Rev. Scott Rogers, the…Community-based summer programs battle academic inequality
While the statistics are bleak and the systemic obstacles are many, local individuals and community-based organizations are pursuing their own approaches to tackling long-standing inequities among students at Asheville City…Community debates Buncombe library plan
To focus resources on larger regional branches, a proposed Library Master Plan would close three existing libraries in Black Mountain, Oakley/South Asheville and Swannanoa. Neighborhood groups in those areas fiercely…Tourism recovery grant recipients reflect one year later
Of recipients of grants from the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority's Tourism Jobs Recovery Fund who responded to a recent survey, 97% were open as of June 30. Nine respondents…Council approves hotel expansion in 4-3 vote
The approval allows the existing Four Points by Sheraton hotel to more than quintuple its current size with a mix of uses including apartments, condominiums, extended stay hotel rooms, parking…
opinion
Letter: A message from the heavens about Asheville
"One way or another, the Great Being in the Sky will persuade people, mostly Floridians, that Asheville isn’t the haven they once expected."Letter: Legislation would help working parents, businesses and kids
"HB 574 is a piece of legislation that would allow us to begin treating child care as essential infrastructure."Letter: Don’t turn Charlotte Street into Charlotte
"I urge City Council to take the time to review its decisions before making a huge mistake that will affect our neighborhoods for years to come."Letter: Back the Blue in AVL
"It is my opinion that the City Council should start to show some support for the AVL police who are serving our community while being stretched to the maximum."Letter: Citizen voices sidelined by surprise school board pick
"As if our city needed one more example of citizen voices being sidelined, on Aug. 24, Asheville City Council pushed through the nomination of George Sieburg for the Asheville City…Letter: More thought needed on homeless shelter
"The city recently purchased a tract of land by the Deaverview area. Immediate use should be for this shelter."
