United States
Alli Marshall is a poet, performer, writer, editor, film maker and creative community builder. She’s interested in moving writing beyond the page, seeking the golden in the mundane, finding the intersection of art and social justice, and reconnecting with mythology — both ancient and modern.
Alli is a longtime resident of Asheville, N.C., where she's been part of the creative sector as a maker, organizer, and reporter. She served as the arts section editor and lead arts writer of alternative newsweekly Mountain Xpress for 17 years.
Outdoor venues host spring and summer concerts. A backyard came with the property at One World Brewing West, in West Asheville, N.C. "Our place is kind of tucked away," says Lisa Schutz, who owns the brewery and venue with her husband Jay.
Japanese-born potter and musician Akira Satake creates and displays work at his Gallery Mugen in Asheville's River Arts District. His pieces range from home decor and sculpture to tableware, sake cups, and tea sets. Satake moved to the U.S. four decades ago.
Growing up in Spartanburg, S.C., back when "it didn't have a vibrant downtown," the goal for award-winning writer Latria Graham was just to get out. She did, attending Dartmouth College before completing an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from The New School in New York City and going on to win multiple awards for sportswriting and journalism.
Although it's the men associated with Black Mountain College - such as teaching artists Josef Albers, Buckminster Fuller and Charles Olsen - who have historically received the most acclaim, the women of that institution were also innovators, change makers and important players in the art world.
There was a plague in India in 1994. It sounded dangerous, in a romantic way. Those of us on the semester abroad trip remained in Sri Lanka for an extra week while the group leaders faxed the college and the college administrators faxed our parents who were no doubt baffled by what it all meant.
Artistic modalities aren't gendered any more than, say, cuisines, dance styles or literary genres. Yet, historically, certain forms of making have been more associated with female-bodied people (fiber arts and jewelry design among them) while other skill sets, such as electronics, blacksmithing and welding, have been associated with male artists.
"Sometimes I think that place is a character in my work," says poet and novelist Andrew K. Clark. He grew up in Western North Carolina and lived in Georgia and South Carolina before returning to Asheville two years ago.
Asheville's known for many things: natural beauty, an historic downtown, craft beer and great food. The local music scene is equally deserving of a top-10 list mention. Though hard to explain, Asheville's multi-genre, boundary-pushing sound is underscored by its eclecticism.
The idea for the Tiny Gallery - a sidewalk showcase in the Norwood Park neighborhood of North Asheville - goes back a decade. In 2010, multimedia artist Margaret Cogswell was a resident artist at Penland School of Craft. There, she and her friend Mark Boyd conceptualized what she calls "a way to have an impromptu show in unexpected places."
Of the exhibition #HUMAN, Singh notes, "This is probably the only time in my life I've created political or social [commentary] pieces. If you look back at my work, it's nudes and romantic, lots of sensual energy, which is really important to my creative process. But I'm definitely finding spaces for broadening the conversation."