Culture Club

What do an illustrative art gallery, plein air painting extravaganza, and a photography workshop have in common?

They’re among the upcoming creative happenings you can get excited about. Here’s a rundown of what’s in store.

ZaPow! Illustrative Art Gallery Grand Opening
October 14, 7-9 p.m. | Asheville
Asheville offers no shortage of artists or galleries. But when ZaPow! hosts its grand opening tonight in 3,000-square-foot digs on Battery Park Avenue, not only will it be the city’s first exhibit space for illustrative art, it’s also the first gallery of its kind in the Southeast. The brainchild of husband and wife, Matt and Lauren Johnson, ZaPow!’s zany mix of illustration spans the fantasy, sci-fi, comic book, and pop art worlds, bringing nationally acclaimed illustrators such as New York Times bestseller Peter Brown and Biltmore Lake’s Daryl Slaton under one roof.
            Friday’s grand opening celebration trades wine and cheese for French Broad Brewery beers and Hawaiian punch, with garage pop duo The Mad Tea Party providing a surf rock-inspired soundtrack as guests browse 160 plus works. ZaPow!; 21 Battery Park, Ste. 10; free; (828) 400-9125; www.zapow.net
 

City of 1,000 Easels
October 16 | Asheville
This Sunday, more than 90 regional artists will descend upon the streets of Asheville, turning the town into a city-wide open studio for the Asheville Area Arts Council’s City of 1000 Easels immersive arts event.
            “Visual artists are consistently isolated in their creation process,” explains Graham Hackett, interim executive director of the AAAC. “We want to give the artists an extroverted moment.”
            From oil, acrylic, and watercolor, to body painting and 3D collage, if it can be created on a sidewalk, it’s fair game. Onlookers will get to witness the creative process, then explore the 10 plus galleries that will showcase the finished pieces.
Downtown; free; (828) 754-2486; www.ashevillearts.com

Carolina Captured
October 21-23| Little Switzerland
On the peak weekend of leaf season, shutterbugs are invited to join photographers Kelly Culpepper and Gary Kerr for an intensive photography workshop in Little Switzerland. During Carolina Captured, participants will learn about core visual approaches (composition, lighting, and exposure), as well as tips for processing their digital photos. The course began seven years ago as a “weekend boot camp of beauty,” says Culpepper, offering dramatic photo ops of orchards, waterfalls, sunrises, and mountain peaks. Attendees stay at Wildacres Retreat, a conference center situated on 1,600 acres atop Pompey’s Knob near the Blue Ridge Parkway. The weekend culminates with a group critique. And it isn’t too late to sign up, as there are still a few spots left. Wildacres Retreat, 1565 Wildacres Rd.; $549 double occupancy, $135 single supplement; (704) 650-6230; www.carolinacaptured.com

—Mariah Copeland Parker