News

BRIEFS: ArtScape artists, downtown luminaries, donations for veterans

ArtScape is calling for artists and sponsors for next year's outdoor exhibit.

By Bill Moss, Published: December 11, 2019

Read news about ArtScape, donations for veterans, downtown luminaries Saturday night, call for Bounty of Bethlehem volunteers and Blue Ridge Ringers concert.

ArtScape calls for artists, sponsors for 2020

Artists and sponsors who want to participate in the 2020 ArtScape exhibit are invited to sign up now. The deadline for all applications – artists and sponsors – is Jan. 18.
A total of 40 artists will be chosen for the 2020 juried show, including four young artists. Artists must live in Henderson County. The young artists will be chosen in the age categories of 6 to 11 years and 12 to 17 years old. All other applicants must be 18 or older. The deadline for all applications is Jan. 18. Details are available at www.artscapehvl.org. Next year’s outdoor art gallery will be on exhibit in downtown Hendersonville from April 2020 to March 2021.
Sponsors for banners may also sign up now. Those wishing to sponsor one or more banners in the 2020 show will save on the cost of sponsorship by signing up before the end of this year. A banner can be sponsored for $200 through Dec. 31. From Jan. 1 to Jan. 18, the cost is $225. Sponsors can be individuals, businesses, or organizations. Sponsors names are shown on the banners..
For more information visit www.artscapehvl.org.
ArtScape showcases locally created art and helps make the city an exciting and unique art destination with the annually changing selection of banners on Main Street, Seventh Avenue and the downtown avenues.
For more information, contact Diane Dean at artist@dianedean.com or 843-247-1368. Visit www.artscapehvl.org or www.acofhc.org for information about the ArtScape Banner Project.

Luminaries will light way to downtown shops

Luminaries will light up Main Street and the avenues to add to the quaint holiday charm of historic downtown Hendersonville on Saturday, Dec. 14. Luminaries will be provided by Four Season Hospice, packaged and delivered by the Friends of Downtown and displayed by downtown merchants. They will provide beautifully lit paths that lead the way to merry shops open late and offering unique gifts, snacks and refreshments for this special one-night event.
The luminaries will stretch from the south end of Main Street at Allen to the north end at Seventh Avenue and along the avenues between Church and King streets.
The new public rest rooms located at 125 Fifth Avenue will also be open. Please stop by and take a break from shopping, enjoy a holiday treat and pick up a downtown merchant map.
 

Honor Flight seeks donations for veterans

Blue Ridge Honor Flight is once again raising funds for Christmas giving at the Veteran’s Restoration Quarters and the Steadfast House.
Currently there are 250 homeless male veterans at VRQ and 34 homeless women veterans and 14 children housed at the Steadfast House. This year all veterans and children will be given new coats and hopefully hats and gloves.
“We also want to make sure that the children get `fun stuff’ as well as coats and caps,” said Jeff Miller, founder of Blue Ridge Honor Flight and veteran advocate. “It is very hard for us to accept the words ‘homeless veteran’ as a reality, much less that 14 children of veterans are also homeless. We ask that our community joins us in giving these men, women and children the best Christmas possible as we make sure each person receives a gift this year.”
Those wishing to contribute to this important cause may make checks payable to Blue Ridge Honor Flight and mail to 423 North King St., Hendersonville, NC, 28792. Donations may also be made online by visiting the donate page of blueridgehonorflight.com.
Established in 2006, Blue Ridge Honor Flight has a mission to transport America’s veterans to Washington, D.C., to visit memorials dedicated to honor the sacrifices of themselves and their fellow soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines. Blue Ridge Honor Flight is a registered 501(c)3.

Progressive Alliance to demonstrate for immigration reform

The Progressive Alliance of Henderson County will holds its monthly Silent Vigil for Immigration Reform at 4 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20, at the Historic Courthouse plaza. The third Friday Silent Vigil is a half hour of energy spent to support DACA and promote compassionate Immigration Reform policies.

Applications now open for 2020 scholarships

The Henderson County Education Foundation scholarship application portal is open for 2020 Henderson County graduating seniors. HCEF offers 26 scholarships totaling more than $45,000 in awards.
Through the generosity of its donors, the Education Foundation awards financial support to graduating seniors from Henderson County. New to the HCEF list of scholarships this year are the Ann Mullican Scholarship and the McMinn Leadership Award.
Heritage Weavers and Fiber Artists are providing the $1,000 Ann Mullican Scholarship for a student attending a two-year or four-year university or college with plans to major in textiles or fiber arts.
The McMinn Leadership Award, started last year to honor the late Rev. Dr. James McMinn, supports two students with $500 scholarships.
In other updates, the Hendersonville Lions Club is now offering two $1,000 scholarships for students planning to major in the health care field, and the Community Tennis Association is increasing its awards to two $1,500 scholarships for students enrolled in public, private or home schools.
Detailed instructions on how to apply and scholarship eligibility are available on the Education Foundation website at: http://hcefnc.org/ourwork/scholarships/. The deadline for applying is February 11, 2020 at midnight. Questions regarding the scholarship process can be directed to scholarships@hcefnc.org or by calling 828.697.5551.

Mitten Tree is up at Trinity

The Mitten Tree is up at Trinity Presbyterian Church through Dec. 17. Each Advent Season, Trinity puts The Mitten Tree up and invites the community to help decorate it with gifts of mittens and gloves, wool hats and stocking caps and socks and other small clothing items that children need to keep warm in the winter cold. The gifts on this special sharing tree will be taken to IAM and given to children in the community. who need and will appreciate them so much. The church is at 900 Blythe St.

Blue Ridge Ringers perform holiday show

The Blue Ridge Ringers, an advanced handbell group under the direction of Karen Grady, will present the “Christmas Around the World” program featuring holiday favorites from Mexico, the former Czechoslovakia, Ukraine, the Caribbean, Canada, England, Germany and France and a traditional Jewish prayer for peace, at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 22, at Congregational Church in Tryon.

Bounty of Bethlehem seeks volunteer leaders

The Bounty of Bethlehem is seeking new leadership to assist in organizing this year’s celebration. There are a variety of areas needing assistance with leadership, to include decorations, breakout room organization, kitchen and dining room volunteer organization, dessert coordination, marketing, and toy collection. It takes the work of hundreds of volunteers about six days to organize this successful event, and the leadership helps organize and coordinate all the planning leading up to the day.
The Bounty of Bethlehem Community Christmas Dinner happens on Christmas Day for the 37th year in a row. A special Christmas meal is provided for anyone and everyone who comes through the door. It provides folks a place to gather for fellowship and a warm meal — no matter who they are, how they worship, their income, or from where they come. The mission is that “no one be alone on Christmas Day.”
Hosted at Immaculata Catholic School, the dinner is served and supported by and for the community at large with 100% of the funding coming directly from our community through fundraising efforts.
Donations can be made online at www.TheBountyofBethlehem.org or by mail to PO Box 883 Hendersonville, NC 28793. Anyone interested in learning more about working with the leadership team may email Annamarie Jakubielski at Annamarie@Jakubielski.com or call Joanne Mummert at 828-702-1467.