SIGNS OF PROTEST: In December, eight masked demonstrators gathered outside Gerard’s Clingman Avenue studio. Identifying themselves as Asheville Survivors Coalition members, the protesters carried a banner that read “Multiple Women Harassed or Assaulted by Jonas Gerard.”

Asheville Too: Arts community tackles taboo topic

The activist group Asheville Survivors Coalition has focused in recent months on bringing public attention to claims of unwanted sexual attention by anonymous women against artist Jonas Gerard. While some local organizations and businesses have removed Gerard’s work from their facilities in the wake of the activists’ protests, others have not. The arts community’s response has taken a variety of forms.

MAKERS MEET: Mia Hall, left, and Jerry Jackson have been selected to lead Penland School of Crafts and John C. Campbell Folk School, respectively.

John C. Campbell Folk School and Penland School of Crafts appoint new leadership

It’s the season of change for two of Western North Carolina’s craft institutions. In May, John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown named Jerry Jackson as its new executive director. A month later, Penland School of Crafts in Penland announced that Maria “Mia” Hall would take the reigns as director, effective Jan. 1, 2018.

ROLLING ALONG: The 11th annual Tour de Pumpkin on Oct. 7 will let cyclists enjoy the countryside around Rutherfordton with tour distances of 50 or 100 kilometers. The ride is one of several cycling events that celebrate the crisp weather and brilliant colors of autumn. Photo courtesy of the Tour de Pumpkin

ICYMI: Xpress stories from the issue of Sept. 27, 2017

From the area’s largest single construction project to fall planting, Xpress has the scoop on local fall happenings. Here are some of our best stories from the previous week to keep you reading as you wait for our next issue, coming to a paper box near you on Wednesday, Oct. 4.

MOOD INDIGO: Abbey Allen, left and Alan Malpass of Asheville Aerial Arts prepare for the Asheville Area Arts Council’s Indigo Ball — the organization’s multi-party fundraiser that features a wealth of local talent. The color ball launched in 2002 and was produced in less lavish iterations over the years. The Sept. 9 event returns to original form.

AAAC’s Indigo Ball celebrates local creativity

If you’re in downtown Asheville on Saturday, Sept. 9, and see people dashing down the sidewalks in blue outfits and other formal attire, don’t be alarmed. These costumed folks are out reveling in the name of the Asheville Area Arts Council’s Indigo Color Ball, a sight unseen for two years — and in many ways, even longer.