Community Art Night:
This program is for everyone of all ages to come together as a community to express themselves through art while creating art together. We do a variety of art projects at each Community Art Night all while adding educational components to each project! This is a free program which averages 15-20 participants and held once a month on Thursdays.
Community Literary Night:
This program is for all all ages and perfect event for the family. We partnered with our local bookstore, Read Spotted Newt, to make reading fun again! We host one Thursday every other month and read a book to our community. We end the evening with an art project that relate to the story to show the connection between stories and the arts.
Thursdays on the Grand:
This ArtMarket is a bi-weekly event is a spring and fall focused opportunity for local artists, makers, and crafters to sell their creations for absolutely no cost to the individual. There is live music, local food, craft beer, craft vendors, public service vendors, and an accompanied Farmers Market that sells locally grown fresh produce. This event yields approximately 200 event-goers and has generated approx $20,000 for the collective group.
Studio Be’s AppArts Movement Studio:
At the opening of the ArtStation, we knew we wanted to begin promoting yoga and more mindfulness practices. It was realized pretty quickly that we needed a space specifically for those classes, as each class was a race to sign up for, and usually sold out with a line out the door. Studio Be. was the solution. Our dance class also began to expand and as of 2024 we have rebranded the space as “AppArts Movement Studio’ where not only can you learn to dance but you can go to relax, stretch, and be mindful with our yoga classes on the weekend!
Retired Community Programs:
Front Porch Pickin’:
This event is geared towards community building and providing a stress free environment for local musicians to play together in a group, and to connect. This is a free event that has approx 30-70 participants and is held monthly on the last Wednesday of the month.
Appalachians Folk Night:
This fun and educational event is a summer-exclusive event that celebrates the culture and heritage of Appalachia. In partnership with the Hindman Settlement School, this event hosts a called square-dance, Appalachian themed cuisine, traditional music, and Appalachian art. This is a free event for the public.
The World’s Smallest Shakespeare Festival:
This 2-day event hosts Theatre Programs from local high schools and community theatre ensembles to perform Shakespeare one-act plays. There is food, art, music, and vendors. This event is available to the public for $5.00 per person.
Studio Sessions:
As most organizations, during the pandemic, we needed to find a different way to provide people access to the arts and performance. Music, just as the arts in general, have healing properties, and we understood the importance of making it available to our communities. Studio Sessions is an online video performance released every Friday. Each session is a video performance of a regional musician, singer, or dancer and it is released on the Appalachian Arts Alliance Social Media pages. We have currently released 103 Studio Sessions since the ArtStation opened in July of 2020.
