HART welcomes Arnette, Dykes

The board of directors of the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre (HART) in Waynesville held its annual meeting recently in the…
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Feet in the sand, not your head

How could something so beautiful be so ugly? Standing at the edge of the ocean on the Gulf Coast of…
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Lonesome and a long way from home: John Cowan on bluegrass, life

They wanted to shake things up. In 1971, a young Sam Bush aimed to create a new kind of bluegrass…
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The love that we need: WNC welcomes Hayes Carll

Sitting in the back of his tour van in a Texas parking lot on a recent cold prairie night, Hayes…
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This must be the place: Ode to Butch Trucks, Texas sunsets

Popping the tailgate down in my truck, I jumped up, my eyes gazing straight ahead.
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Creating a community: Haywood Arts celebrates 40 years

In her short tenure, Executive Director Lindsey Solomon has righted the unknown direction of the ship that is the Haywood…
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This must be the place: You want the house, I want the road

I had just enough water left. Squeezing the last of my water bottle onto my dry toothbrush, I managed to…
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A song for young love: The Lettermen roll into Franklin

It was a 1963 station wagon with six musicians and their equipment. When Tony Butala reminisces about the beginning of…
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This must be the place: Five years ain’t nothing, darling

Has it really been that long? When I looked at the calendar this week, I realized it said 2017, which…
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What’s the value of a mural?

The Appalachian Mural Trail has developed a long-range plan to include these priceless murals and all future murals into a…
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This must be the place: In the presence of the Founding Fathers

I decided to not wear the hardhat. Standing underneath the magnificent 215-foot high ancient rock arch at the Natural Bridge…
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Winds of Change: The Infamous Stringdusters hit WNC

They are the bridge. In the bluegrass world these days, it seems there are two camps of thought and performance…
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2016 in A&E

Each year, we here at The Smoky Mountain News showcase our “Spoof Awards.” Sometimes they’re meant in good tongue-and-cheek fun,…
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One more for the good times: The Dirty Soul Revival to rock Sylva

It ain’t dead. Rock-n-roll. In an era when sugar-coated pop stars and polished country acts are atop the charts, one…
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This must be the place: Sydney to Seattle to the South

Through the strewn lights I could see the Empire State Building.
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Kephart collection at WCU

A showcase on the life and times of Horace Kephart will be on display from Oct. 11-March 31 in the…
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HCAC receives gifts

In 2016, the Haywood County Arts Council’s (HCAC) Gallery Committee set out to improve its Gallery & Gifts retail space…
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Haywood, Jackson Arts grant recipients

The Haywood County Arts Council (HCAC) and Jackson County Arts Council (JCAC), co-administrating organizations of this year’s program, are pleased…
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This must be the place

Home. For me, it’s Plattsburgh, New York. Just down the road from the Canadian border, in the heart of the…
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‘All of the freaks have gone to bed…’: A conversation with Ron Gallo

It’s about time. It’s about time someone kicked us all in the ass when it comes to the power and…
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This must be the place: ‘Christmas is coming, but I’m not happy.’

But, I’m not sad either. Even with that Charlie Brown quote in the headline to emphasize my thoughts on the…
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Get on the ‘Appalachian Mural Trail’

With the help of the Blue Ridge Parkway Association, the Appalachian Mural Trail Group began accomplishing its vision on Dec.…
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This must be the place: Christmas Jam, now more than ever

“You don’t know me but I’m your brother/I was raised here in this living hell/You don’t know my kind in…
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Christmas classic comes to life

A frigid mountain wind howled through Bryson City last Friday evening as a handful of folks hurried into the Smoky…
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Under the Bright Lights: Smoky Mountain Community Theatre

It’s the heartbeat of a town. Coming into its 37th year, the Smoky Mountain Community Theatre has become a beacon…
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In their words: WCU professor and alumnus nominated for Dublin Literary Award

Novels written by a Western Carolina University professor and by his former student are among the 147 titles in the…
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This must be the place: Indonesia to Carolina and back again

“I’m glad you’re here right now.” Standing in line at the Old Europe coffee shop in downtown Asheville, I said…
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When I sing: An interview with Bear Rinehart

Heralding from just down the mountain in Greenville, South Carolina, Bear Rinehart is the front man for the rock group…
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Straight from the Source: A conversation with Marty Stuart

It’s about staying true to yourself. When you converse with country/bluegrass legend Marty Stuart, you’re speaking to the source. From…
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Lines in the Sand: Balsam Range looks ahead

The eternal struggle of bluegrass is being able to balance evolution with tradition. How does one adhere to the pickin’…
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This must be the place: Last call at the Brar Patch

“Blue-collar heaven.” When asked just what the Brar Patch is, Trey Smith was quick with that response. Huddled under a…
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Local writers, film wins awards

Two local authors and the Bethel Rural Community Organization’s Historic Preservation Committee were among award winners at the annual meeting…
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This must be the place: Stones sax player, improv legend rolls into WNC

It’s a whirlwind. With his group Tiny Universe, saxophonist Karl Denson seamlessly creates this vortex onstage, a sonic hub where…
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Haywood art grants given
 

Haywood art grants given

The Haywood County Arts Council (HCAC), serving as a Designated County Partner of the North Carolina Arts Council, is pleased…
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This must be the place: An Ode to Election 2016

Hate didn't get us to this point. It also didn’t win the election. A stagnant Congress for the last 16…
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‘In the Soundless Awe’: Play co-written by Western Carolina University professor

The haunting final moments of the man at the helm of the worse naval disaster in U.S. history will be…
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JCAC receives grant funding

The Jackson County Arts Council has received four grants from the North Carolina Arts Council to fund various programs for…
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Midwest Heart, Southern Blues: Nick Dittmeier & The Sawdusters roll into WNC

Taking a seat on the old couch, my foot began to tap immediately. The living room full of friends and…
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This must be the place

The most important band in America My ears are still ringing. After catching two nights of the Drive-By Truckers this…
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If you lived here, you’d be home by now: A conversation with Chris Robinson

Life is good. That’s the vibe one gets when chatting with Chris Robinson these days. Former lead singer for legendary…
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American Pickers to film in North Carolina
 

American Pickers to film in North Carolina

Mike Wolf, Frank Fritz and their team are excited to return to North Carolina. They plan to film episodes of…
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This must be the place

Why don’t you go get your crazy pills? I remember that being said to me by other students when I…
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Tuscola attends GWU Choral Clinic
 

Tuscola attends GWU Choral Clinic

Gardner-Webb University welcomed nearly 160 high school chorus students to campus Oct. 13 as the university’s music department sponsored the…
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WCU to celebrate Homecoming 2016

The Western Carolina University community will come together under the theme “Purple Reigns” to celebrate Homecoming 2016 with major public…
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‘Fear No Art’ Exhibit
 

‘Fear No Art’ Exhibit

The Jackson County Arts Council in Sylva announces a new exhibit entitled "Fear No Art" by Isabella Jacovino, an artist…
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This must be the place

I’m entering hostile waters here, folks. So, bear with me as I bring up this ideology I recently heard, which…
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This must be the place: NPR’s Ari Shapiro visits WNC

It was weird hearing him speak. As host of “All Things Considered,” the flagship program on National Public Radio (NPR),…
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Pisgah wins 50th anniversary rumble

It was the tale of two halves as the Pisgah Black Bears went toe-to-toe against their Haywood County rivals, the…
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New Haywood dance initiative

It has been over 10 years since the Haywood County Arts Council brought the Atlanta Ballet to Haywood County to…
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WCU professor receives Cherokee honor

Brett Riggs, Sequoyah Distinguished Professor of Cherokee Studies at Western Carolina University, has received the 2016 Cherokee National Worcester Award…
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