On a sunny morning, I met Robin Arramae at Panacea Coffee House in the Frog Level District of Waynesville. We sat on the back deck amid other coffee-goers and the relaxing sounds of a nearby creek. The goal was to conduct an interview about her popular business, WNC Paint Events. 

Smokies Life has announced the publication of “George Masa: A Life Reimagined,” the first comprehensively researched biography of the visionary Japanese photographer whose dedication to art and conservation helped spur the national park movement in the Great Smoky Mountains, as well as the creation of the Appalachian Trail. 

Presented by the Haywood County Arts Council (HCAC), the annual Haywood County Studio Tour will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, and from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 22. 

The annual “Youth Arts Festival” will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, at the Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro. 

A cherished gathering of locals and visitors alike, “Art After Dark” will continue its 2024 season from 6-9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 6, in downtown Waynesville. 

The annual Maggie Valley Arts & Crafts Show will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 31-Sept. 1 at the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds. 

There will be a special showcase of the Grace Johnson art collection and a fundraiser reception for the Friends of the Library from 4-6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. 

The ArtFest community event will be held from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. 

The Haywood County Arts Council’s (HCAC) latest exhibit, “Textures,” will run through Sept. 1 at the HCAC gallery on Main Street in downtown Waynesville. 

A visually stunning amalgamation of images — both historic and aspirational — now adorns Waynesville’s Pigeon Community Multicultural Development center, breathing new life into an old neighborhood and commemorating the important role of the structure in regional Black history.