CURVE Studios & Garden is celebrating 30 years in Asheville’s River Arts District as part of the RAD Second Saturday Celebration on October 12, 2019. Studios will be open from 10am-6pm with demonstrations, classes, an artist talk, birthday cake and—in keeping with CURVE’s long tradition of “bringing people to art and art to life”—the unveiling of a public art sculpture in the garden.

On October 13, 1989, Pattiy Torno bought the Standard Oil Company buildings (circa 1916) at 6 – 12 Riverside Drive to make a punk rock / all ages club called Squash Pile. The club was open from 1990-1991. When Torno renovated the buildings “it was a complete gut job... the roofs, plumbing, electric, heat, doors, windows, everything except the exterior walls needed work”. The fruits of these labors created live/work studios, supporting hot glass, woodworking, photography, ceramics, painting and metal sculpture studios. The floodwaters of 2004 that inundated CURVE changed live/work studios to retail / working studios. In 2005, working with neighboring artists, friendly building owners as well as city and county government, Torno successfully advocated to “name the mile long section of the French Broad riverfront that was already full of artists” as Asheville’s River Arts District.

Thanks to the River Arts District Transportation Improvement Project (RADTIP), CURVE has new addresses. Riverside Drive is now River Arts Place. Come see some of the many changes that include new and improved roadways, sidewalks, greenways, bike lanes and public art, all part of the RAD TIP Project.

In celebration of 10 years at CURVE, ceramic artist Cassie Butcher will give an artist talk “Unearthing the Soul” from 2-3pm in 5 downstairs. Cassie is one of 11 artists currently working here at CURVE.

Silver River Center for Chair Caning, the only chair caning school and museum in the USA, has created an 8 ft tall chair arch to honor Torno’s three decades of contributions to the RAD. Built by chair nerds, Brandy Clements, Dave Klingler, and Lucy Kruesel, the CURVE garden Chair Arch is inspired by a chair arch built in 1877 by the furniture makers of High Wycombe, UK to welcome Queen Victoria. The Chair Arch will be unveiled @ 4:30pm in the garden with a bit of the bubbly.

10am to 6pm Extended Open Studio Hours • all studios

2pm Cassie Butcher Artist Talk “Unearthing the Soul “ • 5 downstairs

4 to 6pm Happy Hour • drinks and snacks in the garden Chair Arch unveiling • with bubbly in the garden

4:30pm Chair Arch unveiling • with bubbly in the garden

5pm CURVE 30th Birthday Cake cutting • 5 downstairs

CURVE Studios 30th Birthday Celebration is free to the public. Plenty of parking is available at CURVE and in two adjacent public lots & a free trolley will be available to take visitors around the River Arts District from 11am to 5pm. This event will happen, rain or shine!

Bringing People to Art, and Art to Life in Asheville’s River Arts District since 1989

Studios are OPEN Monday thru Saturday 11am to 4pm • Gardens are open dawn to dusk

FOR MORE NEWS FROM CURVE STUDIOS & GARDEN:

Visit us @ 3, 5, 7 River Arts Place • www.curvestudios.org • 828.388.3526 Instagram : @curvestudios • Facebook : CURVE studios & garden • YouTube • For media, photography, and other public relation inquiries please call 828 388 3526 or see photos below

To see historic photos, check out our About page