Off I went with the family for a fall mountain weekend of – count’ em – three festivals. First stop was Waynesville, for the Apple Festival, where there were were hardly any apples. Bummer. Then, we went to Asheville’s Art in the Park, where there was so little art that my husband Jerry and I managed to see all of a dozen booths in a matter of 20 minutes. Disappointing to say the least. Finally, we visited the Jewish Food and Cultural Festival, where thankfully, we got our fill Read the full story

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I know this is blasphemy to say in this town, but I don’t know a thing about NASCAR. Even though I grew up in the suburbs of Detroit, where everybody else’s parents worked for one of the “Big Three,” my parents owned a pharmacy. At the pharmacy, I had access to hundreds of magazines. My favorites were Vogue, Entertainment Weekly and Art In America. Ask me about Nielsen ratings, who’s Jasper Jons or why an animal print is always a neutral and I’m your gal! So it came as a surprise to me that former NASCAR driver Shawna Robinson had morphed her career from racing to home design. Seems like a big switch to me! Read the full story

"Love Inside Many Red Bubbles" by Kat Knutsen.

My family has headed up to Mooresville the last few Friday nights to have sushi at JJ Wasabi’s. It’s a loud, joyous place and is always packed with people. Although the food is delicious there, my husband, who can’t take a crowd for very long, is happy to make the escape and follow me over to ArtWorks On Main, just a few doors down.

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Turquoise cuff by Bonnie Boardman of Davidson.

I’ve only been on one studio tour before. It was a big adventure and the art was amazing. We were in Santa Cruz, Calif., a bohemian beach town where artists living in beachside bungalows or expansive farm tracts. My husband, Jerry was “the driver” and I was “the navigator.” We fueled up – our car with a full tank of gas and our bellies with a big breakfast and coffees to sip in the car. It was a treat to meet the artists in Read the full story

When my family moved to North Carolina, Dave and Sally Phillips were our first friends. They were so welcoming and full of great stories. Sally works for Mariner, a Charlotte-based data intelligence firm and Dave owns Anchor Security and Locksmith in Cornelius. I bet many of you see Dave’s vans running about town helping people back into their locked cars or re-keying new homes. What you probably don’t know is that Dave is an accomplished stain glass artist. See, Dave just doesn’t give off the “artist” vibe. Dave is retired from the Navy, where he worked on aircraft carriers, submarines, and even in the White House. He still even looks like a Master Crew Chief! As a bonus of being in service to our country, David got to travel the world. During his travels, he developed a deep appreciation for art and stained glass, in particular. He likes the way that the light constantly changes the appearance and mood of the glass. Read the full story

"Purse" by Zhenya Gershman, from Lisa Jewel's personal collection.

This week I talked with Brad Thomas, gallery director at Davidson College about buying student artwork. We both agreed: Buying from talented students is an excellent way of obtaining artwork at a reasonable price. And who knows? Choose right, and your purchase might pay off handsomely in years to come. I happily admit to buying a lot of student work. Some of my “finds” get sold at our yearly garage sale while others hang proudly on the walls of my house. Only once have I bought an artist who has gone “Andy Warhol” on me.

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