Happenings

Top Four Finds for the Fourth of July in Western North Carolina

With its longstanding, rich arts-and-crafts heritage, it is no wonder that Western North Carolina’s creative culture is one of the finest in the country. Come see it for yourself at Lexington Glassworks’ July Glasswork Concert Series: Hot Glass, Cold Beer, Live Music on Friday, July 1, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Learn about the beautiful, meticulous art of glassblowing and enjoy the fine tunes of bluegrass from WNC’s own Maggie Valley Band.

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If western North Carolina is the hub of American craft, Asheville is its heart. Perched in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the city has a population of just 88,000 – a ridiculous percentage of which seem to be artists. Today, craft lovers may be drawn, in particular, to downtown and the River Arts District. But there is history to be appreciated, too, much of it embodied in three storied places: the Grove Park Inn (since 2013, the Omni Grove Park Inn); the Biltmore, a French Renaissance-style château built by art collector George Vanderbilt in 1895; and the defunct Black Mountain College.

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Each piece of hand-blown glass begins in the furnace located just past the entrance. On any given day, inside Lexington Glassworks, you will find the owners, Billy Guilford and Geoff Koslow, diligently and delicately crafting one-of-a-kind pieces in the gallery’s 2,100-degree furnace that they assembled themselves.

CMT filming Allison DeMarcus travel show in Asheville

This week, cable channel CMT is filming a travel series called "Southbound" in Asheville and the surrounding area.

The production crew filmed at Lexington Glassworks earlier today. Ashleigh Hardes of the downtown glass studio said show host Allison DeMarcus interviewed owners Billy Guilford and Geoff Koslow about their work and the recent renovation of the former auto shop where they work.

Demarcus is a frequent CMT host, former beauty queen and wife of Rascal Flatts bassist Jay DeMarcus.

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North Carolina Weekend | UNC-TV

Meet the two artist/owners of Lexington Glassworks, a popular Asheville hotspot that lets visitors watch glass being blown.

Hip Green Scene | Asheville Travel Guide

Maybe it is reflective of our own dual nature, but we find the dichotomy in Asheville interesting. Made famous as much for the castle built by a Vanderbilt heir as by long-standing drum circles downtown, Asheville is a marriage of opposites. The happy result is architectural grandeur alongside an earthiness that just might tempt you to sit behind a pottery wheel. This lush mountain town provides many opportunities to commune with nature whether it is strolling the manicured gardens or paddling down a meandering river.  Either way, you’ll be well fed. While the farm-to-table movement didn’t originate here, you’d think it did.  Vegan or carnivore, you’ll find some of the best meals to be had are waiting for you.  You’ll need all that sustenance to take in the thriving art scene with hundreds of artists in residence. Be sure to check out Asheville’s up-and-coming South Slope neighborhood, filled with so much hipness in so little a radius, your visit isn’t complete without an evening there brewery hopping. So settle in a while, Asheville’s union of opposites couldn’t have turned out better.

Lexington Glassworks  Billy Guilford and Geoffrey Koslow are firing up some gorgeous glass for you.  Drop in their spacious studio on South Lexington and watch them do their thing. While they’ve got plenty of unique glass vessels for you to take home, our favorite is the heart organ necklace below. 81 S. Lexington Ave. (S)

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See artists at work during Asheville Downtown Art Walk

When glass blowing artists Billy Guilford and Geoff Koslow discovered a rundown garage for rent on South Lexington Avenue, they looked past the mess and focused on the large roll-up garage door.

Shop Talk | The Laurel of Asheville

Best friends turned business partners, Billy Guilford and Geoff Koslow opened Lexington Glassworks last January in the space formerly occupied by Brown’s Automotive.