7th Annual Beaverdam Studio Tour

The Beaverdam Valley neighborhood is convenient. Drive two miles south on Merrimon Avenue, and you’ll find yourself in the hustle of downtown Asheville. But despite its proximity to the city, the community is also teeming with “bears, wild turkeys, turtles, foxes, and rabbits,” says Julie Calhoun-Roepnack, a local potter (JCR Designs) who settled in the area more than 20 years ago. Today, she finds creative fodder while hiking the nearby Mountains-to-Sea Trail with her pup, Harper. “My creative process involves seeking inspiration in nature,” she says. Come October, Calhoun-Roepnack will share her honeybee mugs, cottontail platters, ursine pencil pitchers, and other pieces of collectable stoneware during the 7th Annual Beaverdam Studio Tour. According to event founder Karen Milnes, the tour “provides an opportunity for visitors to meet with the many artists and craftspeople living in North Asheville.” In years past, guests have traveled from across Western North Carolina and more than 20 states to witness the valley’s talent firsthand, she says. “When we moved here 10 years ago, we had no idea that there were so many terrific artists living and working off Beaverdam Road.” (Her husband, Robert, makes clay sculptures and vessels.) “The tour stays fresh with new artists for visitors to see each year.”