ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Have you ever wondered just how much Asheville’s landscape has changed over the years? An exhibit coming to the Asheville Museum of History will highlight just that.
Opening to the public on Saturday, Sept. 21, a press release from the museum says The Photography of Andrea Clark: Remembering Asheville’s East End Community will feature 35 framed photographic prints from Clark’s photo series that show areas that were transformed by the city’s urban renewal program from the late 1960s through the early 1970s.
Although Clark was born in Massachusetts, she moved to Asheville after studying photography in the 60s to live with her father and document her family’s community. Clark is the granddaughter of notable Asheville master brick mason James Vester Miller, who built many prominent public buildings around the turn of the century, according to the museum.
Clark’s black and white photography documents “mid-20th century Asheville and its Black community, most of whom were later displaced due to urban renewal,” the museum’s release says.
Essays on the history of the photographs will also be on display at the exhibit. A section of the exhibition will also highlight the work and buildings of Clark’s grandfather James Vester Miller. The exhibition will occur in two parts, with a new rotation of photographs from the series planned for display in February 2025.
Ahead of the exhibit’s grand opening, the museum is hosting a special Preview Party on Friday, Sept. 20 at 6 p.m., which will include music by DJ Raf and cuisine by Chef Hector Diaz. Ticket prices include $50 for museum members and $60 for non-members. Tickets are available for purchase and sponsorship opportunities are listed HERE.
Library, Asheville, North Carolina
The preview party directly supports the Community Day public opening on Saturday, Sept. 21, which is a free event open to the public. Community Day will run from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. and will
include live music, scholarly lectures on Asheville’s urban renewal history, activities for kids including photography and drumming workshops, and an East End community panel discussion with Andrea Clark and former residents of the neighborhood.
About the Asheville Museum of History
The Asheville Museum of History is located in the historic Smith-McDowell House, on the campus of A-B Tech, located at 283 Victoria Road in Asheville. The museum’s regular hours are Wednesday – Saturday from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. During normal hours of operation, admission is a suggested donation of $10 for adults and $6 for military, college students, and youth ages 7-17. Children under 6 are free. In addition to special thematic exhibitions, the museum houses a permanent exhibit representing the history of the 23 counties that comprise the Western North Carolina region. The museum also hosts regular educational programming and events—for more information, please visit www.ashevillehistory.org.