The “arts district” of downtown West Jefferson will come alive with folks strolling the streets from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, June 14, with the return of the West Jefferson Gallery Crawl, which will exhibit new galleries, special artists, refreshments, and in-store promotions.
Gallery crawls will take place the second Friday of each month, and include July 12, Aug. 9, Sept. 13 and Oct. 11. There will be a special “Christmas crawl” on Friday, Dec. 6.
The purpose of the crawls are to support and promote downtown West Jefferson businesses. Crawlers will have an opportunity to see new, creative and innovative works by Ashe County’s leading artists.
“This is the thirteenth annual Gallery Crawl in downtown West Jefferson. We are excited to feature seventeen galleries. The first crawl of the season is fun and festive with lots of folks strolling the streets, enjoying the latest creations from our creative and talented Ashe County artists,” said Jane Lonon, executive director of the Ashe County Arts Council.
West Jefferson has an eclectic group of shops, galleries and studios representing a large and varied group of artists who will be displaying their latest creations. Participating in the crawl will be: Acorn Gallery, Ashe Arts Center, Ashe Custom Framing and Gallery, Backstreet Beads, Bohemia Gallery, Broomfields Gallery, Catch Light Gallery, Everything Has a Story, Fiber Artisans’ Studio, Florence Thomas Art School, French’s Art Gallery, Originals Only Gallery, Ripples Gallery, RT Morgan Art Gallery, Shoemaker-Hadley Studio, The Artists’ Theatre and the Tin Roof Gallery and Studio.
Art lovers will find on the streets of Downtown West Jefferson one of a kind paintings and photography, pottery, stained glass, quilts, fiber arts, jewelry, woodturned art, and much more. Crawlers are invited to stroll the streets, visit the galleries, view the downtown murals, enjoy the many outdoor art pieces and take advantage of the downtown restaurants.
The Ashe Arts Center will feature the opening reception for the Shadow of the Hills, the annual exhibit of the Blue Ridge Art Clan. The exhibit will showcase 25 artists with over 50 paintings in a variety of media.
Admission to Gallery Crawl is free, and maps will be available at the Ashe Arts Center in West Jefferson and at other participating galleries and shops.
For more information, call the Ashe County Arts Council at 336-846-ARTS visit the council’s web page at www.ashecountyarts.org.

















