The Haywood County Arts Council’s Gallery 86 will hold its third annual small works show titled, ”It’s a Small, Small Work 2010” beginning Nov. 17 through Friday, Dec. 31. Gallery hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

The show provides a unique opportunity to purchase original art at very modest prices. Most artwork is priced between $20 and $80. No work is priced over $300. Artwork is sold off the wall in a “pay and walk away” style.

Artist participation in the annual small works continues to grow each year from 68 participating artists in 2008, 96 artists in 2009 to over 100 artists in 2010 with over 500 pieces of art from which to choose.

Artists were sought from the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area which encompasses the 25 westernmost counties in North Carolina. The show challenges artists to create works smaller than 12 inches in every dimension, including base, matting and frame. Participating artists include emerging artists, mid-career artists and established artists who have been producing work for a number of years. It’s a Small, Small Work 2010 features a variety of mediums including: painting, printmaking, drawing, ceramics, mixed media, collage, fiber, sculpture, gouache, woodworking, metal, jewelry and photography.

The small works show is a win-win situation for customers, artists and the Arts Council. The customer purchases small pieces of original art for a smaller price, artists receive a better than average commission on the sale, and the Arts Council retains a small commission to help support the organization and its programs and events.

For more information about It’s a Small, Small Work 2010 visit the Haywood County Arts Council website at www.haywoodarts.org. This project received support from the North Carolina Arts Council, an agency of the Department of Cultural Resources, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Who: Presented by Haywood County Arts Council’s Gallery 86.

What: It’s A Small, Small Work featuring artwork 12 or smaller by more than 100 artists from the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area in North Carolina.

When: Wednesday, Nov. 17, through Friday, Dec. 31. Opening reception will be held on Sunday, Nov. 21, from noon to 5 p.m. in conjunction with Downtown Waynesville’s Holiday Open House. Gallery hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Where: Haywood County Arts Council’s Gallery 86 located at 86 North Main Street, Waynesville.

Admission: Free and open to the public. All artwork is for sale.

Two FUNd Parties will be held in August to help raise money for the Haywood County Arts Council’s Arts in Schools program.

Join in on an evening under the stars at the 10th Annual Wine for the Arts, starting at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 24, at the home of Kay and Ron Isserman.

Co-hosted by the Classic Wineseller, Inc, guests will enjoy spacious decks that draw them outside and cozy overstuffed sofas to keep them comfy inside. Enjoy the fun of a “blind” wine tasting and partake in the fruit of the vine alongside culinary delights to completely satisfy the palate. $40 per participant and the ticket purchase deadline is Monday, Aug. 16.

On Wednesday, Aug. 25, it is Bridge and Lunch with a View from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The sky-high experience is offered for foursomes to provide another excuse to play Bridge and enjoy a delicious lunch while experiencing the breathtaking view of Haywood County from high above on Bottoms Way. Paid reservations must be made for tables of four, $180 per table. Deadline to purchase tickets is Monday, Aug. 2.

Call Karen for more information at 828.235.9219; for tickets, call 828.452.0593.

More than 40 artists will race against the clock this weekend, crafting a piece of art from scratch in just one hour during the annual Quick Draw event in Waynesville.

Quick Draw will be held from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, April 25, at the Waynesville Inn and Golf Resort (formerly Waynesville Country Club.)

The event is insanely popular with audiences, who get a sneak peak into the creative process. Nothing brings art to life quite like peering over an artist’s shoulder while they work. Participating artists run the gamut: wood carving, porcelain, wet felting, fiber art, basketry, metal sculpture and painters of all mediums.

Artists set up their personal workstations throughout a sprawling banquet room where spectators can roam at will.

While a few artists give off an air of “don’t talk to me, I’m busy,” most are prone to chat it up with spectators as they prowl from station to station. The artists’ mini-studios for the night are interesting to see in their own right, containing all their tricks of the trades, whether it’s a welder’s soldering iron or a painter’s arsenal of brushes.

The event can be a little nerve-racking for artists, who typically mold and remold their artwork to perfection over days. Whether the Quick Draw painters forgo mixing just the right hue of green or potters declare “good enough” on the curvature of a sugar bowl, it is usually lost of the spectators who fawn over the pieces. Although artists are forced to succumb to the pressures of the clock, the artwork they produce is one-of-a-kind and stacks up well against any piece found in a store-front gallery.

When the bell rings signaling the close of the hour-long art session, a social hour affords spectators one last chance to check out the finished products and scope out their favorites pieces before a live auction begins.

The auction raises thousands of dollars each year to promote arts in the county. The money is used to min-grants to art teachers in the schools.

Tickets are $35. For more information, go to www.wncquickdraw.com or call 828.456.6584.