"Nothing Could be Finer"
by Susanne Theis
Executive Director, The Orange Show Center for Visionary Art
...Than to be in Carolina with Larry Harris as our leader on the Orange Show’s 2007
out-of-state Eyeopener Tour. For five days, our gang
of 30 did everything but rest as we covered 1,000 miles, visiting 6 artists,
9 museums/galleries, private collections, installations, restaurants and a basilica.
We had fun, we learned, we were inspired and we made lasting connections with each other and
the genuinely wonderful artists and stewards we met. Here’s a recap of the tour from my seat in the back of the bus.
On Wednesday May 23, we arrived in Asheville, NC at 11 pm and met Tony, our wonderful bus driver. On Thursday morning,
after stocking up with junk food and refreshments, we set off at the civilized hour of 10 am.
Don Inlay, our step on guide with a voice like Mel Torme’s, narrated our drive around the beautiful city of
Asheville, telling us of the literary legacy of Thomas Wolfe, O Henry, F. Scott and Zelda
Fitzgerald and Carl Sandburg. He told stories of turkeys, driven like cattle from Tennessee
with tiny hand-knitted booties to protect delicate turkey feet. Honest. He led us to The Grove
Arcade, the first shopping mall in America. Built just before the Depression hit,
this beautifully preserved mall serviced the extremely rich who built beautiful summer homes
in Asheville. Now filled with antique and artisan shops, this stop solidified our impression
of Asheville as a place that appreciates fine craft and artistic endeavors.
The Grove Arcade, Asheville, North Carolina
An amazing lunch was served on the terrace of the spectacular Grove Park Inn,
a 1903 building made of native granite and an undulating red tile roof.
The Basilica of St. Lawrence was our next stop. Notable for its enormous oval domed ceiling,
the Basilica was built by Rafael Guastavino, who revived and patented a traditional Spanish
technique using thin tile and mortar to create the curved surface. After visiting this
beautiful church with our own St. Lawrence, it was on to Biltmore Estate.
top photo by Tom LaFaver
Lunch at The Grove Park Inn, Asheville
top & bottom photo by Tom LaFaver
The Basilica of St. Lawrence, Asheville
The Biltmore is the largest private house in America, built by George Washington Vanderbilt
in the early 1890’s. Modeled after French chateaux in the Loire Valley, it is filled with
astonishing furniture, art, textiles, books and rare objects. Frederick Law Olmstead designed
the wonderful park and approach. There was plenty of time to think about the way life has
changed while walking through the mind-boggling public rooms, the exquisite private rooms and
the utility rooms, where the servants lived and worked.
bottom photo by Tom LaFaver
The Biltmore Estate, Asheville
The visionary portion of the tour started on Friday. We were dressed,
packed, checked out and on the bus by 7:40 am, heading for Studio XI Gallery in Morganton.
Now 14 years old, this non profit organization offers living space, studio/gallery and work
opportunities for artistically gifted adults challenged by disabilities. Music and art filled
the space as we were welcomed by the staff and 6 resident artists, to be nearly drowned out by
the sound of competitive shopping as we opened our checkbooks and emptied the walls. It felt
good to know that we were supporting some wonderful artists and an important program to
empower people.
Studio XI, Morganton, NC
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