This workshop for youths, led by App State's Dr. Craig Fischer and BRAHM's Jennifer Garonzik, explores how comics’ mix of words and pictures can tell any story. It will begin with Dr. Fischer offering three tips for creating cool comics. Then, participants will write and draw a four-panel comic strip and fulfill the other requirements for the Girl Scouts’ “Cadette Comic Artist” badge. However, youths do not need to be Girl Scouts to participate.

Local illustrator Christine Nishiyama is the author and/or illustrator of seven books, including the four-book series “Layla and the Bots,” published by Scholastic. During the interactive workshop, Nishiyama will speak about her experiences as a professional illustrator and will introduce the craft to participants of all ages. The event is free and open to the public.

Embark on a journey through time and emotion as we commemorate 150 years of Carmen in a spellbinding dance performance inspired by the art of Pablo Picasso. Choreographer Gustavo Ramírez Sansano’s quintessential work breathes new life into Bizet’s timeless tale, infusing it with raw passion and visceral energy in CARMEN.maquia. Join us as the narrative of dance work leaps off the stage and into your soul, amplified through Ballet Hispánico’s mesmerizing movement and evocative choreography.

As climate change increases the damage associated with hurricanes, heatwaves, floods, droughts and fires, communities must work together and with local, state, and federal agencies to adapt in ways that minimize harm from extreme events and facilitate post-event recovery. Join us for a free and open-to-all program to learn from two climate resilience experts: Brock Long, Executive Chairman of Hagerty Consulting, and Ashley Ward, Director of the Heat Policy Innovation Hub at Duke University’s Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability.

Many believe that literature serves as a window to the world for children, and Beulah Campbell embodied that belief throughout her life. As a professor of elementary education at Appalachian State University, she understood the vital connection between illustrations and text in children's books. Over her 40-year career Beulah built a collection of original artwork by renowned children’s book illustrators, while also fostering a deep appreciation for children’s literature in her students.

The classical composer Béla Bartók is perhaps most famous in the music world for having incorporated elements of folk music into his work, a practice that earned him the title of “father of ethnomusicology.” Bartók became an outspoken critic of antisemitic laws in Hungary and fled to the U.S. during World War II. This event presents two talks and a listening workshop that will help participants understand and appreciate the legacy of Bartók and other classical musicians who resisted antisemitism and fascism in the 1930s and 40s.

The classical composer Béla Bartók is perhaps most famous in the music world for having incorporated elements of folk music into his work, a practice that earned him the title of “father of ethnomusicology.” He even spent one summer in Asheville in 1945 and composed one of his piano concertos there. What qualifies as folk music in North Carolina and around the world? What elements of rural sound inspired Bartók, and in which rural communities did they originate? In this workshop, participants will hear examples of and learn to recognize the folk sounds in classical music.