After last weekend&squo;s very wet Steeplechase, be sure to enjoy the sun while it lasts this week and then step inside to enjoy the new exhibits opening their blooms. Tonight artists and arts lovers of all types are welcome to join us for the Artist&squo;s Porch at the Historic Melrose Inn from 6:30 ‐ 9 p.m. Enjoy the warmer weather and sunset from the spacious deck of the inn while listening to the variety of music, poetry, stories, jokes, tall tales, and other such dialogue of the various assembled guests. Jay serves up a delightfully delicious buffet at a bargain price to keep everyone happy and yapping well into the evening.

If you&squo;re looking for a quiet table for two, enjoy the poetic folk roots music of Dana & Sue Robinson over dinner at the Purple Onion at 7 p.m. Thursday or slip in for some boogie woogie, blues, and jazzy piano on Friday with Fred Whiskin.

On Saturday don&squo;t mind the weather if it tries to rain on your parade. It&squo;s the perfect excuse to skip the yard work and head over to Harmon Field for the Tryon Arts & Crafts Open House celebrating their new Heritage Gallery from 10 a.m. ‐ 4 p.m. I slipped by early this week and found the transformation of the space breathtaking. It may still look like the same old Tryon Middle School on the outside, but inside they have transformed the space into something special to show off the fine crafts work of our local artists. New lighting, new shelves, new cabinets and a drastic paint job have created an environment that is comfortable and inviting. I was also intrigued by the quality and variety of work already on display from the exquisite wood carvings of local artist Luke Lichterman to an intricately woven shawl made by a student. Forge instructors Bill Crowell and Walter Myers have contributed some artfully clever &dquo;experiments&dquo; in metal sculpture created while teaching their classes. Enjoy the opportunity to celebrate with them a gallery space that will not only draw visitors from outside the Tryon area, but also continues to provide quality resources for local artists to expand and develop their craft through the traditional arts.

Make it a full day of art and head over to downtown Tryon after the open house to enjoy two receptions for local artists. Celebrating 30 years of fine gallery exhibitions, the Upstairs ArtSpace invites the community to join them for an opening reception from 5 ‐ 8 p.m. Saturday evening. The new show &uot;Generations&uot; features the landscape paintings of Tryon artist colony member J. S. Brown, his granddaughter Margaret Brown Davis, and great granddaughter Cynthia Davis. The family has a rich history in the arts. While Margaret&squo;s work is part of the Williamsburg American Art Collection in Virginia, she has devoted her time to the local artistic community including serving as Vice President on the board of Tryon Painters & Sculptors. Cynthia received a degree from Salem College in studio art and art therapy and her work reflects her artistic desire to get outside and capture the light and mood of a day. Also showing will be Michael
McCarthy of Tryon and his grandfather J. Stephen Ward. Mr. Ward was a West Coast artist who captured the beauty of the Pacific coast. Michael has chosen western North Carolina landscapes as well as the human figure as his feature subjects.

When your finished with the wine and hors d&squo;oeuvres at Upstairs, stroll on over for some coffee and dessert at the reception for the new gallery at Grace Foothills Church from 6 ‐ 8 p.m. They will be featuring the work of Savannah School of Design graduates and local artists Robert Conn and Page Davis. Robert will share with Tryon his beautiful abstract wood and stone sculpture while Page will offer a preview of paintings for her new show at the Upstairs in June.

Finish off your night in style and burn off that caffeine and sugar by swinging up to the Saluda Mountain Jamboree to dance the night away with the band Silver Travis from 8 ‐ 11 p.m. Or, if reception appetizers have left you hungry for something more, sit down for a bite at the Purple Onion in Saluda and enjoy the high energy &dquo;Americana with a twist&dquo; music from Alpharetta, Geo