Tryon Arts & Crafts School’s upcoming Black & White Show, which opens on Friday night, Sept. 15 with a gala reception from 6-8 p.m. at the gallery at 373 Harmon Field Rd., promises to be a not-to-be-missed event.

The show features the artwork of over 50 artists and is a reprise of last year’s show that drew raves from attendees, some comparing the design and artwork of the show to a New York City gallery show opening. The reception is a fundraiser for the school, with a suggested donation of $20 per person, and attendees are encouraged to dress in black and white. There will be a silent auction with dozens of items from gift certificates to works of art, and elegant gourmet hors d’oeuvres will be catered by Pat Strother.

This year, the show has somewhat of a gypsy theme, and there will be “gypsies” at the entrance doing a performance with the theme continuing inside with a fortune telling tent, at which you can sign up for a tarot or palm reading. Be sure to put your name down for a reading when you enter, as spots will fill up quickly!

Attendees will also have the opportunity to vote for their favorite artwork with a People’s Choice Award. While visiting the gallery, don’t miss taking in TACS’ newly refreshed gift shop, too!

TACS also encourages you to visit the show multiple times after the reception, as the show will transition, week by week, adding more and more of a Halloween/ghostly feel to it, until the show closes on Halloween night with a reading of the three winning stories of TACS’ “The Apparitionist National Ghost Story Competition.” The closing reception and story reading is from 7-9 p.m.

Entries for the competition were received from all over the country, and will be judged in the coming weeks by preliminary judges, local writers Lee Stockdale and Dottie Jean Kirk from Tryon, and Katie Winkler from Hendersonville. Head Judge Jack Sholder (director of Nightmare on Elm St. 2) will choose the top three entries, and there will also be a Heritage Award awarded to a resident of Polk County (award winner will also be eligible for the top three awards).

For additional information on the show or upcoming classes (new session starting next week) and workshops, visit www.tryonartsandcrafts.org or call the office at 828-859- 8323.

Submitted by Cathy Fischer