Eric Archer on flute checking sound at Chestnut Hall. Formerly the Steen chapel, board member Sue Gurnee now operates and has repurposed this remarkable space as an events venue. This livestream is Chestnut Hall's debut act.

Calico Duo + Talafon

Livestream concert August 29, 4pm

Calico Duo + Talafon is brought to you as a collaboration between Azule, A Place for the Community & Arts, and Sunnybank Inn. Eric Archer has been part of the Sunnybank Inn family for many years, since he came to work at Elmer's some years ago as he was working his way through the Appalachian Trail, like so many have in the past.

Eric has returned to Hot Springs with collaborators Diana Seiler and Daniel Frankhuizen. These musicians who offer a blend of ambient, classical, folk, and international sounds are currently in residency at Azule.

This concert is a fun reunion and collaboration. Having Eric here again is great, and this co-sponsorship testifies to the many decades long friendship between Elmer and Camille.

The live broadcast itself will occur in Chestnut Hall, a new performance space in Hot Springs. Online donations are appreciated

To access this concert, please visit facebook.com/azuleart

Calico Duo offers a joyful crossing of cello and acoustic guitar, sharing classical, americana, and modern influences, at once quickening and meditative.

Talafon joins African balafon with Indian tabla drums for a world-music fusion of percussive play and rhythm.

Join Us! Sunday Aug 29 at 4pm

AZULE NEWS: Road is being fixed!!! The road at Azule has always been subject to the vagaries of weather, and recent rains really beat it up.

Thankfully, massive progress is already underway to fix some of the issues. Our friendly neighborly road fixers are at Azule sorting that situation now as we speak.

More updates soon.....

ROOTS Week: Another wonderful albeit virtual ROOTS week took place, the first week of August, titled Southern Soil: Collective Liberation in Harmony with the Land. This year's meeting focused on Collective Learning. "Throughout the gathering, we’ll deepen our relationship to the history of the land, stewardship, and the artistic/organizing practices that help us live in harmony with the land we are on."

In spite of the inability to meet in person, all ROOTS community members are grateful that organizers are keeping the torch alive, and keeping the connection going. We hope to meet again soon. We all need each other.

Our Lovely, Lovely Residents...

No, we have not forgotten or neglected them. We are still gathering plenty of photos and videos of all the incredible things they are up to. That is all but one giant data dump away from being shared with y'all.

Meanwhile, here is a list of the wonderful creators and dreamers that have come through our doors since last we wrote about residents:

Shane Wilson - It is always a delight to see our good friend Shane Wilson again, who came to Azule to contemplate writing a horror novel about an Appalachian vampire. We hope he will return soon!

Maddie Stratton - Maddie Stratton is a figurative illustrator and painter from the New Orleans area who created lots of lovely work at Azule.

Heather Gerni - Heather is a North Carolina based intuitive painter who produces dreamy landscapes that prominently feature cats.

Armin Trujillo - Armin is a Mexican American artist based in Portland, OR. He creates temporal, installation sculptures with found objects.

Brenna Pepke - Brenna was with us such a long time, she feels part of the family. An illustrator with a background in photojournalism, Brenna spent her time here researching life and history in this region, seeking to speak to old timers.

Yara Ensemble - Yara Ensemble consists of Alexandra Mascolo-David, Annette Thornton, and Sarah Stone. Alexandra, composer and pianist, and Annette, stage manager, spent a lovely week at Azule.

We hope in a future newsletter to share more about some of these special people, especially Armin and Brenna as they had many interesting adventures, including helpin us unclog a culvert the day of massive rains.

Lauren Hind - We are so excited to see Lauren come back for a residency to Azule later this Summer! Lauren is an Alternate ROOTS member who explores physical, sexual, and creative wholeness through dance and somatic work.

Wish Us Luck!

On Submitting the American Rescue Plan Grant

It was July 24th, one of the first days that the sun moved into Leo (for all those who care about such things) and I was wandering through the local Dollar Store looking for card stock (at which time I learned one cannot get card stock at the Dollar Store). In the midst of contemplating this, I receive a very excited phone call from Sherry Wilson, with Michelle Suttle, another board member and longtime friend from Azule, on the line. At the same time, I was anxious to make it to another event.

We love Sherry Wilson so much but distance keeps us from seeing her as much as we'd like, as she lives in Houston, TX. So in spite of the odd conjunction of events, I took the call.

"I found THE PERFECT GRANT!!!!"
"Is that right, Sherry? Oh yes, and hi, Michelle!"

I say as I try to negotiate phone, shopping basket, and the sorts of random bits one picks up at the store whether one really needs them or not.

So there it turns out we are having a phone conference right there and the store, and through the checkout, where I learn that this is not like the other grants, this one is geared specifically towards rescuing organizations from the pitfalls of COVID and... specifically for assisting arts nonprofits firm up their operations.

As in, more money for staff.

As in, the stuff that's needed for Shannon and I to pursue the things we've been planning on since forever.

And there and then, in the Dollar Store, was hatched the 2 to 3 week process that led us to, against all odds, including root canals and random ailments and unexpected guests and plenty of discussions, calls to DC, changes of course, and generalized last-minute shenanigans, we did in fact successfully submit the American Rescue Plan Grant.

Personally, this is the first time I have felt truly energized and hopeful about a grant, since I have been involved with Azule. It fits all our boxes, it addresses Azule's most pressing needs at this time, and Shannon, Sherry, Michelle and I managed to work great together. Further, we have learned our working styles and now can organize ourselves for a more successful grant writing process in the future.

Of course, the devil's in the details, and the odds are long - even if we had failed to make even one mistake, which I'm sure we did not. But this is a numbers game, and you can't win if you don't play. More importantly, our quartet, to me at least (if my co-workers can learn to tolerate and forgive my many idiosyncrasies), feels solid going forward.

I believe Azule now has what could be termed a Grant Writing Committee, and all that really means is that, if this one does not come through, the chances one will come through in the future approaches one.

So, thanks Shannon, Sherry, and Michelle. You each contributed so much to the process, and even managed to make it FUN.

And if we do get the grant, maybe a fun Dollar Store shopping spree is in order.

Cordially,
Azule Coordinator

AZULE Portrait Project

All these years you have been part of the ongoing

AZULE Portrait Project

Hundreds of these portraits are now on canvas and ready for you to sign. The AZULE PORTRAIT PROJECT is for us a way to parallel the continuity that Camille has shown in her building Azule - the place.

Representing you, participants to the Fall event, and asking you to sign and add a memory or thought to your picture is deepening your and our relationship to Azule in Bluff, Hot Springs, Madison County, North Carolina...

TO ALL DONORS:

Thank you so much for helping AZULE board members and volunteers to move AZULE on its necessary journey.

We are constantly updating our donors list. If you do not appear on this list, please drop us a line, as we love to acknowledge all the marvelous people who make it all possible for is.

Come, visit and participate. Invite your friends! THANK YOU:

Sue Gurnee
Sherry Wilson
Michelle Suttle
Todd Gordon and Susan Feder Grant
Karen Bowen Fund
MK Wegmann
Isabel Shankle
Andrew and Natalie Hesed
Deborah Scott
Martha E Metzl
Jennifer Warpole
Lisa Q Mount
Susan Ivy and Jackson Alexander
Randy Bell
Amy DeCamp
Gone to Seed
Andrew Gordon
Sean Hovendick
Roger French
Andrew Simkus
Nancy Darrell
Dan Brawley
Jeremy Smith
Eleanor Brownfield
Gary Roy
Alyssa Evetts
Bunny Halton Subkis
Roxann Colwell
Amanda Levesque
Marya Oakes
Jennifer Elzweig
Mariella Bisson
Ashley Minner
Shane Wilson
Madison County Arts Council

John Kretschmer
Nathalie Preuschen

Stephanie Waldron
Cornelia Rogan
Carolyn Lewellen
Charles And Kate Van Nort
Maxine Dalton
Erin Brooker Miller And Andy Miller
Barbara Quigley
Amy Horwitz
Bud And Deborah Dare
Sarah Burgher
Arlette Vaccarino
James And Pamela Fisher
Doug Wheelock
Takia Dickens
Olivier Rollin
Nancy J Fink
Valerie Molnar
Maxine Backus
Selinde Lanier
Gwylene Gallimard
Jean Marie Mauclet
Susan Crowell
Shannon Turner
Lynda Scott
Eve Bower
Renee Clemmer
Sue Schroeder
John Malped
John Kraus
Harold Finley
Barbara And Tom Moloney
Lynda Wheelock
Pierce Edens
Elmer Hall
Christopher Jayne
Lady Spirit Moon Cerelli
Anne Mclaughlin
Rebecca Gahagan
Spring Creek Community Center
Danni Speight
Bluff Mountain Nursery
Kathy De Nobriga

Supporting AZULE can happen in many ways!
CHECK OUT OUR WISH LIST:
Tiles of any sort
Folding Chairs
Electric Heaters
Stools
Clips on Lamps
Lighting Kits for Photography
iPhone/iPod accessories for social media (IE mics, light kits, etc)

Folding Tables
Easels
Tools
Musical Instruments
Mattresses
CASH DONATIONS or
IN-KIND VOLUNTEER WORK

A donation can be made to azuleart@gmail.com via paypal, or via check to 190 Rabbit Den Rd Hot Springs NC 28743.

As well, IRA-holders required to make a required minimum distribution can donate to a non-profit as part of this distribution. The manager of the IRA will have more details.

For a visit of AZULE: call Camille at 828-622-3533
FOR INFORMATION, on applying for residency email SHANNON azulehotsprings@gmail.com

For information on AZULE's programs, to make a proposal, to apply for a residency or retreat, to book AZULE or to register for any of our offerings, visit AZULE website www.AZULE.org and e-mail us at AZULEart@gmail.com

See you on FACEBOOK
https://www.facebook.com/azuleart/

See you on INSTAGRAM
https://www.instagram.com/azule.arts

See AZULE IMAGINE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8VIStnESkU

Calico Duo + Talafon Livestream concert August 29, 4pm

Our Lovely, Lovely Residents...

Wish Us Luck!

On Submitting the American Rescue Plan Grant

AZULE Portrait Project

All these years you have been part of the ongoing

AZULE Portrait Project

TO ALL DONORS:

Calico Duo + Talafon

Livestream concert August 29, 4pm