Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Courtyard Gallery to Host 15th annual Twin Rivers Media Festival

—Call for Film, Video, Audio and Scriptwriting Entries until May 8th-- The Twin Rivers Media Festival Opens May 29th

The Courtyard Gallery is pleased to announce that the 15th Annual Twin Rivers Media Festival that moved to Asheville, North Carolina three years ago, will open with screenings and audio events on May 29, 30, and 31st, in the Courtyard and Courtyard Gallery. Last minute entries can still be submitted as the festival has an extended deadline for entries until May 8, 2009. Information can be found at www.twinriversmediafestival.com

“I am delighted to see more entries this year from Asheville and Western North Carolina,” states Carlos Steward, festival director. “ Of the 500 entries so far, this year we have over 12 entries from the area competing for the Western North Carolina Media Achievement Award. Entries from Western North Carolina can be submitted up to May 8th at the regular fee.

The other entries from throughout the US and the world include entries from Switzerland, the UK, Russia, Spain, Greece, Iran, Thailand, Canada, Denmark, Sweden, Portugal, Japan, France, Italy, Iran, South Africa, and Ireland. This year’s festival already includes 85 World premiers, and 8 more North American premiers, promising exciting new film experiences for our audiences in Western North Carolina.

The festival, that will take place at the Courtyard Galleries and Courtyards is, scheduled to begin on Friday May 29 in the Courtyard Gallery at 8pm, with the feature film winner screened in the weekly World Cinema Series. The festival continues May 30 and 31st with animation, short drama, documentaries, Commercial, Audio Art, features, Experimental and Outdoor films. Please see www.ashevillecourtyard.com for a complete schedule listing on May 17th.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

An Artist's Social Networking Site

The advent of the social networking site has changed the way people stay in touch in modern society. A social networking site dedicated to artists is a great tool for networking and communication. Many of theses networking site are geared toward dating, socializing or keeping in touch with friends, but one designed specifically for artists is an invaluable tool for competing in the tough world of professional arts and crafts. These days, it is harder than ever to make a living as an artist, and any advantage and tool that is available should be used to its fullest extent.

A social networking site for artists would offer any invaluable tools for the professional artist. Having an artist’s directory is one way that such a networking site would benefit the art world. Immediate access to a database of artists, mediums, locations and other things related to the art industry is a great idea and would make it much easier to galleries and other artists to find each other. Connecting with galleries is one thing that is crucial for the success of any artist and a networking site devoted to artists and art appreciators would be key way to connect.

A networking site for artists would offer a place to create an online portfolio complete with photos of the work, biography of the artist and any important information such as dates of opening, places to see the work and other important aspects of the artist’s career. This would serve as a way for the artist to keep all the vital information at hand and easy for anyone to access and review. This would make it much easier to connect with galleries and get work shown and sold. Customers and art buyers from many different backgrounds could use this site as a way to find the work they need or want, and offer the people struggling to make a career in the professional art industry a way to sell their work and become more successful.

Online social networking sites have been around for a long time, and have served many different purposes, but one dedicated to artists is important and should be fully embraced. There are many places to go to find music and other performing artists, but visual artists have been neglected. A social networking site for artists is a way for visual artists to fully embrace the internet as a viable marketing tool and use it to connect with people all over the world. Social networking sites are a great way to find people in all corners of the world and collaborate on projects and trade ideas. Who knows what kind of creative process could be facilitated by a sculptor from Europe connecting with a painter from the United States via the internet.

The art world is a very competitive one, and any chance that an artist gets to put his or her name out there a little more is a good thing. Networking and business end of the art industry can be challenging to an artist, and any tool that makes it a little easier is a welcome addition to the art world. A social networking site for artists online is a great way to help up and coming or established artists further their career and make more connections that can help them get their work seen.

Illustrated Map of Asheville

Asheville, North Carolina is one of the greatest cities in country to take a vacation. Nestled high in the Appalachian Mountains, this little mountain town offers something for everyone, and guarantees a wonderful experience. A welcoming population, wonderful places to shop and eat, fantastic historical sites, pristine natural environment and amazing places to get out into the mountains make Asheville a wonderful place to come and visit for any reason. Whenever you visit Asheville, you may want to use a map to find your way around this lovely town. There is no better way to find your way around this city than to use an online illustrated map of Asheville.

Using an illustrated online map of the city is a great way to find your way around the town and make the most of your stay in Asheville. Like many cities, Asheville is always changing and growing, and having access to a map that is always up to date and revised is a great way to ensure that you are looking at the most recent information available to make your journeys and plan your trips. An online map will ensure that you are getting the most up to date information of the city possible. There is nothing more annoying than planning a day of visiting the sites of a city only to find that half of the places you planned on going to are no longer there.
Another great thing about an online illustrated map is the fact that they are interactive. You can zoom in and zoom out of the map to focus on smaller or larger areas of the city. You can get detailed information about the city and then zoom out to get the big picture. This makes an online map much easier to deal with than a traditional paper map.

Illustrated guides are much better than guides that only give you street names because it allows you to find locations so much easier. Having major attractions easily accessible and noted on the guide is much easier than having to find it on a street name. This ensures that you will have no trouble finding the location and destinations you are searching for and makes you time in the city that much more fun.

Asheville is a great town to explore full of art galleries, historical sites, wonderful restaurants and cool shops and boutiques. Having some of these marked out for you is great, and you can always use the ones that are marked as landmarks for helping to find the ones that might not be marked. This makes locating the areas and places that you find most appealing much easier. Sometimes a map can be confusing, and cities may have multiple streets, roads or avenues with similar names. Having a good online map is one way to avoid this problem all together.

Illustrated online tourist maps are always the best way to go, and an illustrated map of Asheville is a wonderful tool for allowing you to completely enjoy all that this little mountain city has to offer. Asheville and the surrounding area offer something for everyone and this beautiful and magical town is sure to charm even the most jaded traveler. Using the an illustrated map of Asheville is one way to get the most out of your visit and keep you on the right track for fun and adventure in Asheville, North Carolina.

Fractional Ownership for Second Homes

Owning a second home is a wonderful idea, but for many people is not realistic. The costs and labor involved in maintaining a second home can often become a deterrent to actually acquiring one. A great way to own a second home without having to worry about these inconveniences is to invest in a private residence club.

Fractional ownership is a great way to get all the benefits of owning a second home while avoiding all the negative aspects of it. With fractional ownership, you will get the financial and luxury benefits of second home ownership without having to worry about the day to day operations of the second property. Lawn maintenance, house repairs, painting, keeping up with bills repairmen, and worrying about security all become things of the past with fractional ownership in a private residence club. Unlike traditional timeshares, fractional ownership in a private residence club offers many more benefits as well.

Another great thing about private residence clubs is the level of service that can be expected. A traditional time share may not include the services of a full time concierge and maintenance staff. Having a full time concierge staff that is tuned in to you personal preferences is a luxury you would not normally get with traditional second home ownership. Someone who knows the events you enjoy going to, the concerts you enjoy seeing, the foods and beverages that you would like to see stocked in your kitchen, the music you enjoy listening to and all other aspects of your personal tastes and preferences is a wonderful way to ensure that you are being treated with the highest level of service.

Having a full time maintenance staff is wonderful, because you never have to worry about coming to you second home only to find some kind of emergency repair that needs to be done, and having to worry about scheduling time with a repair man. All of these details are taken care of by the maintenance staff and there is nothing to worry about. These labor intensive duties tend to sap ones time and make the pleasure of enjoying a second or vacation home more like a chore. With fractional home ownership, this problem is immediately remedied, and all these little details become a thing of the past. All you will need to do is enjoy your second home in luxury.

Getting all the financial and investment benefits of second home ownership is important and membership in a private residence club is one way to achieve these financial goals without having to deal with all the hassles of owning a second home in the traditional way. This is a great way to use the money you normally would invest in a typical second property and get something even better. Private residence clubs offer the luxury and style of a top notch, upscale vacation rental resort while giving you the benefits of owning the property yourself. In fact, it is very much like owning your own private resort. You get access to your own perks such as tennis courts, pools, golf courses and all the other wonderful benefits of a resort while actually owning the property you are living at. Another great benefit is that unlike a traditional timeshare, there are no restrictions on how long you stay or when you can come. Arrive as often as you like, enjoy your home for as long as you like and leave whenever you want to. The property is yours to do as you like.