NOir Calendar
November 2023 Culture & Identity
“True culture is a liberation from the ephemeral, a journey toward permanence and value. The etymological root of “culture” serves as a fine metaphor for the cultural life: The Latin colo, colere meant, primarily, to till the soil, with secondary meanings to care for, guard, protect; to honor, revere, worship; to adorn or dress; and to follow or practice religion.” Do you know, what’s your culture? Identity encompasses the memories, experiences, relationships, and values that create one’s sense of self. This amalgamation creates a steady sense of who one is over time, even as new facets are developed and incorporated into one’s identity.
First Friday on The Block: Of Culture and Identity
December 1st 5-7 pm
An Evening of Contemplation. Join us for a series of curated prompts to spark an inner dialogue about what makes culture and how identity is formed within and impacted by the culture.
RESeT @ Noir December 14th 6:30 pm
RESET on Thursdays beginning December 14th. An ongoing melanin motivated Creative Mind series of sharing dreams and resources. Informal round table gathering of ambitious creative thinkers and doers.
YMI Black Experience Book Club
November 30th 6:30 pm
Rather than an assigned book this month, we will swap titles of the books that we love. Bring a book, trade a book, don’t need a book to participate!
October 2023 “happy anniversary happy anniversary happy “
Noir celebrates the completion of three years. As we celebrate, we are also contemplating the statistics – for us and against us – that documents how businesses are faring across our country. According to Fundera: The most recent available Census data reports that there are more than two million Black-owned businesses in America. Of this number, 124,000 are defined as “employer firms,” which means that they have employees in addition to the proprietor(s). which generated more than $150 billion in gross revenue, which is less than 1% of the more than $2 trillion in reported gross revenue nationwide. 32% of Black-owned businesses are in the health care category. Other popular categories include repair and maintenance, personal and laundry services, advertising firms, and auto dealerships. According to Project Diane 2018 report, The State of Black Women Founders, the number of startups founded by Black women is less than 4%. Women represent 35% of Black-owned businesses, compared to just 27% of female-business owners of other racial identities.
September 2023
First Friday on The Block
September 1st
DJ on the Parklet by LEAF Global, Video presentation by Jessie
Racial Justice Coalition @ Penny Cup with food & beverages:
Learn how you can Support Local Reparations, After party networking event @ The Workshop Lounge in The Foundry Hotel
5 – 7 pm
RESeT: Noir + Mountain Bizworks + Brandy Mills Consulting Foundation Class
September 6, 13, 20, 27
RESET is closed as participants take part in an 8 week business planning journey.
New cohort will begin in November.
The Grimm’s Tale: Riding Hood
September 8th and 9th
A Winnie’s Child Production: a modern adaption of Grimms fairy tale: This adult version offers an opportunity to revisit your childhood with a new perspective.
“I wonder what new secret does Red hold in her basket?”
Two Performances Sept. 8th (UNCA) & 9th (Grant Center)
SHOW UP: Community Reparations Commission Meeting
September 18th
Be an an informed Asheville Citizen. Read more about the process here.
6 – 8 pm
Consider attending an Impact Focus Area meeting as well. Reparations Commission members serve on at least one of the five Impact Focus Area workgroups based on the charge in the City Council’s resolution:
• Criminal Justice
• Economic Development
• Education
• Health & Wellness
• Housing
The schedule for these meetings is here.
YMI Black Experience Book Club reads Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
September 28th
Cutting for Stone is a 2009 novel written by an Ethiopian-born Indian-American medical doctor and author Abraham Verghese. It is a saga of the Praise brothers, twins orphaned by their mother’s death at their births and forsaken by their father. The story is about Marion, the narrator, and Shiva as they negotiate the hidden histories of their past while working hard to make medical advances for the future.
“We are all fixing what is broken. It is the task of a lifetime. We’ll leave much unfinished for the next generation.”
6:30-7:30 pm
POC/BIPOC/ALAANA Circle: Thursday, October 12th, 6:30 – 7:30pm
June & July 2023
YMI Book Club reads Jackal by Erin E. Adams
June 29th
A young Black girl goes missing in the woods outside her white rust belt town. But she’s not the first—and she may not be the last. . . .
Books on loan from East Asheville Library are available at Noir.
Open to ALL facilitated dialogue led by Crystal, May 25th, 6:30 – 7:30pm
RESeT Wednesdays,
July 5, 12, 19, 26
An ongoing melanin motivated Creative Mind series of sharing dreams and resources. Informal round table gathering of ambitious creative thinkers and doers.
Every Wednesday from 6 – 7:30 pm.
No registration.
Drop in encouraged.
Offerings welcome.
First Friday, July 7th
Liberation Dance Party
5 – 7:00 pm The Black Creator Highlight | Noir Collective AVL 39 S. Market St.
7 – 9 pm The Artist Network | The Workshop Lounge @ The Foundry Hotel
YMI Book Club reads Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde
July 27th
A collection of essential essays and speeches written by Audre Lorde, a writer who focuses on the particulars of her identity: Black woman, lesbian, poet, activist, cancer survivor, mother, and feminist.
Books on loan from East Asheville Library are available at Noir.
Open to ALL facilitated dialogue led by Crystal, July 27th, 6:30 – 7:30pm
POC/BIPOC/ALAANA Circle Conversation, August 10th, 6 – 8 pm
May 2023
Noir will be Closed for Renovations
May 22nd – June 19th
It’s time for our own RESeT here at Noir. We’re so excited about the ongoing renovations at the YMI Cultural Center, and the work has progressed to now include Noir’s space from late May to past mid-June. We’ll keep you posted on the timing of our grand re-opening!
RESeT Wednesdays,
May 3, 10, 17, 24
An ongoing melanin motivated Creative Mind series of sharing dreams and resources. Informal round table gathering of ambitious creative thinkers and doers.
Every Wednesday from 6 – 7:30 pm.
No registration.
Drop in encouraged.
Offerings welcome.
First Friday, May 5th
Casual Friday Fish Fry featuring H.F.F.E
5 – 7:00 pm The Black Creator Highlight | Noir Collective AVL 39 S. Market St.
7 – 9 pm The Artist Network | The Workshop Lounge @ The Foundry Hotel
Another Friday: How Sweet It Is
Friday, May 19th from 5-7 pm
We’ll have delicious mead from Wehrloom Meadery, and we’ll listen to Jazz selections curated by Still Bill from the Carolina Bop Society.
YMI Book Club reads Dyscalculia: A Love Story of Epic Miscalculation by Camonghne Felix
May 25th (Meet in the Workshop Lounge at the Foundry Hotel)
A Love Story of Epic Miscalculation is the story of childhood trauma, mental health, and the author’s relationship with mathematics as it all shows up in the tapestry of her healing. Felix repossesses herself through the exploration of history she’d left behind.
Books on loan from East Asheville Library are available at Noir.
Open to ALL facilitated dialogue led by Crystal, May 25th, 6 – 7:30pm
April 2023 Rainy Days and Mondays
Based on science and statistics, April is not the rainiest month in the US. There is a higher likelihood of short intense rain showers, however, based on shifting conditions in temperature and weather patterns. The rainfall and rising temperatures during the month of April do help flowers grow, especially for perennials that have been dormant during the long, cold winter months. But the real reason we find wisdom in the saying “April showers bring May flowers” has less to do with a literal reading of the proverb and more to do with our need for hopefulness. Sometimes we have to tolerate things we don’t enjoy, like rainy days (and Mondays) in early spring when we just want it to finally be nice enough to go outside. The proverb assures us that there is a reward for our patience, and soon! It’s a gentle reminder that all good things come to those who wait.
RESeT Wednesdays,
April 5, 12, 19, 26
An ongoing melanin motivated Creative Mind series of sharing dreams and resources. Informal round table gathering of ambitious creative thinkers and doers.
Every Wednesday from 6 – 7:30 pm.
No registration.
Drop in encouraged.
Offerings welcome.
First Friday, April 7th
An Evening on The Block
Welcoming new Vendors: Rochelle Hylton of Xanikton Creations & Nikimbré Daniels | Culturally Curated Beverages by youth-preneur Amare Amore | A Slice Above Cakes & Pies
5 – 7:00 pm The Black Creator Highlight | Noir Collective AVL 39 S. Market St.
7 – 9 pm The Artist Network | The Workshop Lounge @ The Foundry Hotel
RSVP here
YMI Book Club reads Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson, April 27th & May 11th
Sadeqa Johnson’s new novel, Yellow Wife, is a harrowing tale of the life of an enslaved woman in Virginia, beginning in the 1850s. A challenging read but beautifully told, this thought-provoking page-turner is also surprisingly uplifting. And at its core, Yellow Wife is also a story of motherhood and the sacrifices a mother will make to protect her children — no matter how those babies come into the world. (NPR 2021)
Books on loan from East Asheville Library are available at Noir.
Open to ALL facilitated dialogue led by Crystal, April 27th, 6 – 7:30pm
POC/BIPOC/ALAANA Circle Conversation, May 11th, 6 – 8 pm
March 2023 Celebrating Womanism & International Women’s Day
Knowing yOUR History: Womanism is a social theory based on the history and everyday experiences of Black women. Writer Alice Walker coined the term “womanist” in a short story, Coming Apart, in 1979. Intersectionality is a term coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989, primarily as an exploration of the oppression of black women within society and the ways in which they experience intersecting layers of different forms of oppression.
International Women’s Day (IWD) is a global holiday inspired by the universal female suffrage movement that began in New Zealand. It is celebrated annually on March 8 (my birthday!), bringing attention to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against women. IWD was adopted by the global feminist movement in the late 1960s and then adopted by the United Nations in 1977.
Contemplation: Alice Walker, “womanism is to feminism as purple is to lavender.”
All events will take place @ Noir Collective AVL 39 S. Market Street Asheville.
RESeT Wednesdays, March 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
An ongoing melanin motivated Creative Mind series of sharing dreams and resources. Informal round table gathering of ambitious creative thinkers and doers.
Every Wednesday from 6 – 7:30 pm.
No registration.
Drop in encouraged.
Offerings welcome.
First Friday, March 3rd
An Evening on The Block
Margo Vaughn Art Opening | Culturally Curated Beverages by youth-preneur Amare Amore | A Slice Above Cakes & Pies | DJ Destro | Dancing with Melvin A.C. Howell
5 – 6:30 pm The Black Creator Highlight | Noir Collective AVL 39 S. Market St.
6:30-8pm The Artist Network | The Workshop Lounge @ The Foundry Hotel
RSVP here
Wisdom Writings Tuesdays, March 14, 21, 28, April 4, 11
Through prompts and other motivations, we’ll share our lived experiences through the writing process.
Five sessions on Tuesdays: March 14, 21, 28, April 4, 11.
6 – 8 pm
$60. Pay as you go or as you can.
More Information and RSVP here
YMI Book Club reads Thick And Other Essays by Tressie McMillan Cottom, March 23
In eight highly praised treatises on beauty, media, money, and more, Tressie McMillan Cottom—award-winning professor and acclaimed author of Lower Ed—is unapologetically “thick”: deemed “thick where I should have been thin, more where I should have been less,” McMillan Cottom refuses to shy away from blending the personal with the political, from bringing her full self and voice to the fore of her analytical work.
“transgressive, provocative, and brilliant” (Roxane Gay)
Books on loan from East Asheville Library are available at Noir.
Open to ALL facilitated dialogue led by Crystal, March 23rd, 6 – 7:30pm
POC/BIPOC/ALAANA Circle Conversation, April 6th, 6 – 8 pm
Feb 2023 Black History, Legacy, & Futures Focus
Knowing yOUR History: Black History Month (African American History Month) began as Negro History Week by historian, Carter G Woodson in 1927. It was first celebrated during the birthday week of abolitionist Frederick Douglass and Lincoln. Kent State Black United Students in Ohio first proposed and celebrated the month long celebration in 1970.
All events will take place @ Noir Collective AVL 39 S. Market Street Asheville. Register here for Make ‘n Take+Shops.
First Friday Feb 3rd
An Evening on The Block
Highlighting Black Creative Traqoya of Wintress Daughter Soaps; Celebrating YMI Cultural Center’s 130th Birthday; Enjoying Spoken Word by Black Diamond Enterprise; Presenting New Arts by Joseph Pearson on exhibit @ The Foundry.
Akoma Days
Friday, February 3rd
Enjoy a self-care moment with Traqoya of Wintress Daughter Soaps
11 am to 6 pm
Product samples and giveaways all day
Akoma Days
Saturday, Feb 4th
Enjoy a self-care moment with Traqoya of Wintress Daughter Soaps
1 -3 pm
Make ‘n Take + Shop: Crocheted heart pillow
RSVP here
Akoma Days
Friday, February 10th
Enjoy a self-care moment with Traqoya of Wintress Daughter Soaps
11 am to 6 pm
Product samples and giveaways all day
Akoma Days
Saturday, February 11th
Enjoy a self-care moment with Traqoya of Wintress Daughter Soaps
1 -3 pm
Make ‘n Take + Shop Emulsifier Scrub
RSVP here
Akoma Days
Friday, February 17th
Enjoy a self-care moment with Traqoya of Wintress Daughter Soaps
11 am to 6 pm
Product samples and giveaways all day
Postponed! Akoma Days
Saturday, Feb 18th
Enjoy a self-care moment with Traqoya of Wintress Daughter Soaps
1 -3 pm
Make ‘n Take + Shop: Simple Craft Soap
RSVP here
Story Chaser Monthly Speaker Series
Sunday, Feb 19th
The Significance of Affinity Spaces. Featuring Diana Parra, Jamar Woods, and Becca Lee
2 to 3:30 pm
RSVP here (free event)
YMI Black Experience Book Club Feb 23rd
The Furrows, An Elegy by Namwali Serpell. Pick up a book from Noir (compliments of East AVL Library)
Open to Everyone. 6:30 – 7:30 pm
Akoma Days
Friday, Feb 24th
Enjoy a self-care moment with Traqoya of Wintress Daughter Soaps
11 am to 6 pm
Make ‘n Take + Shop: Crochet Accessories 5:30 pm.
RSVP here
Art Reception @ Asheville Community Theater (ACT) Friday, Feb 24th
Join Noir artists Jerrie Settles and Jenny Pickens at a special reception before a performance of Native Gardens at Asheville Community Theater (35 E. Walnut St., Asheville, NC 28801)
6-7 pm
Performance Begins at 7:30 (Click here for ticket information)
Meet the Author
Saturday, Feb 25th
Award-winning Author Stephanie A. Kilgore-White will sign copies of her Charity Series Bible Study, published by DP Kids Press, a creation of Heaven’s Divine Kiss, designed to address the difficult topics that young people face and adults find challenging to discuss.
Open to Everyone. 11 am to 1 pm