Writing and Photography
Asheville artist and educator Derek Rhodarmer set out to create a train with his students for a college holiday party. Rhodarmer chose the Southern 722 Steam Locomotive train for his prototype, based on the prevalence of detailed online photos. The Southern 722 Steam Locomotive was built in 1904 and active in Western NC for nearly five decades.
Unbeknownst to him, the original Southern 722 was sitting in a train yard just 35 miles from his Waynesville studio, waiting to be revitalized.
Thinking of my old home in Salem lately as New England digs out from two feet of snow this past week. Here are some shots of Salem in winter I took during my time living there. I remember seeing people cross country skiing across the Salem Common (pictured below). So lovely.
It was a treat to spend time with musician Annie Erbsen wandering the Biltmore Estate. Her beautiful vintage gowns and instruments added to the feeling of being transported to another time. Annie plays Old Time Jazz in Asheville and grew up playing bass, guitar and banjo. Click on each photo to see the full photograph.
In this short video, Josh Copus, owner of the Old Marshall Jail Hotel in Marshall, NC, conducts a tour of the historic jail built in 1910 that he co-purchased in 2016 and renovated into a stunning boutique hotel and restaurant. Copus talks about his vision for the space, and shows how he transformed objects likeContinue reading “Artist Uses Welding Skills to Renovate Old Marshall Jail Hotel in North Carolina”
Here are some glimpses of crimson, purple and gold from around the campus where I work.
My latest article tells the story of women inmates who had to transfer to a different prison after Hurricane Helene left them without power and water. They used their new coping skills– learned in college classes they were taking– to help them get through.
Kristin D'Agostino