Story Treasures: Gems of the Present and Past

This evening of tales celebrates the wonder that comes from spinning our experiences into stories and from listening to the old stories that have guided us through time, attuning us to what it means to be human living in a wondrous world. Wonder is the true treasure that keeps us alert and curious, energetic and attentive even through the toughest times. Cultures have long turned to storytelling in the midst of winter for warmth and community. Also, stories remind us that the wonders of our hearts and imaginations are immune to the ice and chill, and burns forever alight when we listen to one another. This is why stories are our treasure and why in Gaelic culture it is said, that a story well-told is more precious than gold.

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Connie Regan-Blake is one of America’s most celebrated storytellers.

She has captivated the hearts and imaginations of people around the globe with her powerful performances and workshops. Entertaining audiences in 47 states, 18 countries and on 6 continents, she brings the wisdom, humor and drama of stories to main stage concert halls, libraries and into the corporate world.

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Laura Hope-Gill founded and directs the Narrative Healthcare Program at Lenoir-Rhyne University, in which she shares research on the healing nature of storytelling with doctors, counselors, and writers. She is an NCArts Fellow for her writings on her deafness, and she recently apprenticed to Connie Regan-Blake as a North Carolina Arts Council Folklife Apprentice. Her forthcoming book, Bee Bread: How the Human Hive of Story Listening and Storytelling Heals the World, will be published in Fall of 2026.

She was named the first poet laureate of the Blue Ridge Parkway by the National Park Service in 2010 for her book The Soul Tree. Her two architectural histories of Asheville, Look Up Asheville 1 and 2 (Grateful Steps 2010, 2011) received awards from the North Carolina Society of Historians. She founded the city's multicultural poetry festival, Asheville Wordest, in 2008, which received the first Harlan Gradin Award for Excellence in Public Humanities Programming in 2010.

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Doors open 30 minutes prior to showtime. Seating is general admission, first come first served. Online ticket sales end 1 hour prior to showtime. There may still be tickets available for purchase in the office after online sales have ended. Please call BMCA at 828-669-0930 for more information.

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Host or Publisher Black Mountain Center for the Arts