Welcome

The ����Live welcomes the community and area visitors to its 2026 Grand Opening on Tuesday, March 3, from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. “We’re very proud of our recent additions,” said David Morrow, board president, “and we look forward to welcoming the community.”

Curator, Bobby Kotlowski, added: “Incredibly hard-working and knowledgeable volunteers have spent two months preparing new displays, refreshing current exhibits, and cleaning and prepping all spaces for the much-anticipated 2026 opening. I especially want to thank Greg Ehr, Ray Pavlik, Jim Schenfield, and Mike Johnson.”

Visitors will experience a trip through history as they admire our new acquisitions (photos below each bullet):

• New D-Day exhibit, which includes four helmets and part of a parachute found in France close to where the Normandy invasion occurred;

• Artifacts from various submarines and two impressive models of modern submarines and a WWII sub;

• Telegraph from a British warship;

• Additions to the Air Force exhibit, such as artifacts from a B-17 aircraft which includes the auto pilot designed and built by Honeywell;

• Ship’s bell from the quarter deck of the USS Essex, which was the lead ship of the Essex-class aircraft carriers and played a significant role in WWII and later in the Korean War. (not pictured)

Also new in our galleries are attractively displayed biographies with photos of veterans from each conflict from WWI through the Global War on Terror. These bios are especially significant because they reflect the lives and service histories of individuals directly related to Transylvania County.

Posters were designed by board member Greg Ehr.
So join us on Tuesday, March 3, 2026 as we open our doors and proudly embrace our mission to honor veterans and their stories, educate the community, and preserve important historical artifacts.

Thank you for your willingness to participate in this�� Questionnaire.

We have a target date of�� May 1, 2025 for receipt of the questionnaires.

Transylvania Community Arts Council is developing a program to offer FREE art classes for
veterans, current active duty members of the armed forces, reservists, as well as
veteran caregivers and immediate adult military family members (the Military
Community).

The Arts Council’s initial vision for this program is to offer classes in 4-5 art forms (see
the first question). Classes for each art form will meet 4-6 times, usually once a week.
The classes will be taught by artists/educators with substantive expertise and teaching
experience.

Classes will be open to individuals at any skill level. The classes will be at no cost to
participants. If they desire, military personnel may bring someone to class with them
(spouse, child, friend, etc.).

Once the classes have ended, the Arts Council will sponsor an exhibit in the Arts
Council Gallery where the class participants can, if they choose, exhibit the art they
created in the different classes.

To best serve the Military Community, the Arts Council is gathering information from the
Military Community to determine the types of art that are of interest and optimal ways
for structuring classes.

PLEASE RETURN YOUR COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRE AS FOLLOWS:
– Download and Scan and email to info@tcarts.org
– On-line questionnaire – click the button below
– Drop off at The ����Live, 21 East Main Street, Brevard, NC

If you have questions, or would like additional information, please contact the Arts
Council at info@tcarts.org, or call us at 828.884.2787.

Brothers and Sisters Like These

On Saturday, October 21, military veterans of different eras gathered at Brevard College to read their stories, essays, and poetry. The venue is part of a project called “Brothers and Sisters Like These,” a series of writing workshops designed to help heal veterans with PTSD and mild TBI (traumatic brain injury).

Ten men and women from the Vietnam, Desert Storm, and Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts courageously opened their hearts to an attentive audience who left with a new understanding and respect for all who have served in combat zones. The event was sponsored by the ����Live.

Writing Helps the Healing Process

An estimated 250,000 Vietnam veterans are living with PTSD five decades after the end of the war. Research indicates that approximately��14% to 16%��of the US service members deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq have been affected by PTSD or depression. Clearly, the unseen wounds of these veterans affect all aspects of their lives, and our communities.
The NC Veterans Writing Alliance developed a creative writing program where veterans unburden themselves in a safe, non-judgmental setting. The writing process helps heal what remains wounded as veterans reach within themselves to free their memories and their hearts.

In 2018, a group of veterans agreed to participate in a staged reading at the Asheville Community Theater titled “Brothers Like These.” The program’s success has morphed to include veterans of later conflicts and is now titled “Brothers and Sisters Like These.”

Demons Released

Reading to a respectful and somber audience in an intimate classroom at Brevard College, the ten men and women who spoke addressed the many “demons” of combat: illness from Agent Orange, thoughts of suicide, the loss of comrades, returning to “the world,” and the sights, sounds, and smells of war.

One Iraqi War veteran told his listeners he was reading publicly for the first time. Visibly shaken and struggling, he “soldiered” through his presentation reading a letter he had written to himself. “Through pain and the process of healing, you will grow the most. You may not win the lottery, but you will be a better man.”

A Vietnam War veteran wrote: “Thank you for allowing me to ‘release’ another demon.”

A Mutual Gift

These stories of war and its consequences are offered at a great emotional cost by men and women who trust an audience enough to stand before them and bare their souls. They draw us together and offer a lesson in history. We return their extraordinary gift of faith with one of our own: open hearts and the gift of listening.

Walk through History

With World War II best-selling authors and actual WWII veterans
November 3-4, 2023.��

The ����Live is excited to offer the Walk Through History Event. Be a part of history as you explore their stories. If you love the stories of history and like to learn about our country’s military history, this is the event for you.

Combine your love of learning with one of the “Coolest Towns in America.” Enjoy all Brevard has to offer, from our quaint downtown with great shopping to a vibrant arts and culture scene. Our backyard has 250 majestic waterfalls and 100,000 acres of forest; explore and enjoy.

For more information on our speaker line-up and schedule Click the button below