The dream of owners Rick Morris, Joan Morris and Kristen Chambers, Vincent's Ear opened its doors in summer of 1993. The cafe catered to a late night, downtown-dwelling crowd, which was virtually non-existent in the area at that time. The cafe and bar also featured live music.
Vincent's Ear was originally intended to serve as a jazz venue, but a loyal crowd of rockers and avant garde musicians soon made Vincent's Ear their home. Likewise, the walls of Vincent's Ear served as a defacto gallery for many local and regional artists who had trouble finding venues for edgier work in the crafts-oriented region of Western North Carolina.
The thriving cafe was closed amid much local controversy in December 2004, when its lease was not renewed by landlord Dawn Lantzius. Many in the local media questioned whether Vincent's Ear was the most visible case of gentrification in the downtown Asheville business community.
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LONG LIVE VINCENT'S EAR!!!
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Part of the magic of Asheville & VINCENT'S EAR at that time was that tv was not widley available in the area, because of the mountains.
ReplyDeleteWe were all poor but creative kids, looking to entertain ourselves & each other.
VINCENT'S EAR gave us a venue to not only show or perform out work, but we all used the space as a studio as well! I worked on my paintings in VINCENT's courtyard, & you can recognize my favorite booth in mnay of my comics!
Joan Morris was a parent to every person who walked through that door. She fed hungry people, whether they had any money or not...& most didn't. She trusted that people would contribute in some other way, either thru art or music, or just adding to the humor of the scene!
I know that as a creative person, we really had an advantage with the nurturing support we had from VINCENT'S EAR!