B.1991Joined 7.6.2009 Alex, a.k.a. DJ Sparky, has a vast and varied knowledge and passion for music. He has his own business as a DJ for schools, nursing homes, and local organizations. He loves to play music and watch his audiences smile and groove in response. Alex...

B. 1998Joined 11.5.2019Ana was born in Florida and, although she still has strong ties there, prefers her mountain home in Asheville. Ana loves to depict landscapes and nature in her artwork, wherein she explores the color and beauty of the outdoors. Ana is an avid...

B. 1970 Joined 10.26.2015 Andre’ enjoys painting with bold hues of red, blue, yellow, and green, creating studies of people and animals. When he is not engaged in art, Andre’ can often be found playing UNO with his Open Hearts friends, encouraging and supporting...

B. 1988 Joined 5.1.2008 Andy is both a talented visual artist and videographer who creates videos of his travels both domestic and abroad for his YouTube channel. He loves developing, scripting and editing his work, and is excited and encouraged by his growing...

B. 1977 Joined 9.23.2011 Ashley loves exploring color and working with yarns. She is a prolific crochet artist, commonly seen in the studio happily creating blankets, which she uses to spread love and warmth to her community. Ashley enjoys art classes on drawing,...

Becky B. 1949 Joined 4.12.2014 Becky wakes with the birds as they sing her name, and they are a constant inspiration for her art. She is always thinking of others and loves creating cards for her friends at Open Hearts or gathering flowers and leaves as gifts on her...

B. 1962Joined 7.26.2021 As a proud daughter of a US Marine, Beth moved around a fair amount before settling in Asheville, where she has been employed for the past eight years organizing mailings at the county courthouse. Beth is new to art but is already thriving in...

B. 1979 Joined 8.22.2005 Bucky is an energetic and enthusiastic artist, who channels his whole spirit into his active, many-layered paintings. He lavishes color thickly onto his canvases, often favoring shades of blue. Bucky developed a wide musical taste growing up...

Daniel B. 1994 Joined 11.2017 Daniel loves spending time with his friends at Open Hearts where he can be seen happily painting in the group setting. Daniel practices drumming on his electronic drum kit daily and loves to go out for Chinese food. He enjoys spending...

B. 1991 Joined 4.4.2017 Dave loves to create satirical comic panels and illustrations and is striving to make a career out of writing and illustrating comics featuring his character “Starfire Blade.” He has a quick wit and loves to make his friends laugh. When he...

B. 1971 Joined 12.6.2013 Brazen and outgoing, Dianna is a straight shooter with a wry sense of humor. She loves spending time with friends and staff at Open Hearts, where her kindness and gratitude for others shines through. Dianna is a dedicated coffee drinker, loves...

B. 1987 Joined 4.12.2018 Elizabeth is a skilled and competitive athlete. She belongs to a cheerleading team and participates in both track and soccer in the Special Olympics. She enjoys dance and painting and the freedom and flow that they both allow. Elizabeth has a...

B. 1980 Joined 2.29.2016 Eric loves to sing and dance and proclaims himself to be a spreader of drama and joy. He is naturally talkative, speaks his mind on all things, spins many yarns, and thrives on socializing with all of his friends and staff at Open Hearts. Eric...

B. 1980 Joined 1.20.2014 Erica loves dance and performance. She takes her art seriously, researching and practicing new choreography through music videos. Erica is also a dedicated visual artist and is often seen happily lost in painting long after the rest of the...

B. 1987 Joined 7.1.2011 Erin creates beautiful, bright watercolor resists incorporating expressive mark making with crayon or oil pastel. She is a dancer and fashion plate, showing off her fabulous moves and shoes at every opportunity. Erin is friendly and loving,...

B. 1993 Joined 10.27.2017 Everyday is a great day to Georgia. She is full of joy, giggly laughter, and hugs. She loves to sing, knows much of the Disney catalog by heart, and joyfully entertains her Open Hearts friends, staff, and audiences with her trilling vocal...

B. 1974 Joined 2.1.2006 Jason likes to stay active and enjoys practicing tai chi, yoga, zumba, and cycling. He loves walking and picnicking by the river and finds the sound of flowing water to be very relaxing. Jason has a special interest in maps and makes frequent...

B. 1960 Joined 3.2018 Jeffrey is light-hearted and easy going. He always shows up in style, wearing a blazer, hat, and cool sunglasses. Jeffrey loves the process of art, whether it be drawing, painting, collage, or pastel. He is a great help in the kitchen at home,...

B. 1991 Joined 11.1.2017 Jessica loves the look and feel of pastels and prefers this medium when creating portraits of her friends or favorite celebrities. She sees her art as a way of connecting with others and making them smile. Jessica is a kind person, who places...

B. 1988 Joined 12.12.2017 Jessica is a fearless artist and illustrator. She never uses an eraser and builds her drawings through bold, layered, intricate line work. Jessica loves to dance and listens to many different types of music with a special love for Pink Floyd...

B. 1990 Joined 5.14.2012 Jody is a talented performer and brings a lot of energy to the stage with his high kicks, jumps, and crab walks. He is a passionate musician who plays the drums, guitar, and a little piano and loves to perform his original songs, as well as...

B.1993 Joined 9.10.2016 Josh is a waterfall of energy. He is always eager to greet friends and staff and to ask them all kinds of questions about their day. He brings light to everyone’s day by assuring them that they are special, silly, and cute. Josh loves to...

B. 1980 Joined 3.2020 Julie’s expertise is upcycling purses, adding fabric paints, jewels, and found objects to make something totally unique. She likes every color, and this is apparent in her fantastic creations. Julie makes it a point to stay organized and enjoys...

B. 1954 Joined 1.7.2011 Kathy is an excellent comedian. She loves telling jokes and being sassy and sarcastic with her friends at Open Hearts. Kathy is an excellent conversationalist, with a wide variety of interests and knowledge. She is a wonderful painter, creating...

B. 1965 Joined 1.15.2020 Martha has a wonderfully sassy sense of humor. She has a funky style that often shows up in her bright and wildly patterned pants or painted nails. She loves people and especially delights in teaching others sign language. In her art, Martha...

B. 1982 Joined 10.5.2020 Flirtatious, silly and sweet, Mary considers herself a “party animal” and comes to life in social situations. She loves attending dances, going to movies, traveling, and gambling. Mary has a knack for sensing emotions in others and is...

B. 1986 Joined 8.21.2020 If we were to choose one word to describe Matthew, it would be joyful. Matthew is an avid actor and musician who loves to connect to others through performance. He plays a variety of drums and is proudly responsible for booking his own gigs...

B.1983 Joined 2.8.2005 Melanie loves and lives for the Open Hearts Talent Show. She has a great love for singing and dancing and captivates an audience with her beautiful voice. A consummate professional, she takes her art seriously and always delivers, whether it be...

B. 1971 Joined 4.2.2020 Melanie is an enthusiastic mixed media artist, incorporating collage into her acrylic paintings. She is a sun worshipper and her dream vacation would be a cruise to the Bahamas, wherein she could lounge in the sun and enjoy the warm ocean air...

Melinda B. 1986 Joined 11.16.2009 Melinda loves to be out in the community working, window shopping, running errands, and enjoying rides on the parkway. She loves listening to country and gospel music and dancing to her favorite songs. Melinda uses bold, bright colors...

B. 1990 Joined 6.1.2005 Merlin is a comic book artist, working on an original series titled OHAC Justice. When he is not working on his own comics, he enjoys painting and illustrating some of his favorite classic comic book heroes, and creating custom superhero...

B. 1971 Joined 3.7.2006 Missy is a master of acrylic inks and integrates them into her unique style of art. She loves to hike and spends many weekends enjoying this pursuit, as well as visiting with her family and sampling local cuisine. Missy enjoys cooking and has...

B. 1984 Joined 4.3.2020 Nicole’s lifelong passion is dancing, which she says, “is an amazing thing that helps her to think, relax, and get motivated.” She considers herself to be a romantic and enjoys painting mountain scenes, meadows, and sunsets. In her free time,...

B. 1991Joined 4.10.2018Olivia’s favorite activity each day is to check the mail, and she takes particular joy in receiving notes from her sisters. One of four girls, Olivia prizes her family and her Korean heritage. She is the proud aunt of two nieces and three...

B. 1992 Joined 1.2.2017 A lover of fairies, rainbows, sparkles, and all things magical, Rachel appears to be some kind of fae, herself. She is often quiet, yet extremely mischievous, is a consummate tea drinker and lover of pasta, and seems like she may know more...

Rob B. 1970 Joined 8.1.2014 Rob is a fantastic actor, capable of bringing any character to life, and a skilled impressionist. He also has a knack for patterning and surface design in the visual arts and tickles a little ivory on the piano, as well. He is particularly...

B. 1982 Joined 7.9.2014 Sarah prefers the performance arts, such as music and drama, and is a great comedian. She delights in telling jokes to her friends and staff at Open Hearts. Sarah is also a book lover, who enjoys reading aloud, being read to, and trips to the...

B. 1950 Joined 7.31.2012 Susie’s family goes back six generations in Haywood County. She is proud of her Appalachian heritage and likes to explore the features of her childhood countryside when creating art. Susie is passionate about educating others to be sensitive...

B. 1988 Joined 9.24.2010 Todd loves roller coasters and theme parks, especially Dollywood. He is a big fan of chicken nuggets, music by The Dixie Chicks, Batman, Minions, and baseball. Todd has a very quiet manner but a great, subtle sense of humor. He thinks it is...

B. 1966 Joined 8.7.2011 Supportive and kind, Tory has a sincere interest in others and a natural curiosity about the world. He is patient and process-oriented, working various colors and layers of ink into his visual art. Tory enjoys a daily practice of street hockey...

B. 1986 Joined 10.1.2014 Velvet is a master of motif and loves integrating heart, diamond, and ring shapes into her art. She shows a characteristic style, working simplified lines and shapes into her figures and compositions. Her preferred medium is crayon because she...

B. 1983 Joined 10.2.2014 Yannick is a talented singer/songwriter, who can play the keyboard, organ, guitar, bass, and drums. He listens to many types of music but has a special love for gospel. Yannick loves to draw and paint and has an exacting eye, paying special...