Cornwagon Thunder, Laundromat from the Wonder Series, 2017, archival print on Epson Ultra Premium Presentation Matte paper, 10 × 15 inches. Museum purchase with funds provided by 2019 Collectors’ Circle members Gary & Olivia Zahler, 2020.02.02. © Cornwagon Thunder. The Asheville Art Museum shared that seven artists from the opening exhibition Appalachia Now! An Interdisciplinary Survey of Contemporary Art in Southern Appalachia have entered the Museum's Collection of American Art of the 20th and 21st centuries. Appalachia Now! was the inaugural exhibition of the newly renovated Museum that celebrated contemporary artists living and working in Southern Appalachia. Considering available funds, the Museum's curatorial team selected a range of works that reflect the diversity of Appalachia Now! These works were then presented to the Collectors' Circle who voted to acquire them. "It’s such an honor to be a part of the Asheville Art Museum’s expansion into new media," says Lei Han, who is Professor of New Media at UNC Asheville. "My collaborators and I are grateful for this recognition and we look forward to future collaborations with the Museum.” "The Museum looks forward to following the careers of all the Appalachia Now! artists," says Asheville Art Museum Executive Director Pamela Myers. "We are also very thankful for the Collectors' Circle—for their generosity and ongoing support of the Museum, and their dedication to building the Museum's important Collection for the enjoyment of all of our visitors." The following 15 works have been approved for acquisition into the Museum's Collection: Carolyn Ford, Southernisms: Grinnin’ like a Fox Crappin’ a Peach Seed, 2017, black slip, low-relief stoneware on wood, 11 x 11 x 1 ½ in. Museum purchase with funds provided by the 2019 Collectors’ Circle, 2020.01.01. © Carolyn Ford Carolyn Ford, Southern Skills: Quilting, 2017, black slip, low-relief stoneware on wood, 11 x 11 x 1 ½ in. Museum purchase with funds provided by the 2019 Collectors’ Circle, 2020.01.02. © Carolyn Ford Carolyn Ford, Southernisms: Nervous as a Long-Tailed Cat in a Rockin’ Chair Factory, 2017, black slip, low-relief stoneware on wood, 11 x 11 x 1 ½ in. Museum purchase with funds provided…