In the heart of downtown Asheville, along Market Street, in a district known as “The Block,” sits the Noir Collective AVL. A beehive of creativity and community, the business is many things to many people — art gallery, boutique store, bookstore, and, perhaps, most importantly, a beacon of culture.
“So, ‘collective’ kind of takes the place of the word ‘community’ to insinuate that there’s a way we can thrive together,” said Alexandria Monque Ravenel. “The creators? Their job is to be creative. Our job is to take care of this place.”
Ravenel and her youngest child, Ajax, co-own the Noir Collective AVL. Opened in 2020, it’s a proudly Black-owned business, with the ethos of the establishment residing in what’s clearly stated on their website: “While we cannot change the past, we can look forward to an inclusive future.”
“We have some really experienced artists here who need nothing from me, just a place to show their work,” Ravenel said. “Then, we have new artists coming in and they’re not sure how to show their work. And we have conversations with these artists to talk about what it means to price according to their value, time, and work.”
“The Block” is the nickname for the longtime African American business sector centered around Market Street. The crown jewel of the district is the YMI Cultural Center, a large building housing numerous community organizations and Black-owned stores, including the Noir Collective AVL — all of which form an anchor of commerce and community for African Americans living in Asheville and greater Western North Carolina.
“It’s an honor to be kind of a steward of this mission, which is to make sure that Black presence is not erased from The Block,” Ravenel said.
And although The Block remains a bastion of Black culture in Asheville, the city itself has had much of its Black history disappear underneath the sands of time, with much of the prominent names and businesses fading away.
Case in point, the Noir Collective AVL aims to not only preserve the rich, vibrant history of Black culture and business in the area, but also perpetuate the growth and progress of new entities pushing headlong into the 21st century and beyond. “A lot has been erased,” Ravenel said. “And that’s our task here at the Noir Collective — we’re on a less beaten path.”
One of the key initiatives put forth by the Noir Collective AVL is the popular “First Friday” gatherings. Each first Friday of the month, the business is transformed into an evening of genuine connectivity. Certain artists are showcased and bountiful conversations sparked with all in attendance, leaving the space with a better sense of self and of their surroundings.
“It’s themed, and nobody knows the theme until somebody emerges and says, ‘Hey, I want to do something,’” Ravenel said. “It could be poetry and painting, actors doing monologues, an art opening, or a dance party — we want to give everybody an opportunity [to participate].”
And yet, even with the passion put forth by the Noir Collective AVL in cultivating Black culture and sharing it with those walking into the shop — on purpose or by happenstance — what Ravenel ultimately aims for is a time when we see each other as artists and human beings simply creating and interacting with each other.
“We hope for a time where we don’t need anything labeled as ‘Black-owned,’ ‘Black-featured,’ or ‘Black-focused,’” Ravenel said. “Where opportunities open up that are equitable across the block, so then we can just be a shop of entrepreneurs.”
Visit Noir Collective’s website here.
Like this story? Read more in the Blue Ridge Craft Trails Magazine.
