- Mountain TEA Studios is a creative life partnership between two contemporary visual artists; Mark Flowers and Kristy Higby. Creating and teaching art has been at the heart of their dedicated partnership for 40 years. Located just north of Asheville in the community of Alexander, Mark and Kristy are veteran art teachers and award winning artists. Mark is a painter of narrative images and Kristy is a documentary filmmaker and maker of artists’ books. Visitors are welcome. Please call ahead.