Artists and Creatives Lead Asheville’s Revival

New Asheville Art Spaces | In 2025, art-lovers and art-makers can visit a cutting-edge glass center or an immersive gallery heightened with 3D projections.

• North Carolina Glass Center Opens in Black Mountain– The North Carolina Glass Center just opened the gallery portion of its new, state-of-the-art facility in Black Mountain. While the gallery and boutique are welcoming visitors, the studios remain under construction as the nonprofit works toward full opening, anticipated by mid-March. The center continues to support over 100 regional glass artists and offers classes and workshops where visitors can experience the art of glassblowing firsthand. The NC Glass Center’s original River Arts District location remains a vibrant gallery and working studio.
• Discover Third Room: Downtown’s New Interactive Art Space – This immersive venue combines 3D video mapping technology with traditional art forms, like sculpture and painting, celebrating human creativity in an AI-driven world. By day, Third Room is an immersive multi-media art gallery; by night, it transforms into dynamic dance parties featuring live music and DJs, awash in stunning visual effects.

Collective Spaces Support Artists Displaced by Helene | In the storm’s wake, several new venues have emerged, offering gallery and studio space to artists whose workspaces were lost – a powerful reminder of the community’s unwavering spirit. 

• Resurrection Studios Collective – Located in the historic Moog Music manufacturing building in downtown Asheville, Resurrection Studios Collective aims to provide workshop and exhibition spaces for artists across the region. The grand opening is set for March 7, with monthly "First Friday" strolls. Each month promises a different visitor experience with rotating gallery displays and pop-up shops.
• WNC Craft Futures – The national arts non-profit, Center for Craft, will present “WNC Craft Futures,” an exhibition at its downtown gallery space showcasing the work of 40 regional craft artists who were impacted by Hurricane Helene. Each artist featured will also receive a $10,000 grant and a six-month cohort experience designed to rebuild and strengthen their artistic practices, fostering mutual aid and community through a peer-to-peer network. (Exhibition opens Apr. 11)
• FOMO Music and Art Collective – In November, a new gallery and exhibit space opened in the Upper River Arts District, a section of the RAD that sustained minimal storm damage. FOMO aims to provide a creative sanctuary, bringing together artists from an array of mediums to collaborate and create bold and experimental art. FOMO also hosts live music and community events.
• Orbit Space – Tanger Outlets, an open-air shopping mall on the outskirts of town, opened this gallery to support local artists who lost galleries and workspaces to flooding. The sprawling floorspace features work by ceramicists, metal workers, print artists, and photographers, with 100 percent of sales going directly to the artists. In addition to showcasing work, Orbit will host workshops, demos, and community events.

Performances and Events Underscore the Enduring Human Spirit | Upcoming shows and events emphasize the staying power of culture and artistic expression, from ancient Egypt to present-day Appalachia.

• Craft For Craft’s Sake: Slow-Made Traditions Take Center Stage – The inaugural For the Love of Craft festival will bring together art, craft, and culinary delights, to showcase and celebrate the breadth of the region’s time-honored traditions. Attendees can browse art, sip on local brews, and sample chefs’ variations of mac & cheese during this cozy community gathering. (Feb. 22)  
• King Tut’s Treasures Arrive at Biltmore Estate – Biltmore presents Tutankhamun: His Tomb and His Treasures, an immersive exhibition featuring over 1,000 artisan-crafted replicas that bring the opulence of King Tut’s tomb to life. The Egyptian Pharoah’s arrival reflects the Biltmore Estate’s primary resident, George Vanderbilt, who was known for his passion for the arts and travel. (Mar. 21, 2024 – Jan. 4, 2026) 
• Asheville Art Museum Exhibitions Paint a Local Picture – Like many cultural attractions in the area, the Asheville Art Museum is centering its programming this year on stories that offer meaning and reflection on the region’s past, present, and future through an artistic lens.
  • “Asheville Strong: Celebrating Art and Community After Hurricane Helene” highlights resilience and connection within the region, featuring work by artists from Appalachian counties impacted by the storm. (Feb. 13 – May 5) 
  • “Greetings from Asheville: Tourism and Transformation in the Postcard Age”  features vintage postcards of local landmarks by renowned photographers, including George Masa, Henry Martin, and Ewart Ball. (Now, through May 30)
• New Museum Pays Homage to Costume Jewelry – In May, the first-of-its-kind Museum of Costume Jewelry opens in West Asheville, presenting a stunning collection of hundreds of iconic jewelry and fashion accessories from legends like Coco Chanel, Elsa Schiaparelli, and Christian Dior. Visitors can explore how cultural, industrial, and political trends shaped 20th-century jewelry design, from Art Deco cocktail rings to 1950s lucite baubles, highlighting the rich legacy of personal adornment in American fashion and expression.
• Murals Added to the Asheville Black Cultural Heritage Trail – Three new large-scale murals aim to amplify the Asheville (inaugurated in 2024) across town. The murals, by artist Tommy Lee McGee, blend realism and abstract design and center on celebrating Black joy. The first installation in South Slope is expected to be completed this spring, with the second in Downtown anticipated by October and the third in the River Arts District by 2026.
• “Appalachian Phoenix” Makes its World Premiere – The contemporary ballet company Terpsicorps Theatre of Dance will present original choreography inspired by the resilience of Western North Carolina in the wake of Hurricane Helene. The production features a set crafted from over 6,000 reclaimed plastic water bottles and costumes salvaged from overstocked distribution sites. “Appalachian Phoenix” transforms debris into beauty, honoring a community that turned adversity into hope. (July 24-26) 
• Asheville Symphony Teams Up with Grammy-Winning Folk Artists: The Asheville Symphony Orchestra’s 2025 season includes collaborations with:
  • Gregory Alan Isakov performs orchestral arrangements of his six full-length studio albums, with ticket sales supporting Hurricane Helene recovery. (Mar. 18)
  • Chris Thile lends his bluegrass and classical virtuoso during the Asheville Amadeus Festival. (May 10)

New Shops & Indie Businesses Build Upon Asheville’s Independent Spirit | The mountains continue to inspire the Asheville area’s creative and entrepreneurial spirit, with new and upcoming businesses adding to the city’s rich tapestry of innovation and community.

• Atomic Furnishing & Design – After Hurricane Helene’s flooding devastated their Swannanoa River shop, Megan and Todd Walsh relocated Atomic Furnishing to Montford. The new space salvages and showcases mid-century furniture and décor while hosting over 20 local artist and vintage merchant booths. Among them is Nolo, a zero-proof beverage retailer offering non-alcoholic drinks, tastings, and mixology classes.
• Haunt – As the name suggests, this shop and community space is designed to be a regular stop for locals and visitors alike. Owner Anneliesse Gormley says Haunt’s focus on homesteading and gardening essentials, hand-made tools, and artisan décor, are a celebration of Appalachian craft traditions and community. Gormley, a Garden & Gun Made In the South Award finalist for her hand-carved wares, says Haunt will also offer work space, tools, and classes led by local creatives, aimed at empowering people to create. Haunt is expected to open in Spring 2025. 
• Love Cats – A purrfectly curated boutique just for feline fanatics opened in downtown Asheville in December. Love Cats sells all the essentials for cat owners and their companions, including cat toys, treats, and apparel – dripping with cat-itude. 
• Garden Party – This West Asheville boutique bills itself as a cannabis lifestyle brand, but not the tie-dye and reggae variety one might associate with a headshop. Garden Party’s cheery interiors were designed by Mother, a local design firm – past projects include East Fork Pottery, the Center for Craft, and Citizen Vinyl – making this shop a visual feast. In addition to “session essentials,” the Garden Party sells local art, beauty & wellness products, and gifts for the home.  
• Bebop Bottle Shop – West Asheville’s newest wine bar specializes in diverse, sustainable wines and low/no-alcohol options. Founders Phil Cerrito and Brian Kim plan to expand with wine education programs and chef-led supper club events in 2025.

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About Asheville

Asheville is where unrivaled natural beauty and bold creative expression meet. Tucked away in the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains, the city is steps away from some of the world’s most biodiverse forests and the tallest peaks in the East. For generations, Asheville has nurtured and inspired a compassionate community that’s deeply rooted and ever evolving – just like the ancient French Broad River that runs through it.