NOW OPEN:

Asheville Art Museum just opened with a new $24 million-plus, state-of-the-art building that features expanded gallery space, education facilities, an art library, a lecture and performance venue, a new ArtPLAYce for families and children and the addition of a rooftop sculpture terrace and café with views of downtown architecture and the surrounding mountains. 2020 programming includes yoga, kid-friendly tours and sunsets on the rooftop sculpture terrace on Thursdays when the museum is open until 9 p.m.

The Center for Craft, the leading organization in the U.S. identifying and convening craft makers, has expanded with The National Craft Innovation Hub. The space includes new public galleries featuring local and national makers, lecture space, classrooms and a creative co-working space, cementing Asheville’s reputation as a force in the nation’s fine art and maker scene.

 

COMING SOON

► Opening to the public this winter, LEAF Global Arts Center will offer educational experiences for guests rooted in music, art, community and culture via a mini-theater and global immersion room using virtual reality, unique musical instruments and a stage for performances and interactive artist workstations. The center will be a cornerstone in the continued rebirth of the city's historical African American business district, The Block.

► Asheville's River Arts District, home to more than 200 artists in working studios, will be more visitor-friendly when a major roadway and greenway construction project wraps up in 2020. Visitors can expect a continuous multi-use riverside path, more parking, wide sidewalks, bike lanes, better traffic flow and highly creative public art installations from the district's artists.