River Arts District Second Saturday: Artist Talks

Celebrate art, craft, and design with over 300 local artists in the galleries and working studios. The studios and galleries are open daily, but Second Saturday the best day of the month to meet the most artists, collect original artwork, see art demonstrations, and even create some art yourself. This is a family friendly event.

All the galleries are open for visitors during the RAD Second Saturday but many galleries are hosting additional special events. The RAD Second Saturday: encourages visitors to meet and talk with the artists throughout the district. 

As you visit the River Arts District check out these additional events:

😀 RAD Welcome Center at RAD Rendezvous (87 Roberts St, Asheville, NC 28801)

• "We Were Always Here" Art Show: Five local artists are participating in this new art show located in the River Arts District's Welcome Center. The show is the public debut of Artways: Asheville, a new River Arts District workforce initiative from the Asheville Poverty Initiative. The goal is to help artists facing disparities break into Asheville’s arts economy and access creative spaces.
• Molten Made Presents Live Aluminum Pours: Molten Made is offering a one-of-a-kind keepsake: Paw Prints Cast in Aluminum. Watch molten metal flow as it is cast into sand creating orginial art. Pour Times are Noon, 2pm and 4pm. Things to know: Visitors are invited to bring their dog anytime between 10am- 3:30pm. They will make an impression of the dog's paw in the sand. (Only if the dog is comfortable). Lots of praise (brings treats if the dog is on a special diet). The green sand they use for casting is safe for dogs.

😀 Philip DeAngelo Gallery (115 Roberts St, Asheville, NC 28801)

• Meet The Artists: Stop into Philip DeAngelo Gallery and enjoy the work of over a dozen artists. Artists: Tall Greg and Angela Alexander will be working in their studios and are happy to discuss their art. Tall Greg (Greg Carr) creates pop impressionism paintings and things that make you smile! Angela Alexander is a contemporary art painter and advocate for the arts and animal welfare.

😀 Second Saturday Art Market (Robert Street Lot near the roundabout).

• A collection of 20+ local artists showcasing and selling their original artwork in this Pop Up Art Market.

😀 362 Depot St. Studios, Terry Thirion (362 Depot St. Asheville, NC 28801)

• Community Creating Art: Artist, Terry Thirion creates large and medium contemporary paintings. Join Terry Thirion at her studio during the Second Saturday Studio Stroll. Terry will prepare a large canvas so visitors will be able to participation in creating art through their touch, energy, and creativity. Paints and tools will be provided. It will then be completed by Terry and displayed throughout the rest of the day. Important Times: 11:30AM till 1PM: Public Participation and 1PM- 5PM: Artist, Terry Thirion to complete the painting. and public viewing.

😀 Trackside Studios (375 Depot St. Asheville, NC 28801)

• Travel the art world of Trackside Studios: Visitors are invited to stop in and meet several artists showing their work in the gallery. Vistors can pick up a free passport and collect stamps from each artist they talk with. If they talk to 5 or more artists, they receive 5% off their total purchase. Free Scavenger Hunt for the kids.

😀 Local Cloth (408 Depot St, Asheville 28801)

• The WaterLine Project is a permanent, community-made installation at Local Cloth in remembrance of Hurricane Helene. They are creating a continuous "waterline" made entirely of contributed fiber art, marking the height the water reached in their Studio — nearly 11 feet up the walls. Together, they are turning that line into something lasting, beautiful, and shared.
  How to Participate: Anyone can contribute a 2" x 6" piece of fiber art, in any fiber-based material or technique. Pieces may reference a literal waterline or not — each one becomes part of a continuous line encircling the studio. You can create a piece during the Second Saturday or drop off a piece in the designated box under the Retail Shop desk at Local Cloth (facing the back of the Studio), with name and email included. Deadline: September 1, 2026. Installation Dedication: September 27, 2026 — marking two years since Helene.

😀 Riverside Studios (174 W. Haywood St, Asheville, NC 28801)

• Unique Mixed Media Technique Demonstration by artist, Brit J. Oie. Brit is a nature inspired contemporary painter. The textures in Brit’s paintings are created by combining embossed paper collage with acrylic paint. Stop in and watch how she creates her work. 10am- 5pm 
• RE-opening of Lydia Lake's new studio and hosting her new art show "Repair". Lydia Lake is a conceptual artist, photographer, and visual anthropologist. Stop in and celebrate from 11am- 7pm.