The Public Art Program aims to strengthen Asheville’s identity as a work of art and support the vibrancy of the creative sector that calls Asheville home.
Asheville’s identity is largely built on its wealth of memorable places, its rich cultural heritage, and the excellent arts, crafts and maker community that exists here today. The private and not for profit arts leaders- not to mention the artists themselves- in this community are leading the way; the City of Asheville’s role is to help the community have a high quality of life by increasing opportunities for arts and culture to be part of the public realm. We especially want to increase the levels of participation and representation from members of our BIPOC and LGBTQ communities, who are still underrepresented in our current public art collection, and in the past, have been underrepresented on our Public Art and Culture Commission.
Current Projects and Opportunities
Calls for Artists will be listed here.
Art Deco Masterpiece Redesign – 
Part of the Urban Trail
Finalist Rachel David with RED Metal was selected for this project by a panel made up of stakeholders, PACC members, designers and staff. The project is in fabrication with a planned installation for October 2025.
- View the Call for Artists and learn more about the project here.
Public Art at the Broadway Public Safety Station
In 2023 the City opened the LEED certified Broadway Public Safety Station just north of downtown. In addition to serving as a fully functioning fire station and police office space, the station is also built to accommodate the coordination of emergency response operations and served as the City’s Emergency Operations Center during response to Hurricane Helene. As part of Asheville’s Percent for Public Art Policy, a call for artists and competitive selection process occurred in 2022 with artists Nick Geurts and Alex Irvine selected as the finalist team. For more background, visit the project page.
Multiple community tile-making events, with the most recent occurring in June 2025 at Odyssey Clayworks, have resulted in hundreds of tiles that will adorn a new public art installment, a playable harp, on the Reed Creek Greenway near the intersection with Ocala Street. Originally planned to be installed at the Broadway Public Safety Station, the artwork will now be located next to the greenway for better accessibility and to alleviate conflicts with utilities. Installation is planned for Fall 2025.
Playful Art for Jake Rusher Park
The community worked with artist Becky Borlan on the design and installation of a playable piece of art at Jake Rusher Park. See former Public Art and Culture Commission member Ali McGhee’s write up on this park and the project here.
*Update: after some modifications to the original design, on-site construction and reinstallation of the playable artwork is scheduled for August 2025.
History of the Public Art Program
Starting in the 1970s, people noticed that Asheville had very little public art compared to other cities around the country. As an outgrowth of the downtown streetscape program, the idea for a walking trail was explored over 2 years beginning in 1988. When the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation funded a small grant for a design charrette in 1990, the Urban Trail Committee was formed soon thereafter, composed of volunteers, professionals, and content experts with support by City Staff. They developed a walking art trail highlighting historically important people, architecture, places, and events within Downtown Asheville. Completion of the original phase of the Urban Trail was celebrated in May 2002. The Urban Trail became an Asheville treasure and helped show citizens what public art could do for our community.
In November of 1998, a group of eighteen concerned citizens came together to form the Public Art Working Group. Many meetings and a great deal of research later, City Council adopted the City’s first Public Art Policy. A newly established Public Art Board started meeting in May of 2000.
Asheville Public Art Program Components
The primary components of the City of Asheville’s Public Art Program are the Public Art Master Plan, the Percent for Public Art Policy, the Public Art and Culture Commission, the Public Art Collection, Public Art Program Administration, and Current Projects.
Public Art Master Plan
The Public Art Master Plan (PAMP) was completed in 2000 and re-adopted in November, 2008. Our community has changed significantly since this plan was created. Updating the plan is the top priority of the Public Art and Cultural Commission.
Public Art and Culture Commission
The Public Art and Culture Commission (PACC) is responsible for promoting public art creation and public art maintenance in the public buildings and public spaces within Asheville, North Carolina.
Regular PACC meetings will be in-person in City Hall’s first floor conference room (70 Court Plaza) from 4 to 5 p.m. on the third Thursday of every month. All meetings will be live streamed on the City’s YouTube Channel and the Public Art and Culture Commission’s Public Input Page.
The Public Art Collection
As you explore Asheville, you’ll see a number of sculptures and other pieces of art: The “Energy Loop”, the Deco Gecko in Pritchard Park, the murals in the City Hall chambers, the bronze life-size sculpture of Martin Luther King, Jr. at MLK Park, and the more than 30 sculptures and plaques along the Urban Trail are all part of Asheville’s public art collection.
Information About the Urban Trail
Map of Urban Trail and Public Art Collection
The Public Art Collection inventory is currently being updated.
Public Art Administration
The City supports arts and culture initiatives as a strategy for wealth creation and the enhancement of place. The Planning and Urban Design Department’s work includes advising on the City of Asheville’s investments in public art and place-making, promoting and implementing the goals of the Public Art Master Plan, and administering the City’s Percent for Public Art policy. We work across departments and with designers, producers, developers, businesses and artists in the public to get the community the public spaces they need to thrive.
Project Archive
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Artists’ work -which included interactive performance, sculpture, mixed media, and other styles- was installed in Pack Square Plaza, the heart of downtown Asheville, as a way to spark community engagement for the Pack Square Plaza Visioning and Improvements project. The works supported important conversations on how to ensure our public spaces reflect Asheville’s diverse community and history. For more information on the program, the artists and their projects, visit Art in the Heart’s project page on the City’s website. |
Contact Information
Karli Stephenson // 828-259-5627