Art Ecologie wins Visiting Artist selection

Sample college project / rendering     The City of Asheville is pleased to announce that Art Ecologie featuring: Monique Luck, Flavia Lovatelli and Francisco Gonzalez has been selected as the inaugural Visiting Artist.   Art Ecologie’s has proposed to transform the area with a multi-dimensional cube installation of metal/wood and bright imagery representing the past and the future, at [...]

Asheville 2018 in review: New leadership, APD data releases, bond projects advance and more

  With 2018 nearly in the books, it’s time to take stock of City of Asheville projects and developments from the past year. Here are 10 topics that your City government advanced in 2018. We’ll have 2019 initiatives to look for in another roundup Jan. 1.   Debra Campbell becomes Asheville City Manager The search for a new City Manager [...]

Asheville City Manager Debra Campbell names Rachel Wood as Assistant City Manager

    After a national search, City Manager Debra Campbell is excited to announce that Rachel Wood will become Asheville’s next Assistant City Manager. Her first day on the job will be January 24.   Wood comes to the City of Asheville from Denton, Texas, where she has served in a number of roles, most recently as Deputy Director [...]

Asheville Economic Development Specialist Brenda Mills honored during Stand Against Racism Program

Brenda Mills says her parents instilled in her a sense of community spirit and support. Whether it came to visiting the sick to feeding the poor, especially during holidays, she worked by their side in Waxhaw, N.C., as a girl, sometimes even taking down letters for elderly people.   A City of Asheville employee since 2005, Mills [...]

City accepts Lexington Avenue public artwork applications

The new public artwork will be installed at 65 N. Lexington Ave., a spot adjacent to several retail establishments.     A new public artwork will come to downtown Asheville, thanks to a collaboration between the Asheville Downtown Association Foundation and the City’s Public Art & Cultural Commission. The Lexington Avenue Public Art Project is intended to reflect the [...]

City of Asheville and Buncombe County postpone Art in Heart kick off due to weather

Pardon our Delay! Due to weather conditions this weekend, the kick off for Art in the Heart will be delayed. But don't worry, you'll still get a chance to see all the exciting art and local artists participating in the program.  Please keep checking our website, as we will update it with the new schedule.  

City of Asheville holds Visiting Artist Program finalists meet and greet

Jefferson Pinder     The Public Art and Cultural Commission and the City of Asheville announce that three artists/artist teams have been chosen as finalists for the City’s first-ever Visiting Artist Program. The artists are: Jefferson Pinder; Monique Luck, Flavia Lovatelli and Francisco Gonzalez; Amir Shakir and Ivette Cabrera.   Fifty-nine artists applied for the program, which is focused on creating community-driven artwork [...]

City of Asheville invites you to experience the latest art installation for Art in the Heart

Art in the Heart is a way to unite, heal, and strengthen the community. The goal is to use art to spark conversation and ideas on how to make Pack Square Plaza –a central gathering place and hub of activity for the region– a place that reflects Asheville’s diverse community. The program [...]

City of Asheville issues Call for Artists for new Broadway Public Safety Station

The City of Asheville is building a new, environmentally conscious (LEED certified) Public Safety Station just north of downtown at 316 Broadway Street in the 5 Points neighborhood, near UNC-Asheville. A Call for Artists has been issued to find an artist or artist team for a public art project at the new building. Opportunities for [...]

City of Asheville opens survey about public art in the River Arts District

      The City of Asheville is seeking public input on the first of five public art projects for the River Arts District Transportation Improvement Project (RADTIP) area. The first project, “Viewpoint” will be a sign featuring a quote (aka a viewpoint) from a well-known writer whose words embody [...]

City of Asheville seeks applications for Visiting Artist Program

Above, left to right: Community engagement at the painting of the Triangle Park Mural; Urban Trail marker celebrates the craftsmanship of master mason James Vester Miller; and celebrants at the Goombay Festival.   Please note deadline extension: 5 p.m. May 4.   The City of Asheville’s Public Art and Cultural Commission is excited to announce a call for entries to support [...]

Community invited to unveiling of River Arts District sculpture and greenway section

Trash Trout, provided by Asheville GreenWorks   The City of Asheville invites the community to celebrate the unveiling of new public art installations at 3 p.m. Nov. 30. The event will start at Jean Webb Park at 30 Riverside Drive, and end at the Craven Street Boat Launch at 190 Riverside Drive. The purpose is to highlight the [...]

Department of Planning and Urban Design releases Burton Street Architectural Survey

Over the past several years, City staff has been working closely with the Burton Street Community Association to aid in implementation of the Burton Street Neighborhood Plan, which was approved by City Council in 2018. The plan outlines goals and strategies aimed at preserving neighborhood character, among other priorities for the neighborhood. [...]

Giant animatronic sculpture to go on display in Asheville’s South Slope

  Acclaimed work was engineered, sculpted and fabricated by an interdisciplinary UNC Asheville team     Republished from the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina   Wake, Mel Chin’s giant animatronic sculpture, installed in New York City’s Times Square last summer, will be on view from March 15 to Sept. 7 at 44 Collier Ave., in Asheville’s South Slope.   Chin, a WNC-based conceptual artist, [...]

Installation ceremony set for Lexington Avenue sculpture

  At last it’s here! The City of Asheville is pleased to announce an installation ceremony for the Lexington Avenue Art Project.   Join us and the artist Beatrice Coron at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 6 for the installation ceremony of her metal sculpture titled Lexington Life Column.   The new public artwork will be installed at 65 N. Lexington Ave., [...]

Local artists selected for Celebrating African Americans Through Public Art (CAAPA)

  The City of Asheville and Celebrating African Americans Through Public Art (CAAPA) are pleased to announce the selection of two local artists — Joseph Pearson, a mural artist and Phyllis Utley, a literary artist —  to work alongside Art Ecologie. Their collaborative artwork will be installed at the corner of Biltmore Avenue and Eagle Street [...]

Sculpture chosen for Lexington Avenue public art installation

The 15-foot-high new public artwork by Beatrice Coron will be installed at 65 N. Lexington Ave.   A thriving downtown Asheville street will become even more vibrant this year with the installation of a new piece of public art on Lexington Avenue.   The City of Asheville is pleased to announce that, after a competitive process, a metal sculpture entitled Lexington Life [...]

The City announces November and December artist schedule of Art in the Heart and opportunities to engage

  A new line up of Art in the Heart artworks and experiences will be in Pack Square Plaza for November and December 2022. A final schedule for January-March artists will be released subsequently. To learn more about the artists and their projects, please visit ashevillenc.gov/artintheheart.    Images and videos of completed projects have been, and will [...]

Urban Trail marker installed to recognize Rafael Guastavino and the Basilica of St. Lawrence 

    A new Urban Trail marker has just been installed in downtown Asheville to interpret architect Rafael Guastavino’s legacy and built works, including the Basilica of St. Lawrence with its signature free-standing dome. The marker — aka Guastavino’s Monument — will temporarily serve as station #12 on the Asheville Urban [...]

Visiting Artist Project: Community input/design workshops announced for Celebrating African-Americans Through Public Art project

  The City of Asheville, in partnership with Art Ecologie and adé PROJECT, will host four community workshops to help in the completion of a mural and two installations representing the legacy and memories of THE BLOCK.  Residents are invited to become part of the artistic process. The final piece will be unveiled in September during the Goombay [...]

Who’s up this week on What’s up AVL! – Planning and Urban Design Staff

What’s Up AVL! The City of Asheville’s bi-monthly radio show gives the community the chance to take a deep dive with City of Asheville staff and departments. Learn about different departments and what projects are taking place in your community. This week, the City of Asheville sits down with Stephanie Dahl and Karli Stephenson from the Planning and [...]