ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — ArtsAVL, the Asheville area arts council, has selected 21 organizations and individuals from Buncombe County for the 2026-27 Arts Build Community grants. The funding, totaled at $37,997, will support free community art programs around the county.
The ninth edition of the grants will support an assortment of the arts, including theater, public art, multilingual workshops and filmmaking.
The funding will reach many distinctive corners of Buncombe County, including Swannanoa, West Asheville and the Blue Ridge Parkway, and diverse groups of people.
“Arts Build Community is about making sure the arts are happening throughout Buncombe County in ways that are accessible, relevant and rooted in community,” said ArtsAVL Executive Director Katie Cornell, executive director of ArtsAVL. “These grants put resources directly into the hands of artists and organizations who know their communities and are creating opportunities for people to connect, participate and experience the arts together.”
Who are the recipients of the 2026-27 ArtsAVL Arts Build Community grants?
In a press release, ArtsAVL summarized the projects that the ABC grants would fund for each recipient:
“Asheville Creative Arts will support the Burton Street Culture Crew, a youth-led cultural council formed by young Burton Street residents. The group will plan and host free, semi-monthly community arts events between September 2026 and June 2027, building toward the future Blue Note Junction cultural campus.
Asheville Downtown Association Foundation will use grant funding to support the Wall Street Public Art Project to extend the recently completed ‘Wall Street Staircase’ mural onto the adjacent ‘Wall Street Wall.’ Grant funding will support the artist’s commission, professional-grade materials, site preparation, project marketing and a community celebration.
Asheville Symphony Society, Inc. will present Symphony in the Park, its signature free concert in Pack Square Park, on September 6, 2026. The event’s more than 10,000 attendees will enjoy featured vocalist Erica Gabriel alongside the full orchestra.
Asheville Tool Library will use grant funding to complete a series of whimsical mini-murals around its Smith Mill Works building. The project will culminate in a community paint day on October 25 during its free fall yard sale.
Black Wall Street AVL is planning a free, three-day Community Arts Activation at GRINDfest 2027. The Activation will center on Asheville’s Black community and the history of Black Wall Street through collaborative murals and live performances.
Burton Street Community Association will pair youth and elders to document the community’s cultural history through interviews and photography. The community will have the opportunity to attend a celebration of the project and enjoy the stories collected from longtime Burton Street residents.
The Closetorium will use grant funding to host Sustainable Sunday Fashion Funday, a free monthly workshop series teaching mending and textile repair skills. Outreach will prioritize under-served neighborhoods across Buncombe County.
Corona Fine Art, led by artist Carolina Corona, will host two bilingual nature-journaling workshops in Swannanoa. The project aims to help the Latinx community reconnect with the outdoors and learn about habitat conservation after Hurricane Helene. The workshops will culminate in a community art display at Bounty and Soul Latino.
Crista Cammaroto, Jen Murphy & Friends of Hominy Creek Greenway will bring Ebb & Flow Fest to Hominy Creek Greenway in spring 2027. The festival will include large-scale art installations created by ten local artists, a community parade and live performances responding to the greenway’s ecology and history.
The Glitter Sisters Inc. will use grant funding to expand its Finesse Camp and Amplify Sound Box programs into Swannanoa through a new partnership with Swannanoa Resilience Hub. These programs build youth confidence and leadership through fashion, music, and storytelling.
Melissa Borrell Studio will lead three free sculpture workshops in Bountiful Cities gardens. Borrell will invite participants of all ages to create three-dimensional artwork inspired by plant forms and garden geometry.
Montford Moppets Youth Shakespeare Company will underwrite its December 2026 production of ‘A Christmas Carol’ with grant funding. This will give about 20 students the chance to perform in a free, classical theater production for the community.
The Odd plans to host the West Asheville Creative Recovery Series, a free year-long program featuring live music and visual art from local creatives. The program will support the neighborhood’s continued creative recovery after Hurricane Helene.
Playground Stage Children’s Theatre will host its Summer Family Musical Program. This free, three-week theater experience pairs children and caregivers with professional directors and actors to stage a full production of ‘Willy Wonka.’
ReMix It will use grant funding to pay local instructors to lead free weekly creative reuse workshops at its West Asheville makerspace. The workshops will include sessions for Spanish speakers and immunocompromised community members, using donated materials to keep classes accessible.
Southern Highland Craft Guild will host its third annual Making & Thinking conference at the Folk Art Center. Making & Thinking brings together Appalachian makers and scholars to explore the region’s craft traditions through free, public programming.
Story Parlor will fund Sunday Sessions, a ten-month series of free and donation-based arts programming in West Asheville. The sessions will be offered most weeks, providing a consistent, low-pressure space for creative practice and community connection.
Swannatopia will activate Warren Wilson College’s farmland for a free, all-ages event on November 14, 2026. The experimental group of artists will combine large-scale art installations with live music and dance.
Turning the Page on Helene plans to host four community art showings of its collective altered-book project across Buncombe County, including one in the Swannanoa River Basin. The showings will give survivors the chance to view their shared story of Hurricane Helene and its recovery.
Umoja Health Wellness and Justice Collective will use grant money for ‘Legacy on the Mountain,’ a documentary preserving the history of Asheville’s Black marching-band tradition. The documentary is supported by youth from Umoja’s HOPE 4 the Future program working alongside the filmmaker as production assistants.
Wortham Center for the Performing Arts will partner with the YMI Cultural Center to host a free community masterclass with Ballet Hispánico dancers on February 20, 2027. At least half of class spots are reserved for YMI participants, bringing community collaboration to the forefront.”
For more information about the grants, visit www.artsavl.org/abc.