ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — “You cannot fully recover the region without the arts.”
That’s what ArtsAVL, the Asheville area arts council, claims in their Asheville-Buncombe Arts Recovery Framework, a decade-long plan for strengthening arts infrastructure across Asheville and Buncombe County after the destruction caused by Tropical Storm Helene.
What to know about the Asheville-Buncombe Arts Recovery Framework
The recovery plan was presented by ArtsAVL to the Asheville arts community and local leaders at 10 a.m., Monday, June 1 at the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium in downtown Asheville.
Following the meeting, a draft of the framework has been made available to the public for feedback. The feedback period will be open until June 15, 2026. Find a copy of the framework and the community survey here.
The framework is a comprehensive examination of the arts industry in the region. Research was conducted over “nearly a year” through “a partnership between ArtsAVL, Buncombe County Government, the City of Asheville, Explore Asheville, the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce and Lord Cultural Resources, with participation from hundreds of artists, cultural organizations, creative businesses and community stakeholders,” ArtsAVL wrote in a press release.
There are seven focus areas inside of the plan:
- Arts Districts
- Public Art
- Art in Parks, Libraries and Community Centers
- Public Arts and Entertainment Facilities
- Creative Economies
- Live and Work Space for Creatives
- Support for Arts Businesses
The framework examines each through the lens of strengthening, expanding and integrating its artistic aspect into a broader creative economy in Buncombe County. According to the framework, all components of the arts in Western North Carolina are interlinked.
“The arts and creative economy operate as a connected regional system. Artists, businesses, venues, audiences and industries are interdependent, with Buncombe County functioning as a central hub within Western North Carolina,” ArtsAVL wrote in the framework. “Workforce, supply chains, tourism and cultural participation extend across jurisdictions and sectors. At present, the systems that support this ecosystem — public art, creative space, cultural facilities, workforce development, business support and funding — are not consistently aligned.”
The framework suggests methods to achieve that alignment in the short, mid and long-term with detailed explanations of each proposed strategy. Tenets of the framework include everything from establishing mentorship and training programs for local artists to constructing a modern, expansive facility for the performing arts.
The goal of the project is to build a stronger artistic community for Asheville now and the years to come. However, in order for the framework to best serve its community, it must reflect its community’s interests.
For more information about the framework and how to make your voice heard, visit www.artsavl.org/framework.