ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW.com) – Few places in the United States hold as many true frescoes as Western North Carolina, where artist Ben Long spent decades creating murals rooted in local communities. The region’s collection is shaped by a Statesville-born painter who learned an ancient technique in Italy and carried it into the churches and small towns of the Blue Ridge.
Ben Long served in the United States Marine Corps and deployed to Vietnam. He returned home carrying the weight of what he had seen, searching for purpose and direction. That search led him to Italy, where he studied classical fresco under Pietro Annigoni in Florence. The work was demanding and rooted in patience. Long later said the discipline of the Marine Corps prepared him for the focus fresco painting requires.
Long brought that discipline back to North Carolina. He headed into the mountains where churches, chapels and community spaces in Western North Carolina became his canvas. Many of the figures in these frescoes were real people he knew. Friends, family members, parishioners and neighbors modeled for scenes ranging from biblical stories to mythological figures.
Guide to the Western North Carolina frescoes
The result is a regional art trail unlike anything else in the state. Visitors will find The Last Supper in Glendale Springs, a trio of early frescoes in West Jefferson and one of Long’s most ambitious works on the ceiling of the Morganton municipal auditorium.
These frescoes are not museum works behind glass panels. They belong to the places where they were painted. Visitors often say they return because the murals look different each time.
Art, history and mountain backroads meet along the Blue Ridge Heritage Trail. The journey can be quick or slow. Many travelers turn it into a day trip, while others stretch it over a weekend. The drive itself becomes part of the story.
We created a full guide for anyone who wants to explore these frescoes, learn where they are, understand how they were made and discover the stories behind the people who appear in them. This is one of Western North Carolina’s most meaningful art experiences and it is open to everyone.
Explore the full Ben Long fresco guide here.