ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — This past August, artists and supporters of all ages gathered to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Asheville Creative Arts, a local organization devoted to creating arts that matter for all ages.
The event, Asheville Creative Arts 10th Anniversary Summer Soiree, was held at the Peace Gardens and Market in West Asheville, a site chosen due to the long partnership among the organizations, and a collective dream led by Hood Huggers International to create Blue Note Junction, a revolutionary new campus coming to West Asheville.
Building the future at Blue Note Junction
ACA Executive Artistic Director Abby Felder revealed at the event that ACA will be the anchor tenant of a 99-seat black box theater and convertible indoor and outdoor performance space in the center of the Blue Note campus. The campus, envisioned as a Climate Resiliency Hub, will also include housing, classrooms for arts and economic development, a youth-led credit union, a garage for Hood Tours and a spa.
“The next 10 years will be about claiming space dedicated to young people. Dedicated to artists. Dedicated to the community. And it’s so important we do this together,” said Felder. “Now is the time to invest in infrastructure that will speak to this moment and prepare us for the future. At Blue Note, along with project visionaries DeWayne Barton and Safi Martin, we will nurture a culture that is creative, equitable and invites the radical imagination required to build a better world. Arts are central to that culture.”
While ACA is at the beginning stages of their capital campaign for outfitting the space, work with local firm Legerton Architecture and fundraising for other parts of the campus are well underway. Blue Note will see a phased opening of its many components with groundbreaking slated for early 2026.
“Bringing art to where people are”
In the meantime, ACA is gearing up for its 2025-26 season, which will include the development of a new interactive performance installation for elementary-aged students that invites them to practice the tools of world building. This piece, developed by longtime ACA contributing artist Federica Collina along with Felder, will premiere for public audiences in the spring of 2026.
“Asheville Creative Arts is committed to bringing art to where people are” said Felder, noting that the company continues to expand its partnerships with local schools and institutions focused on education and wellness.
This fall, in addition to teaching at multiple afterschool programs, the company will participate in the MAHEC Medical Mentoring Program, where Collina will work with high school students to develop a health-centered puppet show built to be performed for kindergarten through second grade.
From new brick and mortar spaces to mobile arts experiences which invite young people to practice creativity, abstract thinking and empathy, ACA is on track to make the next 10 years even more impactful.
For more information about how to get involved, visit the ACA Instagram page at www.instagram.com/ashevillecreativearts.