artsville newsletter December 2025 Roundup: Built to Last In this issue: award-winning gingerbread houses, your most-loved stories of the year, and a look back at ArtsvilleUSA’s ambitious 2025.
feature story We Didn't Know What 2025 Would Bring. We Made Art Anyway From exhibitions to cultural milestones that brought WNC together, here's what we pulled off in 2025—and why it matters to the arts community.
feature story Revisiting ArtsvilleUSA’s Most-Loved Stories of 2025 Join us as we look back at ArtsvilleUSA's top stories of 2025—featuring readers' favorites, staff selections, and hidden treasures worth rediscovering.
photo story Edible Architecture: Highlights From the 2025 National Gingerbread House Competition Following a hiatus due to Hurricane Helene, the National Gingerbread House Competition made its sweet return to Asheville at the Omni Grove Park Inn.
artsville newsletter November 2025 Round-up: Sharing Food, Crafting Community, Seeking Asylum In this issue: artisan tablescaping, the Afghan Women’s Craft Collective, plus open letters from the RAD's Jeffrey Burroughs and Center for Craft's Stephanie Moore.
feature story Sisters in Stitches: Afghan Women Cultivate Community Through Craft and Cuisine Three years ago, Asheville nonprofit Sisters in Circles launched the Afghan Women’s Craft Collective to assist asylum seekers in rebuilding their lives in the United States.
photo story Holiday Tablescaping: 12 Artisan Finds for a Memorable Celebration Handmade treasures from Western North Carolina bring warmth, character, and charm to your holiday tablescape, from décor to dinner essentials.
op-ed A Tale of Two Hurricanes: ‘When the Water Rises, Artists Rise, Too’ Jeffrey Burroughs, President of the River Arts District Artists, reflects on his role as a speaker and participating artist in the climate-themed exhibition ‘A Tale of Two Cities.’
op-ed Learning to Breathe Again: After Helene, Art Exhibition is ‘A Moving Classroom’ Stephanie Moore, Director of the Center for Craft, reflects on the powerful opening reception of ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ at the New Orleans Academy of Art.
artsville newsletter October 2025 Round-up: Magic Season in the Mountains In this issue: reclaiming joy, a visual tour of the region’s best festivals, and a spotlight on LEAF Global Arts and the Street Creature Puppet Collective.
feature story ‘So Many Possibilities’: The Street Creature Puppet Collective Steps Back Into the Limelight The Street Creature Puppet Collective brings whimsy back to WNC this fall, reviving the local arts landscape and delighting audiences at regional festivals.
travelogue The Spirited Return of Fall Festival Season in Western North Carolina Fall festival season in Western North Carolina is making a big comeback after extensive cancellations last year due to Hurricane Helene.
podcast How LEAF Global Arts Turns Life Into a Year-Round Festival Experience This weekend, the LEAF Global Arts Festival makes a triumphant return for its 30th anniversary at Lake Eden, NC, following last year’s cancellation.
events + news Two Open Calls for Artists: Live Holiday Market/Small Works Exhibition ArtsvilleUSA invites artists from WNC to showcase and sell their small works, ornaments, and handcrafted art perfect for holiday gifting.
artsville newsletter September 2025 Round-up: Looking Back, Moving Forward In this issue: What our children stand to lose, ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ opens in New Orleans, plus an open call for our small works exhibition and holiday market.
photo story ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ Opens to Enthusiastic Crowds in New Orleans On opening night, ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ at the New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts featured hurricane-related art from New Orleans and Western North Carolina.
podcast ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ Curators’ Panel: ‘Art is the Highest Form of Hope’ Join the curators of ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ as they discuss how art can drive economic recovery and strengthen cultural identity after a natural disaster.
exhibitions Featured A Tale of Two Cities On the anniversaries of Hurricanes Helene and Katrina, artists from Western North Carolina and New Orleans unite in response to the existential crisis of our times.
artsville newsletter August 2025 Round-up: A One-Year Milestone In this issue: Why all art is political, reflecting on the first anniversary of Hurricane Helene, plus photos from Kenn Kotara’s summer artist residency.
photo story Asheville Artist Kenn Kotara Chronicles Mammoth Lakes Residency in Visual Journal As the summer sun wanes, mixed-media artist Kenn Kotara looks back on his Mammoth Lakes residency in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
feature story ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ Exhibition Unites Asheville and New Orleans on the Anniversaries of Hurricanes Katrina and Helene 'A Tale of Two Cities' commemorates the shared experiences of New Orleans and Asheville as they navigate the aftermath of climate-related disasters decades apart.
artsville newsletter July 2025 Round-up: Make Summer Your Best Creative Season Why summer is perfect for creative pursuits, plus a spotlight on the Blue Ridge Craft Trails and the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area’s inaugural exhibition.
travelogue Plan Your Visit: Explore the Artists, Studios, and Handmade Treasures of the Blue Ridge Craft Trails The Blue Ridge Craft Trails, developed by the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area, promote arts tourism and support economic sustainability throughout the region.
exhibitions Returning to the Ridge: Blue Ridge Craft Trails Invitational Presented in partnership with the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area, this year’s Craft Trails Invitational celebrates the region's rich history of craft production.
podcast North Carolina Glass Center: Exploring the Studio Glass Movement With Executive Director Candace Reilly In this episode, we chat with Candace Reilly, executive director of the North Carolina Glass Center, about the future of studio glass in Asheville and WNC.
