Spencer Beals Mobilizes Art in Defense of the UNC Asheville Woods

​In Asheville, a battle is playing out over a 45-acre forest bordering UNC Asheville and the Five Points neighborhood, a haven for tricolored bats, box turtles, bobcats, and great horned owls, less than a mile from downtown. The controversy reached a turning point when, as recently reported by Asheville Watchdog, a university-appointed advisory committee recommended against building a large-scale stadium on the site, calling the project “misaligned with UNCA’s identity” and urging the school to prioritize student housing, retail, open community space, and the preservation of green areas. Still, new development proposals continue to threaten this patch of urban wilderness, keeping it at the center of one of Asheville’s most heated land use debates.

At the heart of the fight to protect the woods is Spencer Beals, a local artist with a background in ecosystem sustainability and a lifelong passion for nature. Last December, he gathered more than 30 local artists for “Batland,” a guerrilla installation of over 40 painted wooden bats, placed secretly by night on branches throughout the woods. Spencer and his collaborators created detailed, hand-drawn maps—now on view in full at the ArtsvilleUSA gallery wall at the Ferguson Family YMCA—and stashed them in a homemade outdoor library, transforming the forest into a massive scavenger hunt for families, students, and neighbors.

Spencer leads nature journaling clubs along these trails, helps organize rallies, and works closely with Save the UNCA Woods, a community group that’s collected over 17,000 petition signatures and flooded city boards with letters. He consults with wildlife biologists and listens to longtime residents who say they’ve never seen so many people in the woods.

Now, Spencer is speaking with Elise Wilson, executive director of ArtsvilleUSA, about the intersection of art, advocacy, and community building in Asheville. Their conversation explores how artists can shape public discourse, mobilize communities, and influence the fate of the city’s remaining green spaces.

Highlights From Our Conversation With Spencer Beals

Batland’s clandestine installation brought hundreds into the woods, including neighbors who’d never walked the trails before [12:09].

Spencer outlines how nature clubs, art events, and everyday advocacy built relationships that now form the backbone of Save the UNCA Woods [23:15].

Details on the current proposals for a stadium and retail complex, and how community members are reimagining the land for public enjoyment and ecological restoration [17:12].

Organizing public art, building coalitions with groups like Defenders of Wildlife, and working alongside everyday dog-walkers all play necessary roles in environmental campaigns [22:27].

Quotables

“Advocacy is inherent to the artist because you're a culture creator, and artists are usually informed in their communities and have an important role to play.” — Spencer Beals [11:25]

“We [installed] over 40 large wooden bat installations in the middle of the night, going up on ladders and creating this epic free scavenger hunt to try and bring as many people into this forest as possible. It's funny to imagine that as part of my job description, but it is like the artist has the superpowers to do whatever fuels them.” — Spencer Beals [12:09]

“If you don’t use these places and you don’t know about these places, you’ll lose every single last one.” — Spencer Beals [14:04]

“Take somebody on a walk in that forest one time; they’ll want to protect it. It’s self-obvious upon going there.” — Spencer Beals [23:15]

Mentions & Connections

Save the UNCA Woods: A grassroots coalition of residents and UNCA faculty, students, and alumni, calling themselves “Friends of the Woods.”

Batland: A collaborative, multi-artist installation project and community scavenger hunt

Asheville Poverty Initiative/12 Baskets Cafe / Sketchbook Club: Spencer holds his regular, open-invite drawing sessions at the Asheville Poverty Initiative’s 12 Baskets Cafe, a low-barrier space that serves the community with rescued food from local restaurants.

UNC Asheville and Five Points Neighborhood: Both communities are at the center of the ongoing advocacy and public discussion about the land’s future.

Get Involved / Where to Find More

Instagram: @beals.art

Studio Visits: RAD Rendezvous, River Arts District

Save the UNCA Woods: Volunteer, donate, buy a yard sign, or sign the petition to conserve the UNCA woods. Check their Instagram or events page for meetings and rallies.

Sketchbook Club: First & third Mondays, 6–8 p.m. at 12 Baskets Cafe in West Asheville

Nature Journaling Club: Spencer’s drop‑in, outdoor art/ecology session. Check his Instagram for changing dates and locations.

Defenders of Wildlife: Conservation organization with a Southeast branch based in Asheville; teamed up with Spencer Beals to protect the Okefenokee Swamp and highlight threatened species like the red wolf.

Center for Biological Diversity: Another major environmental nonprofit working to protect biodiversity throughout the Southern Appalachians.

ArtsvilleUSA Exhibit: See Spencer’s art on view at the Ferguson Family YMCA through August 2026.

Episode Credits

Host: Elise Wilson, ArtsvilleUSA Executive Director

Guest: Spencer Beals, artist and environmental advocate

Produced by: ArtsvilleUSA / Arterial Inc.

​Audio editing: Maggi Van Dorn

Newsletter: Subscribe to the ArtsvilleUSA Newsletter for more stories and updates on the arts and crafts scene in Western North Carolina.

Photo Gallery

All photos published with permission of Spencer Beals; featured photo: Spencer Beals gathered more than 30 local artists to create Batland, a guerrilla installation of over 40 painted wooden bats, placed secretly by night on branches throughout the UNCA woods.