Buncombe County Arts Recovery Plan: A Blueprint for Creative Sector Resilience
In the wake of Hurricane Helene’s devastating impact on Buncombe County in September 2024, ArtsAVL has launched a bold new Arts Recovery Plan in partnership with Lord Cultural Resources. This comprehensive planning effort, slated for completion in June 2026, serves as a strategic roadmap for rebuilding the region’s creative infrastructure and integrating the arts into the broader community recovery process.
Hurricane Helene dealt a devastating blow to the arts sector in Buncombe County, significantly impacting over 570 arts businesses and cultural assets in Buncombe County. Prolonged outages of power, water, and communications forced many arts businesses to close temporarily or indefinitely, while widespread physical damage from flooding and landslides made recovery even more difficult. The storm hit during the critical fall tourism season, resulting in a 70% drop in visitor spending and contributing to Buncombe having the highest unemployment rate in the state. With charitable giving also down 53%—the lowest in a decade—local artists and arts organizations have faced unprecedented financial hardship, threatening the long-term vitality of the region’s nationally recognized creative economy.
Hurricane Helene exposed the fragility of Buncombe County’s creative economy while also highlighting the resilience of its artists. Moving forward, strategic investments and coordinated recovery efforts will be critical to rebuilding a more sustainable and inclusive arts infrastructure.
Recovery Focus Areas
Developed through robust community engagement and alignment with local government, tourism, and economic development partners, the plan identifies seven key recovery priorities:
- ARTS & CULTURAL DISTRICTS: Definition, zoning, policies, governance, locations, programs, funding
- PUBLIC ART: Multi-agency partnerships, programs and policies, sustainable funding mechanisms
- LIVE & WORK SPACE FOR CREATIVES: Affordable housing and work space solutions for creatives
- ARTS, PARKS AND COMMUNITIES FACILITIES: Arts integration into parks and other community facilities
- ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT FACILITY: Community benefits from a new arts & entertainment facility
- MUSIC & CRAFT INDUSTRIES: Concentrated support for some of the hardest hit sectors
- LOCAL ARTS AGENCY GRANT MAKING: Transparent, accessible, and sustainable funding to support the local arts sector and community
A Coordinated Regional Strategy
The planning process is driven by consensus-building among five influential decision-making bodies in Buncombe County: ArtsAVL, the City of Asheville, Buncombe County Government, Explore Asheville (TDA), and the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce. It is designed to catalyze public-private partnerships and guide investments that will revitalize the region’s arts ecosystem over the next decade.
The final plan will include detailed implementation strategies, timelines, and funding pathways, creating a shared blueprint for long-term arts-driven recovery and economic development.
RELATED REPORTS
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