After operating in its namesake Citizen-Times Building at 14 O. Henry Ave. since October 2020, Citizen Vinyl has relocated to 179 Merrimon Ave. in Weaverville.

Asheville Regional Airport invites western North Carolina artists to take their work to new heights.

The proposed budget covering the upcoming fiscal year from July 1, 2026-June 30, 2027 was developed based on council priorities, community input, and staff guidance. When it is presented to Councilors for a vote on June 9, it will stand apart from previous budget documents, featuring artwork by young Asheville artists on the front and back covers.

ArtsAVL has released a draft recovery framework aimed at helping rebuild and strengthen the arts and culture sector in western North Carolina after Helene.

ArtsAVL has released a draft framework designed to better align arts organizations and support Buncombe County's creative economy.

'Papertown' explores the economic and emotional toll of the Canton paper mill closure through the eyes of residents. It features a new song by Dave Matthews.

“Bringing the Sketch Crawl to Asheville is a great opportunity for us to celebrate the remarkable resilience and recovery in the River Arts District and across Asheville as a whole since Hurricane Helene in 2024,” says Kim Hundertmark, executive director of the RADA Foundation."

LEAF Global Arts has announced the cancellation of its fall Lake Eden Arts festival, otherwise known as the LEAF Festival.

More than $14 million in grant funding will soon be available to small businesses across Asheville as part of a new effort to support their Helene recovery.

The Asheville chorus group Womansong is hosting a songwriting contest.

ReString Appalachia was founded to give out instruments after Tropical Storm Helene. It has since expanded to assist in Texas, Los Angeles and Jamaica.

Property owners on Foundy Street have partnered with the Ohio-based GBX Group LLC to revitalize historic buildings in the River Arts District.

Growing up, kids are often scolded for coloring on walls. But on May 19, community members were encouraged to splatter paint across the interior walls of Pack Memorial Public Library in downtown Asheville during a community paint day that tackled one of three new murals.

Citizen Vinyl announced it had moved to Weaverville on May 19. The company's founder and CEO described it as a difficult decision.

No, Andrew Bird’s song “MX Missiles” isn’t an ode to extremely popular Mountain Xpress articles. But the track has been around long enough that that interpretation is at least in the realm of possibility.

Asheville artists reflect on rebuilding their studios and creative community in the River Arts District after Tropical Storm Helene displaced them.

Editor’s note: The following conversation is part of Xpress’ annual Spring Nonprofit Issue.

Becky Stone usually tells stories from the past, stepping into the voices of historical figures for audiences across Western North Carolina.

The National Endowment for the Arts visited Marshall to see progress since the storm and make assessments about funding.

ArtsAVL will honor Andrea Clark, the late photographer and historian, with an award at the event, which will also feature the presentation of the Asheville–Buncombe Arts Recovery Framework.

A new look is coming to Pack Memorial Library in downtown Asheville as a mural project is underway inside and outside the building.

Black Mountain Listening Room reopens with plans to build rooftop deck

An artist who once followed a more traditional career path is now using painting, design, and viral internet projects to advocate for climate awareness.

City leaders say a new venue could bring Broadway productions and larger touring shows while Harrah’s Cherokee Center continues expanding its reach

The visit comes as federal funding for the arts is in a precarious position under President Donald Trump.

One of the latest local businesses displaced by Tropical Storm Helene to find a new home is Art Garden, which reopens Thursday, May 7, at 11 a.m., at 98 N. Lexington Ave.

Artists in WNC use local river cane, plentiful clay, discarded chairs and even invasive plants to create sustainable craft that preserves land and traditions.

Hood Huggers International works to preserve Black history while supporting youth and improving neighborhoods in Asheville. Photos taken Feb. 24, 2026.

Artful Way, a 27-room apartment-style hotel with a locally curated interior design, opened its doors for public tours on May 5.

Asheville's four-day music festival, AVL Sounds Fest, announces the first wave of music acts performing at the 2026 event.

Street performers fill downtown Asheville during the free BuskerFest, celebrating music, art and spontaneous performances across multiple stages.

Zelda Dearest, a hotel in downtown Asheville, is celebrating the legacy of American author and artist Zelda Fitzgerald this week.

Asheville’s chapter of Ikebana International will host an exhibit at the North Carolina Arboretum celebrating the 600-year-old art form that samurai once used to still their minds prior to battle.

Discussions to center on recovery, resilience and support for local artists

Asheville's Downtown Arts District (DAD) is relaunching the First Friday Art Walk series for the 2026 season.

Discussions to center on recovery, resilience and support for local artists

With the retirement of LEAF founder and executive director Jennifer Pickering, Erinn Hartley has stepped up to spearhead the nonprofit’s next chapter. “My focus is on guiding LEAF through this pivotal time with clarity, collaboration, and intention,” she says. A 17-year LEAF veteran, Hartley began as a resident teaching artist then served as education director, helping to grow arts education programs in schools and communities. In 2024, she became co-executive director with Pickering.

Asheville boasts a plethora of Instagram stars, befitting its reputation as a creative hub.

The inaugural Asheville BuskerFest will bring over 40 different street performers to Asheville this weekend. The event will also spotlight displaced River Arts District artists with booths around several stages in the RAD.

Find Asheville concerts and live music in May 2026, including shows at The Orange Peel, The Grey Eagle, Asheville Yards and venues across WNC.

The second annual Asheville Improv Comedy Festival is kicking off May 6.

The Black Mountain Center for the Arts will host performances of "Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune" this May.

American Folk Art & Framing will feature the work of 14 potters for its 14th annual Face Jug Show in downtown Asheville.

A new outdoor music venue set to open in Asheville this summer has unveiled its new logo and announced several upcoming concerts.

Just over one year after opening, Coffee, Art, Music type Place, a coffee shop and arts nonprofit located off of Tunnel Road, has announced that it will shut its doors at the end of May.

This June, Different Strokes! Performing Arts Collective will debut the latest play by local writer/actor Travis Lowe, "Love and Other Vices."

The artist who made the central mural depicting Homer Simpson at the building on Lyman Street left open the door to returning to Asheville after a devastating April 23 fire.

Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts Mary Anne Carter and members of the National Council on the Arts (NCA) will gather in Asheville and Marshall, North Carolina, May 5-6, 2026, for their next meeting.

David Wilcox makes records that are masterful in the way they prompt people to feel things deeply and heal themselves. To put it another way, his songs act as chicken soup for the soul.

Salvage Station has announced plans to rebuild following a late-night fire at the Lyman Street location known as Asheville Waste Paper.

A late-night fire tore through the future home of the Salvage Station, leaving the fate of the beloved music venue uncertain months after it announced plans.

Over a year and a half after the widespread devastation of Tropical Storm Helene, which hobbled business, tourism and the arts across Western North Carolina, 828newsNOW takes a look at how the theater community has recovered. First up, the Montford Park Players.

A recent $425,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation will help it come to fruition.

The Southern Highland Craft Guild invites the public to the fifth annual Pop-up Mini Craft Fairs, outdoors markets featuring a rotating group of 25 Guild member artists selling handmade work.

The newly re-launched Downtown Arts District announces the return of First Friday Art Walk, with the season’s first event at 5-8 p.m. Friday, May 1.

Through the Paint NC initiative, Buncombe County is getting a brand new mural from artist Max Dowdle — here's how you can help choose the design and help paint it too.

George Masa was a Japanese photographer whose pictures helped establish the Appalachian Trail and Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Despite his historical impact, little is known about Masa in his private life. In "A Life Reimagined: The George Masa Story," filmmaker Paul Bonesteel attempts to unearth the story of the legendary photographer.

With support from the Creative Forces®: NEA Military Healing Arts Network, a pottery workshop is helping veterans in Western North Carolina affected by Hurricane Helene.

A large-scale mural is set to be installed at Pack Memorial Library, and county leaders want the public to help choose the final design.

Just under four months after a section of White Horse Black Mountain collapsed during building renovation, the nonprofit music venue has reopened, with a full calendar of events on the way.

The artists and workers who built the city’s cultural boom now struggle to afford life in the community they helped create

Artists and members of the community showed up on Sunday, April 19, for a grand reopening celebration of Echo Mountain Recording.

If you’ve been paying high prices for live concerts and events, some relief could be on the way.

During the month of April, North Carolina Arboretum members can enjoy free admission for two adults and up to four children to the Asheville Art Museum.

Luke Combs is featured on the TIME100 cover, recognizing his impact on country music and cultural influence.

Summit Coffee reopens in Asheville’s RAD after Helene, sharing space with Joyful Noise.

Thirty-two pianists, ages 14-87, will perform all 32 of Beethoven’s piano sonatas over the course of one week in Asheville and Hendersonville this April.

After 30 years, the curtain is about to fall on North Buncombe High School theatre and dance teacher Ricky Webb’s career.

Many businesses are still rebuilding after Helene, with a few of them having their reopenings this week."

It’s a project that’s been years in the making — and now, even more classical music is coming to Asheville starting April 13.

Lexington Glassworks is open seven days a week. Artisans typically blow glass from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

While there’s no bad time to examine how local arts organizations are faring, there’s some comfort in having an official annual checkup hosted by Buncombe County’s designated arts council and arts advocate for Western North Carolina.

What if craft could do more than preserve tradition or express identity? What if it could create jobs, restore dignity and rebuild community infrastructure from the ground up?

On March 26, Biltmore debuted Luminere, a first-of-its-kind outdoor evening experience that illuminates the estate’s historic grounds with historic images paired to symphonic sounds.

Do you like to tinker, craft, fix stuff or take things apart for fun? The Maker Faire is for you!

Downtown After 5 returns to Pack Square Park on April 17, bringing free live music, local nonprofit partnerships and community celebration to the heart of downtown Asheville.

Buncombe County tourism leaders are weighing a slate of major new attractions — from a performing arts center to sprawling sports complexes — as a new analysis suggests the region “can’t go wrong” investing in projects to draw visitors and diversify the economy.

As the River Arts District (RAD) continues to recover from the devastation of Tropical Storm Helene, a local nonprofit is spearheading ambitious plans to create a flood-resilient arts hub with studios, community spaces, offices and more.

"The Dark City Speaks: An Evening of Poetry" will be held at the Black Mountain Center for the Arts April 18.

There’s a story that floats around Western Carolina University’s English department: Years back, W.H. Auden was brought in as a guest author. He was, at the time, perhaps the most famous living poet. Students and faculty alike were thrilled, couldn’t wait to hear him read, talk to him.

Burial Beer is planning a new location in Asheville's River Arts District, helping to revitalize the area after Tropical Storm Helene.

Asheville Regional Airport issues call for artist submissions for permanent public exhibition in new terminals.

Asheville Junior Theater is changing its name to The Performing Arts Company of Asheville: a rebrand that better reflects the nonprofit’s commitment to inspiring creativity and confidence in local youth.