ASHEVILLE-BUNCOMBE ARTS RECOVERY FRAMEWORK
Share Your Feedback
Community input will help shape the final Asheville-Buncombe Arts Recovery Framework. We invite artists, arts organizations, creative businesses, community members, and regional partners to review the draft framework and share feedback through the public survey.
The framework is intended to support long-term recovery, strengthen cultural infrastructure, improve coordination across systems, and position arts and culture as a core part of Buncombe County’s future growth and resilience.
This framework is a draft for public input and will continue to evolve through community feedback and partner collaboration.
About the Framework
The Asheville-Buncombe Arts Recovery Framework is designed to strengthen and better align the systems that support arts and culture across Buncombe County and Western North Carolina, recognizing that artists, creative businesses, cultural organizations, venues, public spaces, tourism, workforce systems, and economic development efforts are deeply interconnected. While many important initiatives already exist, they are not always coordinated through a shared long-term strategy, and this framework establishes a structure for alignment across partners, investments, and planning efforts while supporting both recovery and long-term cultural infrastructure development.
Strategic Approaches
Strengthen
Stabilize and reinforce the systems that support arts professionals, creative businesses, and cultural organizations.
Expand
Increase opportunities for participation, production, arts learning, and cultural experiences across Buncombe County.
Integrate
Embed arts and culture into broader systems including economic development, infrastructure, tourism, housing, and planning.
Implementation Timeframes
Short-Term (1–2 Years)– Initiate coordination, partnerships, and early implementation efforts.
Mid-Term (3–5 Years)– Expand systems, infrastructure, partnerships, and alignment.
Long-Term (6–10+ Years)– Integrate arts and culture into broader planning, investment, and economic development systems.
Focus Areas & Recommendations
Focus Areas & Recommendations
Arts Districts
Arts districts function as centers of cultural production, tourism, creative business activity, and community identity across Buncombe County. The framework recommends stronger coordination, visibility, governance, and integration into long-term planning and economic development systems.
Key Recommendations
- Build a collaborative network for arts district leadership
- Develop a regional arts district framework
- Strengthen visibility and connectivity across districts
- Integrate arts districts into planning and economic development systems
Public Art
Public art serves as civic infrastructure that shapes public space, supports placemaking, and reflects community identity. The framework recommends more coordinated planning, artist support, and integration with infrastructure and public space projects.
Key Recommendations
- Establish a coordinated public art system
- Expand opportunities for local artists
- Integrate art into public infrastructure and placemaking
- Develop a countywide inventory and maintenance plan
Arts in Park, Libraries & Community Centers
Parks, libraries, and community centers serve as important access points for arts participation, youth engagement, arts learning, and community programming across Buncombe County.
Key Recommendations
- Align arts with civic infrastructure systems
- Expand arts programming in civic spaces
- Enable civic spaces for creative production
- Expand geographic equity of access
Public Arts & Entertainment Facilities
Public arts and entertainment facilities serve as major components of regional cultural infrastructure and economic activity. The framework recommends coordinated planning, workforce development, and stronger integration with tourism and district systems.
Key Recommendations
- Coordinate planning for cultural facilities
- Support workforce development in live events and entertainment
- Define community benefit for public facilities
- Integrate facilities into district and economic systems
Creative Economies
The creative economy — including music, craft, and related industries — is a major driver of regional economic activity and cultural identity. The framework recommends strengthening infrastructure, workforce systems, production capacity, and market access.
Key Recommendations
- Integrate creative industries into economic development systems
- Strengthen music industry infrastructure
- Strengthen craft industry systems
- Invest in market access and regional creative industry growth
Live & Work Space for Creatives
Affordable and functional creative space is essential to sustaining artists, creative businesses, and cultural production. The framework positions creative space as critical long-term infrastructure.
Key Recommendations
- Improve access to creative workspace
- Support shared and flexible space models
- Advance creative workspace development and preservation strategies
Support for Arts Business
Arts businesses — including nonprofit organizations, creative enterprises, and independent arts professionals — form the operational backbone of the creative ecosystem. The framework recommends stronger coordination, expanded funding access, and improved business support systems.
Key Recommendations
- Strengthen coordination across creative business support systems
- Expand access to funding and financial resources
- Expand technical assistance and career development pathways
Implementation & Partnership
Implementation of the framework will occur through coordinated action across multiple organizations, agencies, sectors, and funding systems over time.
The framework is designed to:
- Align existing initiatives and investments
- Improve coordination across public and private partners
- Strengthen visibility into related work across sectors
- Support long-term recovery and resilience
- Adapt over time as conditions and opportunities evolve
The framework was developed through collaboration between ArtsAVL, Buncombe County Government, the City of Asheville, Explore Asheville, the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, Lord Cultural Resources, and numerous artists, organizations, businesses, and community stakeholders.
Implementation & Partnership
Implementation of the framework will occur through coordinated action across multiple organizations, agencies, sectors, and funding systems over time.
The framework is designed to:
- Align existing initiatives and investments
- Improve coordination across public and private partners
- Strengthen visibility into related work across sectors
- Support long-term recovery and resilience
- Adapt over time as conditions and opportunities evolve
The framework was developed through collaboration between ArtsAVL, Buncombe County Government, the City of Asheville, Explore Asheville, the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, Lord Cultural Resources, and numerous artists, organizations, businesses, and community stakeholders.
Help Shape the Future of Arts & Culture in Buncombe County
This framework is a starting point for long-term recovery, coordination, and investment across Buncombe County and Western North Carolina.
Community input will help guide the final framework and future implementation efforts.
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