Just southwest of downtown Asheville, colorful murals brighten riverfront warehouses, transforming buildings into vibrant canvases that catch the eye. Welcome to Asheville’s River Arts District (RAD)!
Over the last two decades, the RAD has blossomed into a hub of art, creativity, food culture, and entertainment fueled by the dynamism of its artists and visionaries. Today, you can watch artists at work, practice your craft with a class, take home an objet d’art from its maker, and enjoy handcrafted food and drinks.
On the second Saturday of every month, the River Arts District hosts its Second Saturday event, featuring gallery walks with demonstrations, workshops, live music, wine tastings, delicious food, and more. Visitors can check out as many studios in one day as possible, aided by free trolley rides between the 23 buildings spanning the two square miles or so that compose the district.
Multiple studios are housed under one roof in a former tannery, a cotton mill and other retired manufacturing and agricultural facilities (sometimes so-noted with faded signs still clinging to their brick exteriors) making exploring and experiencing the work of more than 200 artists an accessible adventure.
Artist Studios Along the River
The artists that inhabit the RAD are as varied in their craft as the colors of crayons in a box. From illustrations to sculptures, paintings, and even the mighty medium of tape, Asheville’s artists offer a variety of galleries to explore.
Wedge Studios—three stories of painters, illustrators, sculptors, folks artists, and narrative cartoonists—sit atop the Wedge Brewing Company. Abstract and encaustic (wax) artist Mark Bettis maintains a sleek gallery and studio adjacent, and Michael Hofman Studios features a showroom of delicate lace-imprinted glazed porcelain ware. In between, find Stephen St. Claire's oil paintings and Philip DeAngelo’s paintings, giclee, journals and more.
North of Asheville’s Historic Southside neighborhood, the Phil Mechanic Studios houses over 20 working artists, including the "World's Best Tape Artist" Stephen Lange. Just down a few blocks, the Hatchery showcases jewelry and ceramic studios. Take a quick drive to the Asheville Cotton Mill Studios to explore six artist studios/galleries under one roof.
Continuing along the river you’ll come across the Curve and Warehouse Studios next, home to the grand dame and one of the visionaries of the River Arts District Pattiy Torno. Torno first purchased her building here in the 1980s and her hand-made clothing and modern quilts are a true Asheville find. In these studios you’ll also find the Silver River Center for Chair Caning, hearkening back to a more traditional and quite exquisite craft.
Your art quest continues as you travel down to Riverview Station. The labyrinth of studios on the upper floors, ranging from handmade furniture to fine art and jewelry, deserve exploring as well as the antique shop housed within. Artists with studios here include Akira Satake, an award-winning ceramicist, and Barbara Zaretsky, a fiber artist and leader in the world of textile arts.
Immersive Experiences
Art classes are a can’t-miss when you visit the RAD. Roberts Street’s North Carolina Glass Center offers glass blowing demonstrations as well as classes to create an ornament, paperweight or cup in only a few hours. In addition to classes, Odyssey Center for Ceramic Arts hosts lectures and receptions in its co-op gallery where you can meet the artists or sign up for a week-long workshop.
RAD studio locations are a bit spread out across this old industrial district, which means you’ll want your comfy shoes and clothing that’s easy to move in. If you’re looking for less legwork, Mountain Mural Tours offers a guided two-hour urban street art excursion via a private van with pickup and drop off from The Foundy area. Flying Bike Tours allows you to experience the RAD and adjacent West Asheville on their specialty e-bikes. The route includes breathtaking views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, an indoor art studio stroll and a scenic ride along the French Broad River greenway.
Foodie Favorites
Mornings are made at Ultra Coffeebar. Fuel up for the day with a bagel sandwich and a cup o’ joe—or skip the caffeine with a sweet hot chocolate from GRIND, a Black-owned coffee shop and home to Black Wall Street Asheville.
For lunch and dinner, explore favorites like 12 Bones Smokehouse, which is now in the Foundation building. 12 Bones has served lunch to the likes of President Obama—who liked it so much he came back for a second visit to Asheville! Pulled pork, blueberry chipotle BBQ sauce and jalapeno cornbread are touchstones here, served on rustic tin plates.
Tucked away between studios you’ll find Vivian, where European meets Southern cuisine. Spend a temperate evening out on their expansive patio. For classical old world cooking, Bull and Beggar brings haute cuisine to the RAD for the perfect date-night dinner.
Hungry for more art? Check out our arts page—and if you’re just plain hungry, swing by Foodtopia for a curated collection of drool-worthy dishes.
