Asheville is nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina and has been a thriving arts mecca for nearly a century. Today, Asheville continues to pop up on national rankings for a variety of things, including one of the “Most Creative Cities in the US,” “The 50 Most Alive Places To Be,” “America’s Top 25 Arts Destinations,” “Best Places to Reinvent Your Life”, and was proclaimed the “New Freak Capital of the U.S.” by Rolling Stone. In August of 2006 Asheville was named one the “Best Outside Towns” by Outside Magazine, and was named one of the top seven places to live in the U.S. by Frommer’s Cities Ranked and also named one of the world’s top 12 must-see destinations for 2007 by Frommer’s travel guides.
Getting Here
Asheville is at the intersection of I-40 and I-26 in Western North Carolina – easily accessible by car all year round.
Google Map – Driving Directions
The Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) has just finished a new terminal expansion and has daily non-stop flights to/from the following cities:
- Atlanta
- Charlotte
- Chicago
- Detroit
- Houston
- New York LGA
- New Jersey EWR
- Orlando
Asheville is only a one hour from Greenville, SC (GSP) International airport, and 2 hours drive from Charlotte/Douglas (CLT) International airport.
Visit www.exploreasheville.com for more information on what to do and where to stay.
More about Asheville
Asheville is also steeped in historical creativity as the home to Black Mountain College. Legendary even in its own time, Black Mountain College attracted and created maverick spirits, some of whom went on to become well-known and extremely influential individuals in the latter half of the 20th century. Black Mountain College was one of the most fabled experimental institutions in art education and practice, launching a remarkable number of the artists such as Buckminster Fuller, who spearheaded the avant-garde in 1960s America, and held a multi-disciplinary focus, much like HATCH.
Notable artists from the college include people such as Willem and Elaine de Kooning, Robert Rauschenberg, Josef and Anni Albers, Jacob Lawrence, Merce Cunningham, John Cage, Cy Twombly, Kenneth Noland, Ben Shahn, Franz Kline, Arthur Penn, M.C. Richards, Francine du Plessix Gray, Charles Olson, Robert Creeley, Dorothea Rockburne and many others, who have impacted the world in a significant way.
One of the greatest boom periods in Asheville history came during the 1920s with the development of residential subdivisions and new buildings such as the Jackson Building, City Building, Buncombe Courthouse, Grove Arcade, Battery Park Hotel and the Flatiron Building. More art deco architecture built in the late 1920s and early 1930s can be found in downtown Asheville than any other southeastern city except Miami Beach.
WNC ’s landscape is breathtaking, and possibly a good reason for our region’s thriving arts scene. Asheville offers a wide spectrum of experiences with the arts, whether it is traditional, performance, media arts or design. Check out the River District which has a gritty and hip flavor, as well as a slew of interesting galleries, the architectural grandeur of the Saint Lawrence Basilica, and performance venues such as the Orange Peel and the Magnetic Field. Asheville also has a vibrant fashion scene, fantastic local music and is an unparalleled foodie destination with a wide variety of excellent downtown dining. Oh, and did we mention that Asheville was voted Beer City USA in a national poll – beating Portland Oregon for the first time in 2010. There are now 9 craft breweries in the city limits and several more just outside.
The River District, holds the old and vacant warehouses along the French Broad River in Asheville. These are now becoming a source of pride once again, with many being converted into studios and living quarters for aspiring artists. Today, more than 100 working artists have set up shop in the River Arts District. Many of these studios are open on a regular basis.
HATCH welcomes you to Western North Carolina and our beloved town, Asheville. We are an eclectic group of creative artists and we have a passion for this place. Our funky grassroots style will hopefully entertain you and INSPIRE YOU.
Staying here
The Grove Park Inn is offering a special HATCH rate. $299/night, including breakfast.
Please call 800.438.5800 and refer to Hatch Group Code 1001734.
