The Highlands Art Center Where You Can Watch the Work Actually Happen

By Jon Tharp, Broker  ·  August 17, 2026

Most galleries ask you to stand quietly in front of something already finished. Highlands does it differently a few weeks a year, when The Bascom opens its working studios for Studio Alive and lets visitors watch the work in progress. Clay on the wheel, ink on the press, all of it happening while you stand there.

The Bascom sits on a six-acre campus just off US-64 on the edge of downtown Highlands, in Macon County. From Asheville it is about two hours southwest, most easily by way of I-26 and US-64 through Brevard and Cashiers. From Franklin it is a 30 to 40 minute climb east through the Cullasaja Gorge, past Dry Falls and Bridal Veil.

What actually happens during Studio Alive?

The premise is simple. The studios are usually closed working spaces for enrolled students. During Studio Alive they open to anyone walking the campus, with artists at their stations and happy to be interrupted. You can ask a potter why the clay is collapsing, watch a printmaker pull a proof, or stand close enough to see how a piece of jewelry gets soldered.

For anyone who has ever thought about taking a class but felt intimidated, this is the low-stakes way in. You see the mess and the failed attempts before you commit to anything. Dates and studio lineups shift, so check the Highlands Chamber listing or The Bascom directly before you drive up.

Why does a town this small have an arts center this serious?

The Bascom traces back decades to a small gallery operation in Highlands, but the campus most people know opened in 2009 and changed the scale of what the organization could do. The entrance crosses a covered bridge. The Bascom moved a historic barn onto the property and turned it into studio space. Galleries, classrooms, and a terrace with a long mountain view fill out the rest.

That kind of facility exists in Highlands for a reason. The town has drawn seasonal residents from Atlanta, Florida, and the Carolinas for well over a century, and that pattern built an unusual concentration of philanthropic support for a place with a permanent population in the hundreds. Highlands also has a working performing arts center, a well-funded library, and a nature center, which is not typical for a mountain town its size.

Admission is free. Visitors often assume a campus this polished comes with a ticket booth.

What else is worth doing while you are up there?

Downtown Highlands is four walkable blocks of galleries, restaurants, and shops, a short walk from The Bascom campus. Sunset Rock is a quick hike with one of the better overlooks in the county. Whiteside Mountain, about six miles east on US-64, is a two-mile loop with cliff-edge views.

If you are coming from Franklin or Sylva, plan the waterfalls into the trip. Dry Falls has a paved path that takes you behind the water. Bridal Veil is right off the road. Cullasaja Falls is the big one, and the pullout is small and easy to miss.

What does this mean for people looking at property in the area?

Arts infrastructure is one of the quieter things that holds value in a mountain town. Buyers looking at Highlands, Cashiers, and Sapphire are usually weighing seasonality, and a year-round organization running classes and exhibitions gives the off-season some shape. It is part of why Highlands does not empty out entirely the way some seasonal towns do.

The broader Macon County picture matters too. Highlands and Franklin sit in the same county but function as different markets, with different price points and different buyer profiles, separated by a mountain road. People who fall in love with Highlands in July sometimes find that Franklin, Scaly Mountain, or the Cullasaja corridor fits what they actually want to spend and how they actually want to live.

An afternoon watching someone throw a pot in a barn studio at 4,000 feet is a decent introduction to why people stay. If a day like that has you wondering what living up here would really involve, Jon Tharp is always glad to talk it through.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is The Bascom in Highlands NC and does it cost anything to visit?

The Bascom sits on a six-acre campus just off US-64 on the north edge of downtown Highlands, in Macon County. Admission to the galleries and grounds is free, which is unusual for a visual arts center of its size anywhere in the mountains. You reach the main building by crossing a covered bridge from the parking area, and the campus includes exhibition space, teaching studios, a relocated historic barn, and walking paths. Classes and workshops carry their own fees, and some special events are ticketed, but showing up to look, walk, and watch costs nothing.

How far is Highlands NC from Asheville?

Highlands is roughly 75 miles southwest of Asheville and takes about two hours to drive, most commonly by taking I-26 south toward Hendersonville and picking up US-64 west through Brevard, Sapphire, and Cashiers. That last stretch is a mountain highway with real curves, so budget more time than the mileage suggests, especially in fog or after dark. From Franklin, the drive is much shorter, about 30 to 40 minutes east on US-64 up the Cullasaja Gorge, which is one of the more scenic approaches to any town in Western North Carolina.

What kinds of art classes does The Bascom offer?

The Bascom runs a year-round education program covering ceramics, painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, jewelry and metals, and fiber arts, taught in dedicated studios on the campus. Offerings range from single-session workshops aimed at visitors and beginners to multi-day intensives with visiting instructors, plus programming for children and teens. Schedules shift by season, with the heaviest calendar running late spring through fall when Highlands is fullest. Registration happens through The Bascom directly, and popular ceramics and jewelry sessions tend to fill early, so checking the current catalog before you plan a trip is worth the few minutes.

Is Highlands NC a good place to live year-round?

Highlands works well for people who want a walkable downtown, strong arts and dining options, and cool summers, and it works less well for people who want convenience and a crowd in January. At roughly 4,100 feet, it is one of the highest incorporated towns in the eastern United States, which means genuine winter weather, real snow, and a population that thins noticeably after leaf season. Many residents split time between Highlands and somewhere warmer. Full-time locals often point to the quiet off-season as the best part, along with waterfalls, hiking, and a small-town rhythm that returns every November.