Six Galleries, One Party: The Bascom's Summer Show Opens in Highlands

By Jon Tharp, Broker  ·  July 2, 2026

The party starts before the art even settles on the walls. Highlands kicks off its summer arts season with a celebration at The Bascom, where six galleries open at once with work from local, regional, national, and international artists. There will be live music, refreshments, and visiting artists on hand to talk about what they made and why.

The Bascom sits on a wooded campus just off Main Street, in Macon County at the top of US-64. From Franklin it is about a 30-minute drive, and from Asheville closer to two hours on mountain highways with no interstate to speed things along. That distance is part of the point. Highlands has always felt like a place you climb toward, not one you pass through.

What can you expect at the summer exhibition celebration?

The evening centers on discovery. Six galleries means six different rooms to wander, each with its own mix of painting, sculpture, craft, and photography. Some pieces come from artists who live a few ridges over. Others come from studios across the country and overseas.

The visiting artists are the draw for a lot of regulars. Getting to ask the person who made a piece what they were thinking changes how you see it. Add live music drifting through the campus and refreshments in hand, and it becomes the kind of summer evening people in the mountains actually look forward to.

Why does an art center in Highlands matter this much?

For a town of a few thousand full-time residents, Highlands carries an outsized cultural weight. The Bascom is a big reason why. It has grown into a regional hub for the visual arts, drawing serious work and serious visitors to a place that could easily have stayed a quiet summer retreat.

That matters for the whole area, not just for people who love galleries. Cultural anchors like this one give small mountain towns a reason to stay lively through the season. They support restaurants and keep Main Street busy. They give locals and second-home owners a shared place to gather.

The heritage angle runs deep here too. The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area, which lists this event, works to keep the region's traditions in mountain music, craft, foodways, and Cherokee culture alive for the next generation. An exhibition that puts local artists on the same walls as national and international names fits squarely into that mission.

Is Highlands a good place to spend a summer weekend?

If you have never made the drive, this is a good excuse. The elevation keeps Highlands cool when the rest of the South is baking, and the town wears summer well. You can catch the exhibition, walk the trails on The Bascom campus, and still have time for dinner on Main Street.

Waterfalls sit minutes away on US-64. Whiteside Mountain and Sunset Rock reward a short hike with long views. The pace is slow in the best way, and the art scene gives the whole visit a little more depth than a standard mountain day trip.

For anyone in Franklin, Sylva, or Cashiers, it is an easy addition to a summer Saturday. For visitors coming from farther out, it is worth building a weekend around.

Highlands has a way of making people start doing mental math on what it would take to stay longer. If a visit like this one has you wondering what living in these mountains could actually look like, Jon Tharp is always glad to talk it through.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is The Bascom art center located in Highlands NC?

The Bascom sits on a wooded six-acre campus just off Main Street in Highlands, North Carolina, in Macon County. Highlands is reached by US-64, which connects the town to Franklin to the west and Cashiers to the east. The campus includes multiple gallery buildings, studios, a covered bridge, and walking trails, so a visit works as both an art outing and an easy afternoon outdoors. From Asheville, plan on roughly two hours of driving. From Franklin, it is closer to 30 minutes depending on the season and traffic on the mountain roads.

Is the summer exhibition celebration at The Bascom free to attend?

Yes. The Bascom is a nonprofit visual arts center, and its exhibitions and opening celebrations are generally free and open to the public. The summer celebration includes live music, refreshments, and the chance to meet visiting artists as the new shows open across the galleries. Donations and memberships help keep the programming going, but you do not need a ticket to walk through the exhibitions. If you plan to attend a special class, workshop, or ticketed dinner event, those are handled separately, so check the current calendar before you go.

What is there to do in Highlands NC in the summer?

Highlands packs a lot into a small footprint. Summer brings cooler mountain temperatures, waterfalls like Bridal Veil and Dry Falls just outside town on US-64, and a walkable Main Street full of shops, galleries, and restaurants. The Bascom anchors the local arts scene, and the Highlands Playhouse and Highlands-Cashiers Chamber Music Festival add performances through the season. Hikers head to Whiteside Mountain and Sunset Rock for long views. Because Highlands sits above 4,000 feet, it stays noticeably cooler than the lowlands, which is a big part of the town's summer appeal.

How far is Highlands NC from Franklin and Asheville?

Highlands is about 30 minutes southeast of Franklin by way of US-64, a winding mountain route that climbs steadily as you approach town. From Asheville, the drive runs roughly two hours depending on which route you take, since there is no interstate connection and the last stretch is all mountain highway. Both drives are scenic, and the elevation change is part of the experience. Give yourself extra time in summer and fall when visitors and leaf-season traffic slow things down on the two-lane roads.