Outdoor Art in and around Asheville River Arts District
In the River Arts District, art can’t be contained by just studio walls. Artists have painted outer building facades, and outdoor sculptures can be found on sidewalks and tucked inside alcoves. As you walk or drive around the district, have a camera ready — you’ll be greeted by art at every turn.
The signature River Arts District “cogs” adorn a loading dock turned into a patio garden at Riverview Station. Just beyond, graffiti and murals cover buildings and walls.
At Curve Studios, wander through a beautiful hidden garden where sculpture communes with native flowering plants, and nearby Warehouse Studios sports a colorful outdoor sculpture. At the Wedge Building, former owner John Payne echoed the industrial roots of the River Arts District with his unique steel fence design, which served as inspiration for the RAD logo. The fence leads down to a magnificent metal dinosaur sculpture also by Payne.
The Odyssey Studios building greets you with a delightful clay mosaic mural. Along Depot Street the outdoor art exuberance continues with paintings on shipping containers, murals covering entire buildings and a sculpture beckoning from a doorway.
More art beyond the walls is being created in the River Arts District every day. Our artists love to make art, whether inside or outside the studio walls.
