The Bascom :: A Center for the Visual Arts

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High on a mountain plateau, The Bascom art center provides audiences of all ages with stimulating, diverse exhibitions, studio art instruction and other cultural experiences. Join us at our six-building, six-acre campus in Highlands, North Carolina. The Bascom offers you and your family and friends a community gathering-place amid art and nature, along with many program offerings. Admission is free.

Watch the installation of Brandon Reese's Circles!

Current Exhibitions

Making Waves

March 8 to May 18. Loft Gallery
Closing Reception: Saturday, May 3. 5:00–7:00 pm
The use of non-powered boats on the lakes and rivers are part of the mountain culture that was promoted by Samuel Truman Kelsey, one of the founding fathers of Highlands, and supported by the 1989 Land Use Plan that describes the "magnificent beauty and unusual attraction" of the outstanding biological diversity, scenic mountain vistas, unpolluted watersheds and fortunate location in the midst of the Nantahala National Forest. Handcrafted wooden boats will be on display, including handmade bamboo rods, paddles, antique outboard motors, reels and flies. This exhibition coincides with the Highlands Three River Fly Fishing Tournament.

Out of the Ordinary

April 5 through June 15. Bunzl Gallery
Artists Panel Discussion: May 31. 5–6:00 pm
Closing Reception: May 31. 6–7:00 pm
Rebecca Dimling Cochran is the guest curator for Out of the Ordinary, an exhibition that will focus on contemporary artists, including Long-Bin Chen, Willie Cole, Chakaia Booker, Matthew Brandt, Mary Engel, Guerra de la Paz, and Vik Muniz, who select and use materials specifically for the symbolism or iconography that adds to their work. She will moderate a panel discussion of artists whose works are in this exhibition.

Elsa Norris Dodd Remembered

April 12 to August 3
Joel Balcony Gallery
Opening Reception: April 12, 5 to 7 pm
Friends Remembered: 6 pm
Elsa Dodd was a favorite character of Highlands, known by many to be a talented artist who promoted the arts in Highlands early on. Members of the Highlands Art League, in collaboration with The Bascom, have curated this exhibition of Dodd's work that will present a retrospective of her life's work.

Circles

April 19 to December 7. On Campus
Opening Reception: April 19. 5–7:00 pm
Artist Talk: 6:00 pm
Brandon Reese's works are predominantly known for their simple, familiar forms created by a variety of methods and at such large scales that they push the traditional boundaries of ceramic art. Reese is an associate professor of ceramics at Oklahoma State University, who regularly exhibits nationally and internationally. He has had the privilege of working with the artists Jun Kaneko, Don Reitz, and Peter Voulkos. The Bascom is pleased to have Circles on campus this year.

Wave Forms

April 19 through June 1. Atrium Gallery
Opening Reception: April 19, 5 to 7 pm
Artist Talk: 6 pm
Heather Hilton's sculptures express natural movement, unfolding wave forms which possess and project a calming quiet. Hilton works primarily in wood, carving abstract sculpture. The bronze sculptures are cast from the original wood pieces and are stunning in outdoor garden settings.

Upcoming Exhibitions, Films, and Lectures

See the complete schedule of art events»

Wesley Wofford: Beneath the Surface

Sculpture. May 24 through August 17

Joe Baird, Jr. MD: "Emotions"

Lecture. Thursday, May 29

High School Ceramics

May 24 through July 27. Landing Gallery

Vicky Grant: From the Earth

Sculpture. June 7 through August 31. Atrium Gallery

Vicki Grant: "Architecture Informing Art"

Lecture. Saturday, June 28. CLE Lecture Hall

Featured Adult Workshops

See the complete list of available classes and workshops, including Ceramics, Painting, Drawing, Photography and more»

Horsehair & Fuming with Frank Vickery

Friday to Sunday
Students will learn alternative firing processes using organic materials, terra sigellata, and an electric kiln to produce colorful and unique works of art. Students will need to bring bone-dry and bisque ware pieces to experiment with and explore different firing procedures. The instructor will provide two bisque pieces for experimentation as well. The class will also focus on the making and preparation of pots for alternative firing techniques.

ONLY A FEW SPACES LEFT Face Jugs and Mugs Party with Rob Withrow

Friday to Sunday, May 2 to 4
Face jugs, face mugs, ring jugs, bird feeders - fun and functional! Students will make all kinds of faces on different forms. The instructor will show students an easy way to make jugs. Participants will also double and triple the height by stacking sections. The instructor will make a jugs, if needed, and the student will put on the face.

NEW Face Mugs at the Cashiers Recreation Park with Rob Withrow

Thursday, May 8

Create one-of-a-kind face mugs! Skip straight to the fun part as you add funky facial features to an already prepared mug created by talented Rob Withrow. No ceramics experience necessary!

American Art Tiles with a Modern Twist with Susan Bach

Monday to Friday, May 26 to 30

Class will use unique and easy techniques to make and decorate tiles in a modern version of the American Arts and Crafts style. Beginning with the simple slab structure of tiles, students will then carve, slip-trail, underglaze and glaze for beautiful color and design. They will gain tips and tricks for working with low-temperature materials and take home piles of tiles! This beginning-to-intermediate class focuses solely on hand-building; no wheel work.