The season's first reception centers on mentorship, material exploration, and the many ways artists learn from one another across generations. The afternoon begins with a 2 pm artist talk by Casey Schachner, The Bascom's 2025–2026 Winter Resident Artist, who will discuss the process-driven sculptural investigations that shape her residency exhibition. Following the talk, guests are invited to join the reception, meet participating faculty and student artists from across the Southeast, and engage with Bascom instructors whose practices inform the foundation of our educational programs. Also on view in the Education Gallery, Drawn to the Plateau celebrates the creativity and talent of young artists from across the Plateau, created in partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of the Plateau. The event cultivates an atmosphere of dialogue and shared curiosity, a welcoming entry point into the year's exhibition season.

The Bascom, in collaboration with Highlands Sotheby's International Realty, invites you to meet pastel artist Louise Pond at a special reception on Friday, May 1, from 4:30 to 6 pm. A selection of Pond's work will be available for purchase at the event. Additional works are available in The Bascom Shop.

Hosted by Highlands Sotheby's International Realty | 114 N. 4th St., Highlands

Celebrate the summer exhibition season with a reception highlighting the Photography Resident Exhibition, I Sing Behind the Plow: A Century of Teaching Craft and Traditional Culture at the John C. Campbell Folk School, and Connecting to Place: Blue Ridge Craft Trails Invitational 2026. Meet the featured artists and curators, explore new perspectives on regional craft and tradition, and enjoy conversation with fellow art enthusiasts. Light refreshments will be served.

 Search along The Bascom’s Horst Winkler Sculpture Trail for a clay mushroom during  Game of Schrooms, a worldwide art scavenger hunt.

The Bascom: A Center for the Visual Arts will host its annual Community Day on Friday, July 3, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. This free, family-friendly event invites guests of all ages to explore The Bascom’s six-acre campus with hands-on art activities, live artist demonstrations, free popcorn, and special exhibitions on view in the galleries.

Now in its fifteenth year, The Bascom’s seasonal pottery show highlights the skill and creativity of our Studio Members, whose work is created and fired on-site in our ceramic studio. This summer’s installment invites visitors to explore a diverse selection of handmade functional and sculptural pieces while directly supporting the artists who make them.

Join us as we open the fall exhibition season with Voices of Influence: Celebrating the Impact of Women in Art, TRACES: Jo Sandman from the Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center, and Ceramic Artists of The Bascom Clay Symposium featuring Andrew Godfrey Shaw, Alexander Thierry, and Tiffany Thomas. This reception offers an opportunity to meet the artists and curators behind these dynamic exhibitions and to connect with fellow community members who value the evolving landscape of contemporary and regional art. Light refreshments will be served.

The Dazzling Dahlia Festival returns in 2026 as a vibrant celebration of horticulture, art, and community on The Bascom campus. Rooted in the Plateau’s long-standing appreciation for gardens and creative expression, the festival brings together growers, artists, and visitors for a shared exploration of form, color, and seasonal abundance.

Bascom Studio Members will present a collection of wall pockets and vases, adorned with fresh dahlias, which will be available for purchase during the Dazzling Dahlia Festival. Don't miss the chance to visit the Studio Barn and be truly dazzled!

The Bascom Clay Symposium returns for its 16th year in 2026, bringing together ceramic artists Alexander Thierry, Andrew Shaw, and Tiffany Thomas for a focused exploration of surface treatments in contemporary clay. Through demonstrations and shared dialogue, the artists examine how imagery, pattern, and material process shape meaning, memory, and expression in ceramic work.