Artsville

About Artsville

Straight from the Blue Ridge Mountains, join host Elise Wilson from ArtsvilleUSA for a top-ranked craftsmanship podcast exploring heritage craft, contemporary art, and the stories behind Western North Carolina artists. Create a deeper connection to artists and the arts history of WNC as we explore handcrafted pottery, woodworking, glass blowing, metal sculpture, from Asheville, Boone, and beyond. Listen now and celebrate creativity with ArtsvilleUSA.

Publisher

ArtsvilleUSA

Category

arts · arts · arts

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

24 Dec 2021

Latest episode

23 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

53 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   23 Sept 2026

   Under Pressure: Jewelry Artist Jeffrey Burroughs Transforms Hardship Into Hope for Asheville’s Arts District

   Editor’s note: This episode contains discussion of a near-death experience and suicidal ideation. The views expressed by Jeffrey Burroughs are their own and do not reflect the positions of ArtsvilleUSA or its parent, Arterial Inc. This podcast is intended to highlight the artistic work and community impact of our guest. It does not reflect support or opposition for any political candidate, party, or ballot measure. Jeffrey Burroughs doesn’t believe in luck. “There’s no such thing,” says the president of the River Arts District Artists Association (RADA), repeating a bit of wisdom they once received from a mentor during their days as a musical theater major. “It’s preparation met with opportunity.” Those words became reality when, just three days after Hurricane Helene left Asheville’s low-lying arts district underwater, RADA was granted nonprofit status. Suddenly, all that paperwork became a lifeline for hundreds of artists, studios, and small creative businesses struggling to recover. According to Jeffrey, the funds raised in the storm’s aftermath remain the only significant financial investment in the district to date. As an artist, an active community advocate, and now a candidate for city council, Jeffrey has seen firsthand how policy decisions impact working artists. Today, they join us to discuss how financial investment and community action have shaped the River Arts District’s recovery, the intersection of art and civic life in Asheville, and how themes from our fall exhibition—mortality, memory, and impact—resonate through their art, business, and advocacy. Episode Credits Host: (https://www.artsvilleusa.com/about-2/)Elise Wilson (https://www.artsvilleusa.com/about-2/), ArtsvilleUSA Executive Director Guest: Jeffrey Burroughs, President, RADA Produced by: ArtsvilleUSA (https://www.artsvilleusa.com/) / Arterial Inc. (https://arterial.org/) Audio editing: Maggi Van Dorn (https://www.instagram.com/maggivandorn) Newsletter: Subscribe to the ArtsvilleUSA Newsletter (https://www.artsvilleusa.com/#/portal/signup) for more stories and updates on the arts and crafts scene in Western North Carolina.

2. 

   19 Aug 2026

   THRIVE Appalachia: Turning Craft Heritage Into Career Opportunities for Rural Youth

   Yancey County, North Carolina, is home to one of the highest concentrations of artists in the country. In this rural community, traditional skills such as pottery, sewing, and carpentry have been handed down for generations, anchoring a local economy founded on creativity and resourcefulness. Today, Burnsville nonprofit THRIVE Appalachia is expanding this legacy by creating hands-on learning experiences for youth, helping the next generation find their footing in a digital age where many manufacturing and tobacco-based agricultural jobs have disappeared. THRIVE Appalachia (Together Hope Rises with Innovation, Vision, and Education) works with teens ages 12–18 across six Western North Carolina counties. The program teaches marketable skills, pairs young people with accomplished local artisans, bakers, and craftspeople, and encourages them to take charge of their learning. So far, THRIVE Appalachia teens have created a thriving ice cream business, launched a fashion line and annual show that’s brought in over $17,000, built a timber-frame studio from reclaimed wood after Hurricane Helene, and completed apprenticeships with local masters. At the helm is Executive Director Pana Columbus, who believes the region’s economic future depends on investing in its youth. In this episode, Pana sits down with ArtsvilleUSA’s Elise Wilson to discuss how THRIVE Appalachia is shaping the next generation of artists, entrepreneurs, and stewards of Appalachian craft. Episode Credits Host: (https://www.artsvilleusa.com/about-2/)Elise Wilson (https://www.artsvilleusa.com/about-2/), ArtsvilleUSA Executive Director Guest: Pana Columbus, Executive Director, THRIVE Appalachia Produced by: ArtsvilleUSA (https://www.artsvilleusa.com/) / Arterial Inc. (https://arterial.org/) Audio editing: Maggi Van Dorn (https://www.instagram.com/maggivandorn) Newsletter: Subscribe to the ArtsvilleUSA Newsletter (https://www.artsvilleusa.com/artfolk/#/portal/signup) for more stories and updates on the arts and crafts scene in Western North Carolina.

3. 

   22 Jul 2026

   Spencer Beals Mobilizes Art in Defense of the UNC Asheville Woods

   In Asheville, a battle is playing out over a 45-acre forest bordering UNC Asheville and the Five Points neighborhood, a haven for tricolored bats, box turtles, bobcats, and great horned owls, less than a mile from downtown. The controversy reached a turning point when, as recently reported by Asheville Watchdog (https://avlwatchdog.org/unca-should-drop-stadium-idea-for-campus-woods-advisory-committee-concludes/), a university-appointed advisory committee recommended against building a large-scale stadium on the site, calling the project “misaligned with UNCA’s identity” and urging the school to prioritize student housing, retail, open community space, and the preservation of green areas. Still, new development proposals continue to threaten this patch of urban wilderness, keeping it at the center of one of Asheville’s most heated land use debates. At the heart of the fight to protect the woods is Spencer Beals, a local artist with a background in ecosystem sustainability and a lifelong passion for nature. Last December, he gathered more than 30 local artists for “Batland,” a guerrilla installation of over 40 painted wooden bats, placed secretly by night on branches throughout the woods. Spencer and his collaborators created detailed, hand-drawn maps—now on view in full at the ArtsvilleUSA gallery wall at the Ferguson Family YMCA—and stashed them in a homemade outdoor library, transforming the forest into a massive scavenger hunt for families, students, and neighbors. Spencer leads nature journaling clubs along these trails, helps organize rallies, and works closely with Save the UNCA Woods, a community group that’s collected over 17,000 petition signatures and flooded city boards with letters. He consults with wildlife biologists and listens to longtime residents who say they’ve never seen so many people in the woods. Now, Spencer is speaking with Elise Wilson, executive director of ArtsvilleUSA, about the intersection of art, advocacy, and community building in Asheville. Their conversation explores how artists can shape public discourse, mobilize communities, and influence the fate of the city’s remaining green spaces. Episode Credits Host: Elise Wilson (https://www.artsvilleusa.com/about-2/), ArtsvilleUSA Executive Director Guest: Spencer Beals (https://www.spencerbeals.com/), artist and environmental advocate Produced by: ArtsvilleUSA (https://www.artsvilleusa.com/) / Arterial Inc. (https://arterial.org/) Audio editing: Maggi Van Dorn (https://www.instagram.com/maggivandorn) Newsletter: Subscribe to the ArtsvilleUSA Newsletter (https://www.artsvilleusa.com/artfolk/#/portal/signup) for more stories and updates on the arts and crafts scene in Western North Carolina.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

5 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 40 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

56

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

60

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.