Art Review: Asheville Art Museum, Asheville, North Carolina

I went to Asheville in western North Carolina a couple of weeks ago to see the Asheville Art Museum’s new building. Asheville, in the Blue Ridge Mountains, is a high-power culture capital, and the friendliest one I’ve visited. It’s the heart of the distinctly, uniquely American craft and design world, with new American masters working in ceramics, wood, stone, and, here and there, painting. I’d never been to the museum before. It’s top-notch on every level and both expresses and embraces the zeitgeist of this beautiful, tangy part of the country.

It’s an airy, attractive building where the art looks great and visitors feel comfortable and welcomed. That’s what a good museum building does. It’s in the center of town, with an impressive plaza surrounding Henry Richardson’s sky-blue glass sculpture, Reflections on Unity. The bill for new construction and the repurposing of the old museum building, once the city library, was $25 million. That’s a good deal.

About the Author

Brian T. Allen

Brian T. Allen is National Review’s art critic.

I went to Asheville in western North Carolina a couple of weeks ago to see the Asheville Art Museum’s new building. Asheville, in the Blue Ridge Mountains, is a high-power culture capital, and the friendliest one I’ve visited. It’s the heart of the distinctly, uniquely American craft and design world, with new American masters working in ceramics, wood, stone, and, here and there, painting. I’d never been to the museum before. It’s top-notch on every level and both expresses and embraces the zeitgeist of this beautiful, tangy part of the country.

It’s an airy, attractive building where the art looks great and visitors feel comfortable and welcomed. That’s what a good museum building does. It’s in the center of town, with an impressive plaza surrounding Henry Richardson’s sky-blue glass sculpture, Reflections on Unity. The bill for new construction and the repurposing of the old museum building, once the city library, was $25 million. That’s a good deal.