River Arts District in Asheville in Buncombe County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Welcome to the River Arts District
Photographed by Mark Parker, July 18, 2025
1. Welcome to the River Arts District Marker
River Walk
Just steps from where you're standing, a paved greenway runs along the French Broad River, stretching two miles from Hill Street, to the north down to Amboy Road, to the south. Named for the writer, historian, and environmental activist Wilma Dykeman, walkers, cyclists and skaters of all ages experience the River Arts District from a new point of view. Stop into artists studios and galleries along the way. Pack a picnic to enjoy beside the river or visit a nearby restaurant or brewery. Bring your (leashed) dog for a walk, Look for public art, including a 12-foot sculpture, "Big Fish," by David Earl Tomlinson, and poetry installation featuring Cleaster Cotton.
A Neighborhood of Makers
See Asheville's creative spirit on display here in the River Arts District, where more than 200 artists are at work. Studios and galleries occupy every corner of 20+ industrial buildings along the banks of the French Broad River. Traditional techniques are elevated to fine art, and makers craft works in paint and ink, clay and metal, fiber and paper, wax and wood. Sign up for a hands-on pottery glass, or jewelry workshop
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Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Parks & Recreational Areas • Roads & Vehicles.
Location. 35° 35.096′ N, 82° 34.003′ W. Marker is in Asheville, North Carolina, in Buncombe County. It is in the River Arts District. It is on River Arts Place north of Lyman Street, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 8 River Arts Pl, Asheville NC 28801, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in North Carolina’s Mountains. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in Appalachia, and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the original Cherokee Nation, the territory of the Mississippian Culture,
Photographed by Mark Parker, July 18, 2025
2. Welcome to the River Arts District Marker
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Asheville Black Cultural Heritage Trail / Asheville's Black Newspapers / The Flood of 1916 (within shouting distance of this marker); Unsung Builders of the Swannanoa Tunnel (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); America's First Black Union Represents Ashevillians (approx. 0.2 miles away); Electric Streetcars (approx. 0.3 miles away); William R. "Seaborn" Saxon (approx. 0.3 miles away); Asheville's Southside (approx. 0.4 miles away); Lynching in America / The Lynching of Hezekiah Rankin (approx. half a mile away); The Legacy of E.W. and Annis Pearson in Asheville (approx. Ύ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Asheville.
Another marker is no longer nearby. Daniel K. Moore (was approx. 0.6 miles away but has been confirmed missing).
Also see . . . Explore Ashville. (Submitted on August 24, 2025.)
Credits. This page was last revised on August 24, 2025. It was originally submitted on August 23, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. This page has been viewed 104 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 23, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
