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.

As part of the 16th Annual Dazzling Dahlia Festival, the Bascom is pleased to host an educational talk and workshop led by Highlands growers Peggy Boruchow Arnette and Libby Eustis. Tailored for both novice and experienced growers, this engaging session explores the full arc of the exhibition dahlia—from the final weeks in the garden to the show table in the upcoming Single Bloom Competition.

Participants are encouraged to bring two or three dahlias from their own gardens for hands-on guidance in selection, evaluation, and staging.

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.

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 fall's installment invites visitors to explore a diverse selection of handmade functional and sculptural pieces while directly supporting the artists who make them.