The River Arts District's bi-annual Studio Stroll is November 14th-15th, 10am-6pm. During the Stroll more than one hundred and thirty studios in twelve distinctive historic buildings are open to the public within a one-mile by half-mile area. The district also offers visitors a variety options for dining and a brewery/tasting room. Throughout the weekend, Asheville Historic Trolly Tours provide a free shuttle service between buildings. The Trolly Tour begins and ends at the Chamber of Commerce on Montford Avenue, and makes a 30-minute loop through the district.

This art scene's new found fame is a dynamic renaissance and resurgence of community that has taken place over the past twenty years. Images of America, Asheville's River Arts District, by Rob and Henry Neufeld, is a text that explores predominate themes in the history of the district. In the introduction Neufeld says, "One book is too short to convey the excitement of the arts community because there is a story at every stop. At extreme ends of the district , for instance are many wonders. To the south in Riverview Station (the former tannery), modest masters focus on their crafts in large, unglamorous spaces as if they are members of medieval guilds."

In the past couple years the district has received a good deal of national attention, including mentions in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Los Angeles Times. The River Arts District has also been featured on 20/20 (ABC), and NC Weekend (PBS). The Miami Herald called it "hip, artsy, and exciting with a wrong-side-of-the-tracks feel about it." The Richmond Times found the district to be "A gritty accumulation of converted warehouses. Behind the nondescript brick facades, you can watch art in the making. The dozens of painters, sculptors, potters and glass makers here seem to enjoy sharing their work almost as much as creating it." Wells Tower, writing for the New York Times described the area as "an assemblage of attractively distressed, previously forsaken structures from Asheville's bygone industrial age; now they are mostly lofts and studios in various states of rehabilitation." It's not just the charm of gritty old buildings that warrants so much attention. The artists whose studios are located in this hip, artsy, "wrong-side-of-the-tracks" district, have earned a reputation for being modest masters and worthy of attention in their own right. The list of qualified, recognized, artists who work in the River Arts District is long and impressive. It's perhaps as long as the list of emerging talent, who still keep a day job to pay studio rents. Head down to the River Arts District, November 14th-15th, 10am-6pm and to discover who's behind those brick facades, making art, making news, and making history. Full color maps with directions and a list of participating artists are available now at the Asheville Chamber of Commerce, The Asheville Area Arts Council, River District studios and galleries, and other locations around town. Read more about River Artist District and the upcoming Studio Stroll online at www.riverartsdistrict.com.