It’s been said that the litmus test of a community’s strength is how well its local arts are supported. By the looks of it, the small mountain town of Waynesville is robust when it comes to the arts, especially with the recent news that’s come to the Haywood County Arts Council on Main Street.
“This is just going to blow the roof off of what we’re able to do in the community,” said HCAC Executive Director Tonya Harwood.
On the morning of Friday, Sept. 4, Harwood closed on a new property for the HCAC to inhabit. With a recent anonymous donation of over a million dollars, the beloved nonprofit organization can leave its longtime Main Street rental space. It now has a home of its own just a couple blocks away in the former Sassafras On Main building (next to Sauced and across from the Haywood County Historic Courthouse).
“There are so many emotions wrapped up in this moment,” Harwood said. “This journey has brought me to tears on many occasions. Tears of excitement, gratitude, being overwhelmed by the enormity of what we were trying to accomplish. And now, more than anything? Joy. Haywood County will, at long last, have an arts center of its own — it’s an incredible feeling.”
Representing over 175 local artisans and encompassing around 60 volunteers at any given time, HCAC is a beacon of creativity and connectivity in the mountains of Western North Carolina.
“After the closing, our board will be talking about how this impacts our strategic plan,” Harwood said. “We have to find how we can make the most out of this gift and make sure we’re giving back to the community and our local artists. None of this would have been possible without the extraordinary generosity of an anonymous donor who made it possible for the HCAC to purchase this building debt-free.”
By the numbers, the leap into the new building will take HCAC’s footprint from just around 1,000 square feet to 17,438. Beyond ample space to display and sell artwork and have much-needed administrative offices, Harwood aims to use the facility to showcase “live music, performances, literary readings, and other community events.”
“I truly believe this building can become a permanent foundation for the arts in Haywood County — a place where creativity, connection, and community can flourish for generations to come,” Harwood said. “We’re going to move everything from [the] Folkmoot [Center] over to Main Street. We’ll have our quilt block studio, kids’ art club, additional classes that our artist members can teach and potentially lease some space to other [local arts] organizations — everything in this space will be mission-aligned.”
One area of possibility for the new HCAC headquarters that Harwood is excited about is the being able to offer affordable studio space for local artists.
“We’d like to kind of give them a change to get going,” Harwood said. “I’d like to make something for people that move to the area, retire and start a new arts business, and want to have a place to work. Or maybe someone that just graduated from the Professional Crafts Program (at Haywood Community College in Clyde).”
In 2025, alongside HCAC’s year-round arts programming, the organization gave out numerous “Grassroots Grants” to local artisans totaling around $21,000. According to Harwood, “we [also] made over $65,000 in direct payments to artists [and] over $37,000 in direct payments to musicians last year.”
“So, I feel like we’re putting money back in the hands of the creatives,” Haywood said. “Because then, they’re going out and they’re spending money in our community, too — it comes full-circle.”
The HCAC will also soon launch a capital campaign “to transform this 1935 building into a vibrant, accessible arts center.” Dubbed “Elevate the Arts,” the campaign will raise funds to repair the non-working elevator onsite to provide accessibility to all three floors in the building, as well as installing fire-rated stairwells and other infrastructure priorities before opening.
“The main floor gallery needs a new lighting system specifically designed to illuminate artwork, along with movable exhibit walls that can be reconfigured,” Harwood noted. “On the top floor, we hope to add natural light as we develop artist studios in a variety of sizes and price points, creating affordable spaces for artists with different needs and budgets.”
According to Harwood, there is no “concrete timeline for the full transition or opening just yet.” With countless details to still be worked through (permitting, construction, accessibility and safety requirements), the HCAC will hold off on setting a date for the grand opening. But, for now, what matters most is that the ball is in motion and rolling forward for the arts organization.
“In the meantime, HCAC will continue operating as usual,” Harwood said. “We have a full calendar of programs, exhibitions and events, so the transition will happen alongside our regular work. There’s a tremendous amount happening behind the scenes and we’re excited to begin sharing that process with our community.”
Not to be overshadowed, next year will mark another milestone for HCAC with the 50th anniversary of its formation. Launched in 1977 by a handful of local volunteers through humble, organic ways and means, the organization has grown into a pillar of arts and culture in Haywood County. Among its many initiatives, one of its proudest was being a catalyst for the inception of Waynesville’s storied Haywood Arts Regional Theatre, now considered one of the finest playhouses in the Southeast.
“It’s really cool that 50 years ago, a handful of people decided to build this organization,” Harwood reflected. “And it ebbed and flowed with changes in the community. But, at its very core, it’s still serving its original purpose — to support local artists, innovation in art and art education.”
Want to know more?
Located on Main Street in Waynesville, the Haywood County Arts Council (HCAC) offers a wide range of classes, events and activities for artisans, locals and visitors.
As well, HCAC will also host the annual Smoky Mountains Bluegrass Festival, which will take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, at the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds.
Acts to appear include Balsam Range, Appalachian Road Show, Unspoken Tradition, Red Camel Collective, and Olivia Jo. To purchase tickets, visit haywoodarts.org/smoky-mountains-bluegrass-festival.
HCAC’s Haywood Handmade Gallery is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays. For more information, call 828.452.0593 or visit haywoodarts.org.
To learn about the “Elevate the Arts” capital campaign and/or donate, visit givebutter.com/elevate-the-arts-hcac.