Performance Space: Shaping the Arts Scene in Asheville, NC

While many factors influence an arts scene, performance space shapes the scene in many discernible ways. Performance space is an integral part of the arts scene. Every artist, musician, actor and dancer must perform in order to participate in the arts scene. The spaces of these performances are often overlooked when considering how the arts scene functions or how to best support the arts in a community. Through interviews with owners and managers of performance spaces in Asheville, I determined how performance space shapes the local arts scene. I defined the arts scene as the quantity, variety and quality of art being displayed or performed publicly and the diversity and size of the artist and audience base. Based on this definition, I discuss aspects of performance space that influences the quantity, variety and quality of art and artists in Asheville, and the size and diversity of the audience base. I found that performance space was connected to the arts scene in many interesting ways. The availability of space influenced the number of performances and displays. A variety of space led to a variety of art forms, likewise, high quality space allowed high quality art to be performed. Each space impacts a part of the arts scene, and all together performance spaces shape the entire scene.