The best discoveries can often be found off the beaten path, in small towns where creativity flows through galleries, studios and in the streets bursting with colorful public art. These artists’ enclaves offer more than just pretty pictures — they’re places where visitors can meet and support working artists, witness craftspeople diligently working at their trades, and gain an understanding of how local history and culture shape creative expression.
The Southeast is home to countless such hidden gems, from mountain villages where traditional crafts have been passed down for generations to beach towns luring artists to live and work in their communities. These six towns offer thriving art scenes that punch well above their size.
Asheville, North Carolina
In September 2024, the nation watched in horror as rains from Hurricane Helene spawned floods that devastated North Carolina, killing 108 people and causing an estimated $60 billion in damage. In Asheville, the River Arts District (RAD) was ravaged, displacing hundreds of artists and their studios, the work of lifetimes ripped apart by water and mud.
“It [the devastation] was beyond belief,” said Cassidy Santander, public relations manager for Explore Asheville. “But we’re back, and our artistic community is stronger than ever.”
The resilient RAD is once again buzzing with glassblowers, painters, sculptors and all manner of creative enterprises. In downtown, groups can enjoy a 30-minute demonstration at Lexington Glassworks, stroll eclectic galleries boasting captivating exhibits and explore studios brimming with handmade artwork. The district also abounds with restaurants, breweries and coffee shops that are perfect for après-art refreshments.
For Gilded Age grandeur, arrange a tour of the legendary Biltmore estate. America’s largest home, the 178,926-square-foot mansion is a work of art, and its interior is filled with priceless treasures.
Berea, Kentucky
The city of Berea is renowned as the “Folk Arts and Crafts Capital of Kentucky,” and its artistic heritage has deep roots. The focus began in 1855, when abolitionists founded Berea College to serve students in the Appalachian Mountains. The college and the town are famous for artists who produce unique, handmade items and teach others how to make them. Today, this unique legacy supports and showcases artists who proudly call Kentucky home.
Featuring traditional crafts like wood turning, ironworking and broom making, the city’s artistic heritage is celebrated at the Kentucky Artisan Center, which serves as the state’s largest retailer of fine arts and crafts. The center offers the juried works of over 850 artisans who hail from all 120 Kentucky counties and who create everything from handblown glass and handcrafted wood items to metalwork and jewelry. The center welcomes approximately 300,000 visitors.
The arts enclave truly thrives in the walkable Artisan Village (“Old Town”) and College Square. Here, visitors can explore numerous galleries, studios, restaurants and boutiques, often witnessing the creative process as it happens. College Square features high-quality crafts created by Berea College students. Groups can take advantage of opportunities for hands-on engagement through “LearnShops.” These workshops allow visitors to try their hand at traditional skills. For quiet reflection, a stroll through winding paths of the sculpture garden in Fee Glade Park offers a scenic spot for artistic contemplation. If they keep an eye out, visitors may even spot stones engraved with quotations from John G. Fee, Berea’s founder.
Ocean Springs, Mississippi
Established in 1699, the small hamlet of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, is kissed by the Gulf of Mexico and blessed with an abundance of artistic energy.
“Ocean Springs is just a very charming little coastal community,” said Ari Covacevich, director of sales and business development at Coastal Mississippi. “It’s known for its vibrant art scene, and it’s home to hundreds of actual working artists, galleries and lots of different creative spaces. I recommend that people start off at the Walter Anderson Museum of Art, or WAMA. The museum also honors his brothers, master potter Peter Anderson and James Anderson.”
The museum showcases the legacy of Mississippi artist and philosopher Walter Anderson. Its core collection features a large array of his paintings, drawings and pottery — works that truly embody the natural beauty and spirit of the Gulf Coast. Beyond Anderson’s paintings, block prints and writings, the museum offers a mix of rotating exhibitions from both regional and national artists.
Adjacent to WAMA, the Ocean Springs Community Center boasts a 3,000-square-foot mural by Walter Anderson. Commissioned in the 1950s for one dollar, it depicts the history and discovery of the Mississippi Coast.
Groups will also enjoy visiting The Traveler, “a newly reimagined kind of coffee shop and restaurant, but also an immersive art exhibition,” Covacevich said.
“So, there’s art everywhere,” she added. “It’s directly behind the museum and a century-old building. The green space includes public art installations, walking paths with native gardens and native plants. It’s really beautiful. They offer lots of group-friendly activities, like sip-and-paint nights, trivia nights, culinary experiences — perfect for team-building or leisure events.”
Covington, Louisiana
Located less than an hour from Baton Rouge, the Mississippi Gulf Coast and New Orleans’ French Quarter — and nestled in a fork of the Bogue Falaya and the Tchefuncte River — the city of Covington is home to a lively cultural scene, with live music and fine dining along with lots of galleries that showcase artists creating in many mediums.
“Covington is one of our most walkable destinations,” said Zondra White Jones, senior sales manager for Visit The Northshore. “It’s full of color, with galleries, murals and music everywhere. The historic Southern Hotel is absolutely amazing. They offer guided art and history tours of the murals and works from local artists.”
Built in 1907, the meticulously restored hotel is a work of art itself and features the work of many local artists. Covington’s downtown district is also home to a number of galleries. Marianne Angeli Rodriguez Gallery has been featured on Samantha Brown’s PBS series “Places to Love” as well as in Garden & Gun and Southern Living magazines. Her joyfully color-saturated gallery hosts fun classes like fascinator making, while DIY workshops at Hammer & Stain allow participants to turn unfinished wood into custom decor.
Lake City, South Carolina
Small but mighty, Lake City, South Carolina, has bootstrapped itself from a fading farming town to an arts-and-culture hub that punches well above its weight class. Just shy of 6,000 residents, the town manages to deliver big-city culture, with year-round arts programming and ArtFields, an annual competition and festival that draws thousands of visitors to the historic downtown each spring.
“We’re about an hour and a half from Columbia, about two hours from Charleston, about an hour and a little bit from Myrtle Beach, so we like to say that we’re in the middle of everywhere instead of the middle of nowhere,” said Roberta Burns, the marketing consultant for ArtFields.
Burns detailed the city’s transformation over time. In its heyday, Lake City was a big agricultural town and was considered the snap bean capital of the world. It had one of the largest snap bean trading markets and relied heavily on agriculture to fuel the economy. After agriculture, there was a textile boom. And after that, “there wasn’t much going on.”
In 2012, businesswoman and philanthropist Darla Moore returned to her hometown and began galvanizing the local community. The first festival was held in 2013, when volunteers pitched in to display art in downtown businesses. In addition to the annual festival, Lake City now maintains a robust year-round arts presence, with three galleries, a permanent collection of public art and studios where visitors can see artists in action.
Beckley, West Virginia
Located about an hour east of Charleston, the West Virginia city of Beckley celebrates the state’s mining culture. As a stop on the Coal Heritage Trail, a National Scenic Byway, the city attracts visitors who come to tour the steep underground passageways led by retired miners at the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine and learn about life in the days when coal was king.
But there’s a lot more than coal history happening in Buckley, which has become a thriving center for local arts. Groups often combine a visit to the exhibition coal mine with a stop at Tamarack Marketplace, said Visit Southern West Virginia’s Lisa Strader.
“We’re a great history and culture stop, and the mine and Tamarack are a popular combination,” she said. “Tamarack is an artisan center conveniently located just off [Interstate 64]. It’s like a travel plaza almost, except it’s completely stocked with items that are made by artisans in the state, anything from jelly to Fiestaware to handcarved wood and paintings.”
Everything in the marketplace is created and crafted by a West Virginia artisan and has gone through a jury process to be able to be sold there. Tamarack also has artists-in-residence, so visitors can watch somebody blowing glass, making jewelry or playing music.
The in-house restaurant serves delicious Appalachian-inspired cuisine, including fried green tomatoes, fried bologna sandwiches and peanut butter pie. Downtown, the Beckley Art Center has a rotating series of exhibitions, and group classes can be arranged.
“They have the exhibits but also do have some of the art for sale,” Strader said. “They can also schedule activities like painting — it’s very popular for people to go in and paint their own things. There are also dancing and sewing experiences … just a little bit of everything.”
