Parks, Recreation & Cultural Arts Department

Asheville Parks, Recreation & Cultural Arts (APRCA)- Home

Below you will find our “How to links” - designed to guide you to the most requested information.  You may also use the Index or Site Map or Search the City of Asheville
website to find the information you need.

How To Links | APRCA Index | APRCA Section Map

News & Current Events

ASHEVILLE PUBLIC ART BOARD MEETING CANCELLED

The Asheville Public Art Board has cancelled its regular monthly meeting for Thursday, September 23 at 4:00 p.m. due to the Public Art 360 Conference.  The Public Art Board will resume its regular meeting schedule on Thursday, October 28 at 4:00 p.m. in City Hall in the 1st floor chambers. For more information, contact Diane Ruggiero at 828-259-5815 or druggiero@ashevillenc.gov.

ADULT VOLLEYBALL ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING

Asheville Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts will hold a fall Adult Volleyball Organizational Meeting on Thursday, September 2, at 6:30pm at the Recreation Office, 72 Gashes Creek Rd. All teams interested in playing must have a representative attend the organizational meeting.  Season runs September – December.  Games are played Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday evenings at Asheville Middle School.  Entry fee is $200 per team.
For information, contact Bryan Fish at 828-251-4026 or bfish@ashevillenc.gov

Asheville Recreation Advisory Board Meeting Cancelled

The Asheville Recreation Advisory Board has cancelled its regular monthly meeting for Monday, August 9 at 12:30 p.m. The Recreation Advisory Board will resume its regular meeting schedule on September 13 at 12:30 p.m. in City Hall in the first floor conference room. For more information, contact Debbie Ivester at 828-259-5804 or divester@ashevillenc.gov.

Public Art 360 Conference

September 23-25, 2010

The City of Asheville Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Arts Department will host the 2010 Public Art 360 Conference Thursday, September 23rd through Saturday, September 25th, 2010 at the Crest Center and Pavilion.

Public Art 360 brings together artists and arts administrators primarily from the southeast region to learn about best practices in the field of public art. The Public Art 360 was last held in 2008 in Chapel Hill North Carolina.

Highlights of the 2010 conference include sessions by Barbara Goldstein, Public Art Director for the City of San Jose and creator of the Public Art Academy, a keynote address by Bill Ivey former director of the National Endowment for the Arts during the Clinton administration and author of “Arts Inc.: How Greed and Neglect have Destroyed our Cultural Rights”, and a closing address by conceptual visual artist Mel Chin.

Discount registration for Asheville residents and artists is available, as well as scholarships for enrolled students.

To view the conference schedule and for information about registration, visit the Public Art 360 website at www.publicart360.com or contact Diane Ruggiero at 828-259-5815 or e-mail druggiero@ashevillenc.gov.

Partnerships

Asheville Parks and Greenways Foundation

Friends of the Nature Center

Pack Square Conservancy

"The Arts -Ask for More" - Americans for the Arts

Other Park Systems Historic Sites in the Asheville Region
Blue Ridge Parkway
Buncombe County Parks, Greenways & Recreation 
National Parks Service
National Register of Historic Places 
NC State Parks

Department Overview

Open spaces, parks, recreation and cultural arts provide opportunities for living, learning and leading a full and productive life. Parks and recreation benefit individuals and neighborhoods while having a positive impact on economic growth and environmental preservation.
Asheville Parks and Recreation maintains 54 public parks, 6 miles of greenways, 11 community centers, numerous programs for youth, seniors and outdoor enthusiasts, a comprehensive athletics program, and many facilities that provide resources for a range of activities.

Speakers Bureau
Some department staff are available to speak to community groups on a variety of topics. These may include: Park Planning and Development, Public Art, Recreation Programs, and Senior Programs, to name a few. To request a speaker, call Frank McGowan, Superintendent of Business Services, at 259-5811 or send an e-mail to fmcgowan@ashevillenc.gov
Please be specific in your request and provide at least a month of lead time for staff to adjust their schedules accordingly.

Public Comment

Bid Requests and RFP's

There are no bid requests at this time.

Contact Information
Roderick Simmons, Director
Main office location: Asheville City Hall, Fourth Floor, 70 Court Plaza
Mailing address: P.O. Box 7148, Asheville, NC 28802
Phone: (828) 259-5800
E-mail:parks@ashevillenc.gov

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Department History

The City of Asheville began park and recreation services in the late 1890s with the construction of Riverside, Montford and Aston Parks. Shortly after, Recreation Park, McCormick Field and the Municipal Golf Course were added to the system. With a growing park system, the City developed the Parks and Playgrounds Division under the Public Works Department.

Augusta L. Barnett was appointed the first director of the Parks and Recreation Department in 1956. Although Barnett made significant improvements to recreation programs, she did not have the luxury of having quality facilities, and was forced to use schools and YMCA facilities to house programs.

After Barnett's retirement in 1971, Ray L. Kisiah became the director. During his tenure, Parks and Recreation experienced tremendous growth due to the abundance of federal funds to support public parks and recreation facilities throughout the United States. In all, over $5.2 million of non-city funds renovated existing facilities and built new ones.

Kisiah retired in 1995 and Irby Brinson was named director. In 1994, Parks and Recreation became the first municipal recreation department to receive national accreditation from the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies and was re-accredited in 2004.

In 1997, Parks and Recreation began upgrading Asheville's parks and recreation system by developing the first long-range comprehensive master plan, the Asheville Parks and Recreation 2015 Comprehensive Master Plan and the Asheville Greenways Master Plan in 1998. Both serve as the guide to improvements to existing facilities and addition of new, greenway development, land acquisition, expansion of services and staff, and development of funding opportunities.

The National Recreation and Parks Association named Asheville Parks and Recreation the Gold Medal winner in 2002. Top-notch departments from around the country vie for the award each year in four different categories based on population size.

In 2005, the City of Asheville received significant recreation facilities from Buncombe County as part of the water agreement negotiations. The Municipal Golf Course, Nature Center, McCormick Field, Aston Park and Recreation Park joined the Asheville Parks and Recreation family.

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Vision & Master Plan

The City of Asheville Parks, Recreation, Cultural Arts and Greenways Master Plan was completed in 2009 to guide how the City provides these services over the next several years.

For information about the master plan contact the City of Asheville Parks, Recreation and Cultural Art Department at (828) 259-5800 or parks@ashevillenc.gov.

Master Plan Documents

• Asheville FINAL Report
• Asheville FINAL Executive Summary

Appendicies:

• Appendix I Demographics and Trends
• Appendix II Focus Groups Summary
• Appendix III Cost Recovery Pyramid Methodology
• Appendix IV GRASP History and Methodology
• Appendix V Asheville Park and Facility Inventory and GRASP A
• Appendix XI.Description of Parks
• Appendix VII Alternative Funding
• Appendix VIII Sample Partnership Policy
• Appendix IX Sample Sponsorship Policy
• Appendix X Example Park Development Menu List and Walkability

Maps:

• Map A Asheville Regional
• Perspective A Neighborhood Access to Components
• Perspective B Walkable Access to Components
• Perspective C Neighborhood Access Indoor Facilities
• Perspective D Neighborhood Access Parks & Outdoor Facilities
• Perspective E Neighborhood Access Trails
• Recommendation Map
• Resource Map B System Inventory Map
• Resource Map C Sub Area Map
• Greenways Recommendation Map

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2009 Annual Report

The City of Asheville Parks, Recreation & Cultural Arts Department's 2009 Annual Report lists  achievements and programs from the various divisions, boards, and department-wide initiatives.

• 2009 Annual Report