The Bascom

The Bascom provides a dynamic and inspirational arts experience that inspires and attracts residents and visitors through interaction with all forms of visual arts. Located in beautiful Highlands, NC, The Bascom offers a unique vintage wood, glass, and steel space surrounded with unembellished mountain views. Our in-town, six-acre campus is conveniently located to the area's various country clubs and is a short drive to Cashiers, Glenville, Sapphire, and Lake Toxaway. Larger metropolitan areas such as Atlanta, Asheville, and Greenville are accessible as an easy day trip. With a mission statement centering on Education, Outreach, and Exhibitions, when you choose The Bascom you choose to become a partner in the visual art enrichment of the plateau.

Our Campus

Completed in 2009, The Bascom is beautifully situated on the former Crane Horse Farm. The main building is a Dewolf Architecture and Lord, Aeck & Sargent Architecture design: 27,500 square feet of museum-quality space combining the hand-hewn post-and-beam Ester barn with modern materials including stone and glass. The Ester barn was originally built in 1838 in Linglestown, Pennsylvania, where it served as a stagecoach shop until the 1920s. Later it was used in farming operations.

The old-growth pine floors in The Atrium are the original "threshing floor" sourced from several historic barns. The threshing floor was where the dried wheat was scattered and struck with a stick and leather beater. This legacy gives The Atrium's wooden floors the irregular nicks and warm patina visible today.

Our History

The Bascom owes its existence to artist Watson Barratt, who had the vision to establish a permanent gallery in Highlands for the display of works created by regional artists. His bequest made possible an exhibition space in the Hudson Library beginning in 1983. Creating such a space in a town of just a few hundred residents was visionary at the time, distinguishing Highlands as a progressive community committed to nurturing its local talent and to celebrating its natural assets. Over time, The Bascom developed into a not-for-profit art center and a beloved creative resource for artists at all levels, as well as the community as a whole. Its enormous success reflects the region’s passion for the arts.

The Bascom is a museum wedding venue located in Highlands, North Carolina.