(source)The Asheville Art Museum won best full-color poster in the North Carolina Museums Council’s 2008 Professional Awards competition. The museum won it for its “Stone Roberts: Home is Where One Starts” exhibition poster.

The poster was designed by graphic designer Susan Rhew, who was also honored this fall by the Southeastern Museums Conference with honorable mentions for the “Under the Skin: Tattoos and Contemporary Culture” exhibition poster and the “Make It New: Western North Carolina Artists Exhibition 2007” exhibition catalogue.

“We are delighted that our professional colleagues have once again recognized the work of Susan Rhew Designs, the museum’s curatorial staff and the artists whose excellence is showcased in our exhibitions and publications,” said Asheville Art Museum Executive Director Pamela Myers.

When you get right down to it, living in Buncombe County has a whole lot to offer. Even beyond the subjects of the posters that were recognized and honored after being designed for the Asheville Art Museum, it’s great to live in a place where the arts are that important.

But then, when you live in a place with as much natural beauty as Asheville and the rest of Buncombe County, you’ll find that it’s little wonder that the arts are important here. After all, it’s hard to not be inspired.

With beautiful landscapes and the chance to explore everything that you’re passionate about, living in Buncombe County inspires an artistic streak in everyone.

When it comes to living in Buncombe County, it’s hard to pinpoint just a few things that make it so appealing. Of course, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t some definite reasons why it’s great.

Just to prove it, here are 5 great things about living in Buncombe County:

1. Access to the mountains. Spending time in the mountains of western North Carolina is as satisfying to many of us who live here as spending time on the coast is to those who live there.
2. Access to Asheville. Asheville is a fantastic place for artists of all types as well as for those who enjoy the arts.
3. Access to great neighborhoods. When you get right down to it, the best reason for living in Buncombe County is that it’s a great place to live and to come together with others who have similar interests.
4. Whether you’re looking for a year round home or you are thinking about a vacation home, living in Buncombe County is comfortable and easy.
5. Living in Buncombe County gives you a chance to get out there and enjoy the things that matter to you.

Buying a home is a big investment - living in Buncombe County makes buying a home remarkably worthwhile.

When you live in Buncombe County, you’ll find that there is a wide range of activities, plenty of things that you can do that will let you take in all that the area has to offer.

For example, while it’s a bit too late to plan to attend, today the WNC Nature Center had a great program about wild dogs from the area:

(source)The naturalists at the WNC Nature Center will explore the wondrous world of our native canids (red and gray wolves, red and gray foxes and coyotes), 1-8 p.m. today.

Leave your dogs at home and go wild with the Center’s "dogs for the day." Because of the Center’s special late hours today, activities finish with a special Nighttime Howl with coyotes Candice, Bea and Barney.

There are few places where you can really settle into your area and get to stay in touch with the natural world. There aren’t many places where you can live in a fantastic neighborhood and still be able to go out and learn the differences between animals that live in the area too.

When you live in Buncombe County, you’ll find that you really can have the best of everything - and find whatever it is that you’re looking for!

When you live in Buncombe County, one of the things that you’re sure to discover is the natural beauty of the area. Of course, that doesn’t mean that most of the folks who live in Buncombe County only look at the natural world that’s around them; many also make the choice to get involved.

For example, some make an effort to look into finding alternatives like wind energy:

(source)The North Carolina Wind Working Group will hold a public forum on wind energy in Western North Carolina 4 to 7 p.m. Friday at the N.C. Arboretum Auditorium in Asheville.

This meeting will provide a forum for the public from local government representatives, local environmental and business groups and residents to voice their support, questions and concerns about wind energy development in the region. A panel of environmental and technical experts will address topics wind resources, benefits, concerns and the process of developing a wind project.

Wind energy is a great way of preserving the environment without relying on fossil fuels for power; it you’ve got questions or concerns or just want to do your part to keep Buncombe County a great, livable area, why not make an effort to get involved?

Wherever you live, you’ll find that the there are many advantages; living in Buncombe County is no exception. But despite everything else that living in Buncombe County has to offer, one of the greatest features is the community: the neighborhoods within Buncombe County.

When you choose the neighborhood that you are going to live in, you’re choosing the place where you and your family will grow together. Growth involves the activities that you enjoy with one another and it involves jobs and the school systems.

If you’ve been thinking that living in Buncombe County would be satisfying for you, then the next thing that you’ll want to do is to start identifying what you are looking for:

• Some people will be looking for parks where they can play with the kids
• Some are going to look for communities where they’ll be able to get out and walk rather than having to take the car everywhere
• Some people focus on the school systems

When you take the time to identify what’s important to your, your real estate agent will be able to help you find it.

One of the most amazing things about living in Buncombe County is the wide variety of activities and experiences that you will be able to have. Most notable of those experiences often comes down to the ability to enjoy the arts - and that means taking advantage of seeing performances of the North Carolina Dance Festival:

The mission of N.C. Dance Festival is to make dance more accessible to state residents, while giving North Carolina artists more exposure. Joining the eight companies on the tour are dancers in each host city.

Asheville is a good stop for the tour because “we see how the art of dance is constantly changing and how our audiences are evolving,” said Susan Collard, of Asheville Contemporary Dance Theatre. “We are often surprised to see so many young choreographers coming to the state from other places and also some very seasoned ones.”

Whether dance is something that you’ve loved for a long time or it’s an art that’s relatively new to you (or just something that you haven’t really had the chance to experience), events like the North Carolina Dance Festival are a big part of the joys of living in Buncombe County.

Of course, living in Buncombe County is about far more than just the arts - it’s about having access to whatever it is that you’re looking for, and being able to take advantage of it. Living in Buncombe County is about reaching out and experiencing life every day.

When you live in Buncombe County, getting (and staying active) isn’t going to take much - there’s always plenty that you’ll be able to do.

Here are five examples:

1. Go on a river tour. Whether you canoe or kayak, whether you go it solo, with a friend, with your family or a tour, you’ll find that it’s easy to get out on the water, enjoy the scenery and get some exercise all at the same time.
2. Enjoy time spent with a walking club. Non-competitive walking clubs like those you can find in Asheville are a great way to engage with others, get and stay fit and see that there is to see.
3. Go for a hike. There are plenty of great hiking trails in Buncombe County, why not get out there and take advantage of them?
4. Learn a martial art. With a number of martial arts centers around, it’s possible to learn a great skill, get in shape and become more disciplined in the process.
5. Join a biking club. When you live in Buncombe County, you’ll find that there are plenty of folks out there who share your passions.

Getting together with others who share your interests is a great way of getting out, getting active and just taking advantage of the beauty that surrounds you when you live in Buncombe County.

For those who are living in Buncombe County, it’s not difficult to see all that the world has to offer. Even on the coldest days, hot springs are available in mountain towns - and there’s always a chance to relax and unwind:

(source)In winter, the downtown scene is different. A covey of mountain bikers gathers outside the Paddler’s Pub. They crack jokes about being crazy to venture on windswept roads on such an icy-cold day. The Hot Springs Welcome Center and Hazelwood House Gift Shop are closed. The Yellow Teapot tearoom is open, but a chill drifts through the empty seating area.

On this frosty January day, people are indulging in mineral baths at Hot Springs Resort and Spa. Tubs sheltered by privacy fencing face the river so guests can enjoy natural scenery while the 102 degree restorative water melts away body aches and tension.

It’s great to be able to kick back and enjoy those things that others need to schedule into their vacations - especially when it’s something that you’re able to do without having to go far from home, when it’s something that you can fit into an afternoon.

Spending time hiking or biking, just getting out and getting back to nature and you’ll quickly find that the stresses of the day simply disappear: that’s not something that everyone is lucky enough to experience - but it’s something that those who live in Buncombe County know is right there waiting for them.

One of the best things about living in Buncombe County is that it allows you to get a taste of why others come into the area for visits: everything that makes the area great to visit is available to us residents at our convenience:

(source)Beginning in March, 60-90 minute trolley ghost tours will also be offered at 7:30 p.m. every Saturday. Led by best-selling author Joshua P. Warren, you will explore the site of Asheville’s largest mass murder, the phantoms of Church Street, a Civil War battle site and many other haunted locations. For reservations and pricing call 888-667-3600.

When the weather warms, Asheville offers an alternative tour system. The Lazoom Tour Co., open May through October, is a 90-minute theatrical bus tour exploring Asheville’s historic and up-and-coming neighborhoods.

Now, tours of haunted sites are, of course, not going to be for everyone. And those who live in Asheville may be thinking that there’s no great reason to go on a tour of the place where they live - unless of course they have company visiting from out of town.

Still, playing tourist can be a lot of fun. When you’re riding around town, you may catch a glimpse of the restaurant you’ve read about but didn’t know the location of or you may be reminded of an art gallery that you’ve kept meaning to go back to. For those who have recently relocated into the area, these tours are also a great way of getting your bearings. Besides, it’s never a bad idea to take some time to remember what you love about where you live.

Playing tourist is a great way to get away from every day stress: it’s like a mini-vacation right in your own back yard.

When you live in Buncombe County, you’ll find that it’s easy to get out and enjoy all of the things that you really love - those involving hiking, canoing, gardening, walking and just spending time with family and friends. But you’ll also find that, when you live in Buncombe County, it’s easy to make your home truly your own.

Don’t like the windows in your kitchen? You’ll be able to have them replaced. Want to have a finished basement? Contractors are readily available so that you’ll be able to have a new home gym, playroom for the kids or even a suite for your out of town guests (because you know that they will come).

Similarly, if you’re looking to add on to your home, you’ll find that there are options for hiring a contractor who can not only design a great addition for your home, but who can also be sure that it’s built on and fits with your home seamlessly. Couple some structural changes with new landscaping and, even if you weren’t thinking about moving, you’ll find that it’s an awful lot like having a brand new home.

Whatever your interests are, it’s possible to make your Buncombe County home reflect them. Create space for an artist’s studio, design a home theater for entertaining the whole family. It’s your home: why not let it be everything that you’re looking for and more?