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FAQs
Frequently asked questions
Art in Bloom
BMCA Dance
Getting Involved
Events & Gallery
Classes & Programs
General
It depends on which parts of Art in Bloom you'd like to experience!
Attending just the gallery is pay-what-you-can with a suggested donation of $5.
A Garden Tour Pass is $30 and includes both the garden tour and gallery access.
The Everything Pass is $55 and includes the gallery, garden tour, and First Bloom.
First Bloom tickets are $25 on their own.
During the event, you'll also have the opportunity to purchase artwork, bid in our vase auction, and shop our gift shop.
The Everything Pass ($55) includes access to all three main experiences: the gallery exhibit, the Garden Tour, and the First Bloom premiere event. The Garden Tour Pass ($30) includes the garden tour and gallery access.
First Bloom tickets ($25) cover the premiere event only.
Gallery-only access is available at the door on a pay-what-you-can basis.
Tickets can be purchased in advance online or at our main office (225 W State St, Monday–Friday, 10am–5pm). Tickets will also be sold at the door for all events, provided there is remaining capacity.
Please note that we will be closed Thursday, June 18th from 10am–5pm for setup.
Gallery-only tickets are not available for advance purchase, as they are donation-based and sold at the door only.
The Regional Artists Gallery — featuring the artwork that will inspire our floral designers — opens June 1st and runs through June 17th, free and open to the public Monday–Friday, 10am–5pm.
The floral exhibit opens at First Bloom on June 18th and continues June 19th–20th (10am–4pm) and June 21st (12–4pm).
First Bloom is our premiere event — a sneak peek at the floral arrangements at their freshest, with drinks, desserts, and a chance to meet the floral designers and artists. If you've attended Art in Bloom before, this replaces what was previously called the Preview Party.
Tickets are $25 and can be purchased online or in the office in advance. A limited number of tickets may be available at the door if capacity allows.
The Garden Tour gives you special access to private gardens around Black Mountain — people's homes and personal passion projects that are typically closed to the public.
You'll receive a map with garden addresses the evening of June 18th and can visit them in any order you choose. Your pass is valid for both tour days (June 19th–20th), so you can split your visits across both days or revisit your favorites. You'll also find plein air artists at work in each garden!
Art from the Garden is a gallery exhibit featuring work created during the Garden Tour. The opening reception is June 26th (5–6:30pm), and the show runs through July 24th, free and open to the public Monday–Friday, 10am–5pm.
As a special addition, plein air artists will have smaller works and prints available for purchase throughout the show — a wonderful way to take a piece of Art in Bloom home with you.
Ikebana is the Japanese tradition of floral arrangement, emphasizing minimalism, balance, and the relationship between the plant material and the space around it. It's a beautiful contrast to Western floral design, and seeing both styles represented in the same exhibit is one of the unique highlights of Art in Bloom.
Unfortunately, no — our gallery is only accessible via stairs at this time. There are three steps to enter our front entrance and 13 steps to reach the gallery on the third floor. Our elevator has been non-functional since Hurricane Helene, and we are actively working with our building owner, insurance, and FEMA to restore it.
We deeply regret that this will prevent some visitors from experiencing the exhibit this year, and we are committed to resolving this as quickly as possible.
Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Because the gardens are private homes and personal spaces, we are unable to guarantee accessibility for all locations. We will do our best to note which gardens are accessible or have limited accessibility on your tour map.
If you have specific questions or needs, please reach out to us before the event and we'll do our best to help you plan your visit.
This year's Art in Bloom workshops include An Artful Journey: The Garden Edition with Julianna Caro (June 26th, $25) and Mosaic Mushrooms with Michelle Bettencourt (June 13th–14th, $100, supplies included).
You can register for each workshop by completing the registration form linked on the Art in Bloom page and submitting your tuition payment.
We'd love your help! Click the volunteer sign-up link on our website to browse available shifts and choose what works for you. A staff member will follow up via email with details.
All volunteers are invited to an orientation gathering on June 15th at 5:30pm — a great way to meet fellow volunteers and get all the info you need.
Absolutely! Art in Bloom is our biggest annual fundraiser, and donations are always welcome and deeply appreciated. You can give using the donate button at the bottom of this page or the donate button in the header of our website. Every contribution helps us continue bringing arts programming to the Swannanoa Valley.
It can be a wonderful experience for families! We ask that young visitors remain with adults at all times, especially in the gallery. As with any art exhibit, we ask that all visitors — young and old — refrain from touching the artwork or arrangements, and help maintain a calm and respectful environment for everyone.
Art in Bloom is our largest annual fundraising event, typically representing 6–8% of our total annual budget. The revenue generated allows the Black Mountain Center for the Arts to continue offering accessible, low-cost arts programming to the Swannanoa Valley — from classes and workshops to gallery exhibitions and theatre productions.
Your ticket purchase, donation, or artwork purchase directly supports working artists and the creative life of our community.
Thank you!
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