What has been happening with the old library on the Burnsville Town Square? What was originally a bank, then for many years served as the library then for a short time as a computer center, is set to become Toe River Arts. Toe River Arts was formerly in the current Plott Hound Books location. They moved from there for a new renovation of Burnsville’s landmark library building. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is owned by Yancey County. Once renovations are complete, a spacious gallery on the ground floor will be leased by Toe River Arts.
Though work on the project began with the removal of a steel mezzanine to open up the interior space, bids to complete the project came in at twice the amount the county had budgeted. Stakeholders are now researching additional funding and speaking with private foundations, with promising leads.
This project has strong support from the county, the Town of Burnsville and local businesses, which see it as a strong anchor for the continued revitalization of downtown Burnsville. Many community partners have submitted letters of support expressing their hopes to have the space renovated into a gallery space as soon as possible.
Supporters of Toe River Arts can help in the effort by writing letters of support that will be included in grant applications and funding allocation requests. Send your letter of support for this important project to Nealy Andrews at Toe River Arts, PO Box 826, Spruce Pine, NC 28777 or nealy@toeriverarts.org or Martin Stankus, Board President, at martinstankusms@gmail.com.
Burnsville Presence Continues
Having a physical presence in Yancey County is crucial to Toe River Arts’ mission of connecting artists, the arts, and communities. Though we closed our gallery on West Main Street over a year ago in anticipation of an earlier renovation completion, we have remained present in many other ways. In response to this need we have participated in more than 20 pop up shops to date and continue to showcase the work of our local artists across the state of North Carolina. Our programmatic efforts through school residencies, free music lessons for middle schoolers, workshops, Burnsville/Yancey arts events, and private exhibition opportunities continue in Yancey County.
