Creative voices reinterpret Highlands’ past
Founded in 1875 and perched more than 4,000 feet above sea level, Highlands quickly became a gathering point for an eclectic mix of people: northern tradesmen seeking new prospects, Scotch-Irish craftsmen from nearby valleys, Southern families escaping summer heat, and, eventually, generations of artists, scholars, and naturalists drawn to the plateau’s clarity of light and air. The result is a community that has never fit a simple description: part resort town, part creative haven, part Appalachian crossroads. The Bascom’s History of Highlands embraces that layered identity. Running through late November, this community exhibition invites artists of all backgrounds to interpret the town’s multifaceted past. Works range across mediums and perspectives, reflecting everything from early settlement and cultural exchange to personal memories of living, working, or wandering here. As Highlands marks its 150th anniversary, the show offers a collective portrait of a place shaped not by a single history, but by many intersecting ones.
Community Call: History of Highlands: Through November 29
The Bascom / 323 Franklin Road, Highlands / thebascom.org