Azule - A Place for the Arts & Community - Hot Springs, NC

Azule - A Place for the Arts & Community - Hot Springs, NC Indoor Outdoor Community and Art Making Space for Retreats, Learning Exchange, and Art Making BEGINNING

David and Camille Shafer moved to Hot Springs, N.C.

in 1972. Camille was an artist from France, and Dave a photographer from the midlands of the US. They connected with their neighbors immediately in the community of Bluff, in Madison County and made local friends such as Doctor Kimberley, from whom they had bought the property and Harold Finley who now serves on the Azule Board of Directors. Camille and Dave’s house became a center of activities a

nd their community grew. They organized art and music events, such as quilt shows and regular jam sessions as well as photographic projects such as "Portraits of America", a photographic portrayal of members of the community, which, incidentally, was taken up again by Azule in 2006. THE STRUCTURE

At the same time, Camille was busy planning and creating the amazing architecture you can see now. Dave and Camille’s house is unique. Through Camille Shafer’s sole design and organization, what began as the tiny Kimberly's cabin, has been sculpted into a work of art. The construction itself has always been offered to local carpenters. Camille was very clear about that: all of her creative activities must originate locally. THE VISION

The roots of the new community were, in fact, the local artists, artisans, farmers, carpenters, who helped withthe construction of the house. As a group, they wanted to open a locus for the arts in Bluff ... Some left, some stayed, some came back ... But after twenty five years or so, they got together and organized for a non- profit C3 Corporation. AZULE was born the day Camille Shafer offered her place as the locus

04/20/2026



Meet Aparna Sud, a Boston-based abstract painter whose creative life moves fluidly between painting, dance, and poetry. During her residency at Azule, she completed a seven-piece series exploring the intersections of time, space, and humanity, each canvas anchored to a single concept like permeability, resurgence, and elastic time.

Her work begins from the inside out, and Azule gave her the stillness to go there. "You need that rest and digest period for creative cycles to work." She also found something harder to name at Azule, a sense that the place itself holds the creative energy of everyone who has passed through it. "You can kind of feel the energy of the artists that have been here. It's very inspiring."

Aparna will be back at Azule for our April 26th potluck, and it's a rare chance to sit down, share a meal, and hear about the work straight from the source. Good food, good company, and good conversation — we hope to see you there. Folks will begin gathering for the potluck around 4:00pm this Sunday.

Spring is doing what spring does best out here. The rhododendrons are blooming, the hillside is green and getting greene...
04/17/2026

Spring is doing what spring does best out here. The rhododendrons are blooming, the hillside is green and getting greener, and there's something in the air that feels like possibility.

We're hosting a community potluck at Azule on Sunday, April 26th, starting at 4pm, and everyone is welcome. Bring a dish to share, bring someone you've been meaning to spend time with, and come as you are.

We're especially excited to welcome back Aparna Sud, who traveled to Azule from Boston to create here recently. She'll be sharing a series of paintings she developed during her residency — a chance to see what this place inspired in her hands.

The flowers are out. Come see them with us.

Four walls are optional at Azule.Thirty-five acres of creek beds, ridgelines, and old-growth forest. The land is quiet h...
04/09/2026

Four walls are optional at Azule.

Thirty-five acres of creek beds, ridgelines, and old-growth forest. The land is quiet here in a way that gets into your art whether you plan for it or not.

04/06/2026



Meet Taylor McMahan, a portrait-driven painter whose residency at Azule marks a powerful return to her own art after a decade away. During that time, Taylor built a career in the entertainment industry creating wigs and crafting identities for others — now, she's turned the lens inward.

Since becoming a mother three years ago, her work has grown into an exploration of the universal experiences many women share: the scars and joys of motherhood, the weight of family history, and the quiet isolation of life's biggest transitions. She finds her material in what she calls the "gum of life" — sunlight through a window, a jar of acorns collected by her daughter, the story told by a person's dirty hands.

At Azule, the stillness of the mountains gave her exactly what she needed. "You can't know how overburdened you are mentally until you do get away and it's just quiet suddenly." The full interview is available on our blog at https://azule.org/blog.

Something shifts here in April. Mist off the Spring Creek, rhododendrons opening, wildflowers pushing through before the...
04/02/2026

Something shifts here in April. Mist off the Spring Creek, rhododendrons opening, wildflowers pushing through before the season even officially arrives.

If your work is ready for that same kind of shift, spring residency slots are open.

Apply at azule.org.

03/30/2026



Meet Dr. Jeremy Smith, a composer from the Shoals, Alabama, whose residency at Azule gave him the quiet space to bring a full orchestral work to life. His piece, Creek Don't Rise, draws from American folk songs like "Shenandoah" and "Shall We Gather at the River" — and carries a deeper dedication to those affected by Hurricane Helene.

Commissioned by a Washington, DC-based ensemble, the work grew from a few sketched minutes to nearly eight during his time in the Appalachian setting. For Jeremy, Azule offered exactly what the music needed: room to slow down, reflect, and compose with purpose.

The full interview and demonstration of the musical piece is available on our blog at https://azule.org/blog.

History is a conversation between the past and the present. Appalachia has always known how to make something from this ...
03/26/2026

History is a conversation between the past and the present. Appalachia has always known how to make something from this land. The Cherokee, the farmers, the craftspeople shaped this hillside long before Azule existed.

We're just the latest ones holding the tools. We carry that forward as a responsibility, not a gesture. And we believe there's room here for every artist who needs space to work.

Come hold them with us.

03/23/2026



Meet David Gwaltney, an Asheville-based artist whose work weaves together music, film, and photography into what he calls "one big pot of stuff." A Bristol, TN/VA native who studied film at NYU before putting down roots in Asheville, David brings an interdisciplinary spirit to everything he creates.

His second residency at Azule looked very different from his first — less about generating new work and more about excavating the old, including a song he's been carrying for 15 years. "If I can take that out, maybe that opens up the dam for more work to come." Whether in a generative phase or a reflective one, David's advice to fellow artists is simple: recognize where you are in the process — and be okay with either phase.

The full interview is available on our blog at https://azule.org/blog.

8:15 AM in the Studio. Morning light works its way through the room, catching in the stained glass and casting slow colo...
03/19/2026

8:15 AM in the Studio. Morning light works its way through the room, catching in the stained glass and casting slow color across the wood. Nothing stays still for long. The space shifts, and the work shifts with it.

At Azule, we believe the environment isn’t separate from the process. It is part of it. Our studios are designed to let the outside in, keeping you connected to the rhythm of the mountains, the light, and the pace of the day while you create.

03/16/2026



Meet Victoria Brown, a fiber artist and self-described "social artist" whose work transforms current events and social issues into tactile sculpture. After the shortest retirement ever — just two weeks — Victoria went back to school for a BFA in sculpture, channeling her energy into an exhibition about women's rights and bodily autonomy.

Her pieces blend humor and irony with serious feminist commentary, using playful details like carnival shooting gallery targets to draw viewers in before delivering a powerful message.

During her residency at Azule, Victoria completed eight pieces for her upcoming show, experimented with new techniques, and found fresh inspiration in the landscape and in conversations with Camille. "What could be better than sitting here and looking out at this fantastic view?" The full interview is available on our blog at https://azule.org/blog

Sawdust on the ground. Paint on the hands. Callouses on the fingers from guitar strings. Chips of stone scattered at you...
03/13/2026

Sawdust on the ground. Paint on the hands. Callouses on the fingers from guitar strings. Chips of stone scattered at your feet from hours of carving. The breakthrough you've been chasing for months — it happens here.

Azule provides the space; you provide the vision.

We accept applications on a rolling basis — apply whenever you're ready. Show us what you're building. https://azule.org

Address

190 Rabbit Den Road
Hot Springs, NC
28743

Telephone

+18286223533

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