Who We Are
The Residency at Metcalf Creek is the vision of Brook Dorsch and Tyler Emerson-Dorsch as a place to host creatives (artists, musicians, and writers) in a quiet mountain setting to work on projects and provide inspiration. The property is a 68 acre mountain hollow in western North Carolina about 40 minutes north of Asheville. The property features miles of hiking trails and fresh mountain streams and springs, and the valley is enclosed by ridges on 3 sides.
Our Mission
The Residency at Metcalf Creek (RMC) is an artists’ residency and retreat, where artists visiting the mountains of North Carolina can absorb and be inspired by the landscape and the people. RMC also supports community programming featuring resident artists. This programming includes artist talks and community meals. We encourage residents to apply in groups, where collaborators can cohabitate, creating an atmosphere of creative exchange and knowledge sharing. Of special interest are interdisciplinary groups, for whom a gathering space makes possible proximity and intimacy for conversations that would otherwise be difficult to have.
About the Property:
The property is a 68-acre mountain holler in rural western North Carolina about 20 minutes from Mars Hill and 40 minutes north of Asheville. The property features miles of hiking trails and fresh mountain creeks. Most of the trails cut through a dense young forest featuring plentiful birch, hemlock, poplar, dogwood, black locust and at least one chestnut tree. The property is on the site of William Clee Metcalf’s homestead, whose family were active members of the Mars Hill community starting in the early 19th century. Metcalfs still live in the area around RMC. There is an old tobacco barn on property, to remind visitors of some of the land’s history.
Currently the Residency features a quaint 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom house with a large studio. There is a nascent vegetable garden, a number of fruit trees, and plentiful wineberry and blueberry bushes. A caretaker who lives on property helps to maintain the grounds and takes care of the herd of Nigerian dwarf goats.
Five-Year Plan
Within five years of inception, the Residency will also offer its residents a large workshop, studio and project space in a barn, to be built down the hill from the main house. 3 more dwellings will increase the residency’s capacity, and hiking trails will be more established.
A caretaker will live on property, caring for the goats and cultivating a vegetable garden and the existing orchard. The caretaker will maintain the grounds and cook a meal for the residents once per week. The caretaker also coordinates residents’ efforts to help with the work of the farm. The founders, residents and caretaker will organize a twice yearly community meal, during which community members and guests can visit the residency.
The caretaker models how many have lived in these mountains for generations, with rhythms closely attuned to the land and the seasons. The founders, like the artists we invite, are not farmers, but we believe that there is a way to live more independently, simply and resiliently.
