This week’s guest is Billy Smith, an accomplished artist from Brevard, NC. Billy has painted murals all over Western NC. He is the president of the Transylvania County Arts Council, the county where Brevard is located. Billy teaches art to people of all ages, from 5 to 95, in his private studio in Brevard. He also teaches art to students in the Transylvania County schools. Billy is dedicated to beautifying and improving his community and was the driving force behind creating regulations and policies for murals and public art in Brevard, which previously had no such guidelines for artists and property owners to follow.

Billy joins us today to talk about his work and specifically a mural he painted in Hendersonville, NC titled “A Youthful Journey Up 7th Avenue,” which celebrates the life and culture of an important historical neighborhood in that town.