Public Message to donors, members, families, and friends:
Dear Leaf Community,
For more than 25 years, Leaf has brought people together through arts, culture, education, and community. We are deeply grateful to everyone who has made that work possible—our staff, artists, teaching artists, participants, families, volunteers, members, donors, funders, partners, and friends.
Despite sustained efforts to address significant financial challenges (starting with COVID and exacerbated by Hurricane Helene, the reduction in arts and education funding, and a reduction in membership and donor contributions) and careful consideration of the available alternatives, Leaf’s Board of Directors has made the difficult decision that Leaf will cease operations in its current form on August 21, 2026.
This decision is based on the organization’s financial circumstances. It does not diminish the strength of Leaf’s mission, the quality of its programming, or the extraordinary contributions of its staff and community. Recent accomplishments including a fantastic event at Pisgah Brewing, continued recognition from the National Endowment for the Arts, and the steadfast outpouring of Leaf community support make this moment especially heartbreaking.
The Board intends to keep Leaf’s 501(c)(3) organization active while we explore whether its programming and mission can continue through another organization. Those conversations are ongoing, and no transition has yet been finalized. We will share confirmed information when we are able to do so.
We know this news will bring sadness and many questions. We will communicate directly with people affected by specific programs, commitments, or contributions as information becomes available.
To the entire Leaf Community: Thank you for believing in Leaf and for being part of the community it has nurtured for more than a quarter century. Wherever the future leads us, the relationships, experiences, and impact created through Leaf will remain deeply meaningful.
With gratitude,
Mike Hale
President, Leaf Global Arts Board of Directors
Monthly Artist
ReLeaf Concerts
When the Music Stops, We Step In
In the wake of Hurricane Helene, Artists ReLEAF Concerts exist to keep our local artistic spirit alive. Artists are the heart and soul of our region: the performers and creatives who uplift our youth and bring joy, love, and light to every gathering. Led by the Dan Lucas Memorial Fund, 100% of every gift goes directly to local WNC and Leaf artists in need.
Discover the world, one class at a time.
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Discover the world, one class at a time. *
From drumming and dance to guitar and singing, our weekly classes turn ordinary evenings into cultural experiences. No experience? No worries - each class is designed to welcome beginners and lifelong learners alike.
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Summer Camp 2026
June 15 - August 14Starting at $300/weekScholarships Available!
Get involved
Leaf's Volunteer program brings our events to life through 600+ volunteers a year. At large-scale events, Leaf’s Work Exchange program (WeX) participants fill the roles that make Leaf Festivals possible before, during, and after each event. Beyond festivals, program support volunteers keep Leaf’s Downtown AVL location at 19 Eagle St. thriving every day.
Leaf Interns play an important role in supporting core staff and advancing our mission. Working alongside team members across a variety of departments, interns gain hands-on experience while contributing to programs, events, marketing, education, operations, and other initiatives that strengthen our year-round impact.
Leaf membership places you inside a global community rooted in cultural curiosity, education, and preservation. Your membership directly fuels programs that create real impact: supporting cultural traditions across 10 countries, bringing arts education into local classrooms, and aiding musicians and visual artists recovering from the Helene floods. It's meaningful support, sustained year-round by people who believe in the arts.
Leaf partners and sponsors play a vital role in bringing Leaf's programs and experiences to life. By contributing financial support, in-kind resources, or collaborative expertise, partners help make arts and cultural programming more accessible while connecting with engaged audiences and demonstrating their commitment to a thriving, creative community.
Since 2018, Leaf and Buncombe County Schools (BCS) have been a Kennedy Center Partners in Education team as only the third organization ever selected from North Carolina. Together, we place more than 30 year-round Resident Teaching Artists in BCS classrooms, delivering theatre, music, art, and dance from around the world. Twice each year, international visiting artists enrich these residencies through immersive cultural experiences that broaden students' perspectives and deepen their understanding of global traditions.
Leaf International partners with established local organizations in the communities where we work — acting as catalyst and ally, not author. We believe people already possess the fullest expression of themselves; our role is to create the conditions for them to realize it. It's authentic collaboration, rooted in community.
International Outreach
At LEAF International, culture is a living torch passed hand to hand across generations. Across 10 countries in Africa, the Americas, and the Caribbean, LEAF partners with local Culture Keepers to teach traditional arts to youth in their own groups.
Programs are owned and led by the people they serve — preserving what makes each place unique while empowering youth as global citizens. From the Intore drum of Rwanda to the Guna Yala flute of Panama, from the steel pan of Bequia to the marimba of El Tejar. More than 630 youth learn traditional arts each week.
OUR MISSION
30 Years of Magic: How One Woman's Travels Through Africa & India Built a Global Arts Empire
