Since 2021, Mars Landing Galleries had been a standout gallery for the works of over 35 visual artists living and working in and around Western North Carolina. As a clear destination for art enthusiasts along with a newly expanding arts program, Mars Landing Arts Center (MLAC) debuted in February 2026. Encompassing 9000 SF, MLAC now hosts live performances, film screenings, and workshops, in addition to art exhibitions. The center also provides affordable & flexible working studios for artists.
Originally built in 1945 as a roller skating rink, the building boasts beautifully restored original Southern Maple hardwood floors, high exposed-wood ceilings, and a scenic location nestled one block off the historic Main Street of Mars Hill, NC. Nestled between the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains, Mars Hill is enveloped by rolling hills, picturesque old tobacco barns, pastures, flower farms, hiking trails, and is home to the Bailey Mountain Preserve.
Owner Miryam Rojas. Photo: Colby Rabon
Mars Landing was conceived by Miryam Rojas, a Peruvian-American originally from Rye, New York. As a child, Rojas collected Architectural Digest magazines, accompanied her father to antique auctions, and aspired to be an interior designer. By the age of 14, Rojas taught herself to interpret blueprints as the family renovated their 1924 Mediterranean Revival home. By the time she earned a B.A. with a Dual Major in Art History and Fine Arts, Rojas had already interned at a television network, a commercial production company, a museum, an art gallery, a travel magazine, and a designer fabric showroom.
Lured down the East Coast after college, Rojas spent over 16 years freelancing as an Art Director in the Television and Film industry in South Florida. A persistent fascination with architecture and real estate led her early on to a side hustle in commercial real estate renovation. She most enjoyed rehabilitating properties and aligning their potential within a neighborhood.
Western North Carolina was an immediate draw for Rojas due, in part, to the collaborative creative communities. With long waiting lists at many local art gallery spaces, she noticed many talented artists who lacked real public exposure. Rojas imagined that Mars Hill, perfectly situated close to Asheville and among incredible arts communities, such as Spruce Pine, Marshall, Weaverville, and Burnsville, could be a pivotal destination for both art enthusiasts and artists alike. And so, Mars Landing was born.