Beyond the Storm: 6 Asheville Artists Reflect on Their Losses in Helene’s Aftermath
‘The biggest impact on me and my family is a loss of income as we move forward through these next few months without much tourism.’
Three days before Hurricane Helene hit Western North Carolina, approximately 60 artists with studio space at Riverview Station in Asheville’s River Arts District (RAD) received an alert. The furious tunnel of wind and water that slashed through Western North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains in late September 2024 would be no ordinary storm. “We prepared accordingly,” says Cynthia Llanes, a painter whose Riverview Station studio suffered extensive damage. “Nobody knew or expected the extent of damage Helene would cause.”
By Sept. 28, floodwaters from the French Broad River had turned the RAD into an apocalyptic wasteland dotted with soggy artwork and crumbling infrastructure. When floodwaters receded, artists ventured into the once-colorful neighborhood to find their cherished galleries, restaurants, and studios filled with mud and debris. Riverview Station, a two-story 1902-era warehouse packed with galleries and studios, was dark and quiet, strewn with soaked prints and puddles of water. “It was heartbreaking,” says Cynthia, who salvaged as much of her artwork and supplies as possible from the muddy detritus inside her studio.
Earlier this year, long before Helene flooded her studio, Cynthia Llanes joined ArtsvilleUSA’s artist mentorship program, the Virtual Gallery of Artists (VGA), to expand her painting practice. Designed as a three-month arts business training program including a group exhibition and promotion, the VGA provides a cohort of emerging Western North Carolina artists with marketing, creative support, and shared learning experiences. Cynthia exhibited “Summer’s Glow,” an impasto landscape painted in her now-defunct studio at Riverview Station. “While I was fortunate that some of my paintings were spared, the damage to my space, equipment, and materials has been overwhelming,” she says. “The building itself will be unusable for the foreseeable future, and there’s no timeline yet for rebuilding.”
Many VGA participants suffered similar losses across Western North Carolina. Even artists whose studios escaped ruin, like Amy Massey, feel the economic fallout: “The biggest impact on me and my family is a loss of income as we move forward through these next few months without much tourism.” As our colleague freelance photojournalist Michael Freas tells us, “[Asheville is] a tourist-centric area that just had its busiest season taken away.”
Scroll through to read artists’ stories and discover how to support ArtsvilleUSA artists during Asheville’s usually busy tourist season. Your help can make a real difference in their recovery.
Amy Massey
Amy Massey’s space in Wedge Studios is one of few RAD studios that emerged from the storm unscathed. A massage therapist, skilled painter, and VGA graduate, Amy creates ethereal watercolors informed by the physical and emotional sensations of her therapeutic bodywork. While her husband’s studio at Clayspace also dodged any long-term damage, Amy remains apprehensive about their future in Asheville over the coming months. “My husband and I are both artists and work side jobs put on hold by the hurricane,” she tells ArtsvilleUSA. “Any additional support in helping bring in art sales for me would be enormously helpful for my family.”
Support Amy Massey: Chock full of gorgeous (and affordable) prints, Amy’s online shop is a dream come true for nature lovers with too much bare space on their walls. Our picks: “Tenacity” and “Patchwork,” both created in Helene’s immediate aftermath; Amy pledges 20 percent of proceeds from these works to Beloved Asheville and WNC ROAR. Shop Amy Massey here.
Cynthia Llanes
Cynthia Llanes’ Riverview Station studio was devastated by stormwaters that rose 27 feet. A graduating member of our spring 2024 VGA, Cynthia creates vibrant plein-air paintings that highlight the natural beauty of Asheville and Western North Carolina. Her lush landscapes, painted in thick impasto, invite onlookers into a magical realm of heightened color and texture.
“The art community is determined to recover and rebuild,” Cynthia tells ArtsvilleUSA. “But all these will take time and resources. And we can’t do this alone. Your support will help me find a new studio space or provide new alternative opportunities to share my art, replace essential equipment, and replenish damaged art supplies and promotional materials.”
Support Cynthia Llanes: Shop Cynthia’s original plein-air watercolors for a truly one-of-a-kind Christmas present. Our pick: “30 Seconds of Calm”—because we could all use half a minute of peace and quiet right now. Shop Cynthia Llanes here or visit her GoFundMe.
Elizabeth Walton (Red Ren Jewelry)
As the creative force behind Red Ren Jewelry, VGA graduate Elizabeth Walton creates elegant pieces inspired by the “slow yet systematic growth of nature into something magnificent.”
Before Helene hit, Elizabeth was scheduled as the studio assistant for a six-week metalsmithing workshop at Penland School of Craft. “Helene hit WNC as I was packing for the class, and understandably, the class was canceled,” Elizabeth tells ArtsvilleUSA. “I had been preparing and looking forward to this for over a year. While there truly was no other choice, this cancellation left a gaping hole. I lost the opportunity for what could have been.”
Still, Elizabeth has begun to “forge a relationship with grief” that allows her to feel honest gratitude toward the disruption. “Though it is not always welcome, I am coming to view disruption differently,” she says. “In the wake of Helene, there is so much I feel profoundly grateful for—and as I slowly access gratitude through waves of grief, I feel more convinced that engaging in the disruptions is how I find dynamic hope in the midst of it all.”
Support Elizabeth Walton: What better gift for your loved ones than handmade jewelry? Inspired by butterflies and hydrangea flowers, Elizabeth’s minimalist silver rings, earrings, and pendants capture the nuances of the natural world. Our pick: butterfly-inspired statement earrings! Shop Elizabeth Walton here.
Erin Keane
Combining photography with encaustic techniques, Erin Keane explores the “elasticity of light” in her luminous paintings. As a bookbinder, she experiments with stitching and binding techniques, designing innovative “book sculptures” that honor books as an art form.
Erin is an original member of the Sand Hill Artist Collective, an early version of ArtsvilleUSA founded in 2019. She was also an instructor and exhibitor at Riverview Station until Helene flooded the industrial warehouse beyond use. “I am grateful that my house and home studio were safe, and my other galleries were safe,” says Erin, who also exhibits at Bakersville’s still-operating Penland Gallery (online only, with 100 percent of proceeds benefiting artists) and Brevard’s Lucy Clark Gallery. “I count myself very lucky, all things considered, and am trying to pay forward funds to 310 ART to get their programs up and running again.”
Support Erin Keane: Purchase artwork directly from Erin, and she’ll donate 40 percent of the proceeds toward 310 ART’s recovery fund. Our pick: Erin’s “mini panels” shop, featuring pint-sized, made-to-order works on wood. Shop Erin Keane here.
Max Cooper (Max Cooper Photography)
Like many wedding and family photographers in Asheville, Max Cooper will lose “an entire autumn’s income.” A WNC native who says he’ll “carry on with whatever’s left,” Max shoots in a journalistic style that allows the story behind his images to shine through. “Having been so fortunate—family safe, house intact—in the wake of the storm, I’m struggling to find my place in our community’s landscape of grief,” Max tells ArtsvilleUSA. “The pockets of the rivers that I know so well, the waterfalls where I’ve stood with my shutter open, every rock and root under which I’ve cast for trout—these places are now ghastly deformations if they are still there at all. In many places, the rivers themselves have carved new beds. Over time, the mountains will recover, as will their people, but we’ll all move forward on new paths.”
Support Max Cooper: Black and white photography, how do we love thee? Let us count the ways with help from Max Cooper’s online shop. Our pick: “The Craggy Pinnacle Birch,” a luminous black-and-white print whose proceeds benefit a patron who lost everything in Hurricane Helene. Shop Max Cooper here.
Wendy Newman
Photographer, fashion designer, and VGA graduate Wendy Newman is perhaps best known for her colorful umbrellas, still hanging above the wreckage at Marquee in the RAD. “We are survivors and thrivers, and we will again,” says Wendy, who occupied a space inside the now-decimated Marquee warehouse.
Using her photographs of Asheville to create mandalas, Wendy splashes her designs on popular scarves, leggings, kimonos, and kaftan tops. She urges art lovers to keep Asheville artists in mind as the holiday season approaches: “Think of all the local artists this year during your holiday shopping and gift planning. Keep your dollars here and help the local artists get back on their feet.”
Support Wendy Newman: We could spend hours in Wendy’s online shop marveling at her kaleidoscopic designs. Our pick: an umbrella, of course, for protection from sun and rain. Shop Wendy Newman here.
This feature has been edited for length and clarity. All photos published with permission of the artist(s). Featured photo: Michael Freas Photography