River Arts District Revives Creative Spirit With Successful RADfest

On a sunny weekend in November, art lovers flocked to Asheville’s River Arts District (RAD) to celebrate the launch of RADfest 1.0. The district’s soft opening brought its once-bustling streets back to life as visitors and artists gathered to enjoy local music, participate in live demonstrations, and wander through open studios. Less than two months after Hurricane Helene unleashed its fury, damaging approximately 80 percent of the RAD’s warehouses, galleries, and studios, the heart of Asheville's creative community is determined to rise again.

The RiverLink Bridge, an essential link between downtown and West Asheville, served as a literal and symbolic gateway to the festivities. Jeffrey Burroughs, President of River Arts District Artists, emphasized the event’s importance not just for artists but for the entire community, stating, “We wanted to do something to show our resiliency and to celebrate our community and also give an opportunity for locals to come and support us to ensure that we can persevere through one of the most challenging times, economically, emotionally, and physically.”

A weekly art market debuted alongside the soft opening weekend at Pine Gate Renewables on Roberts Street. This initiative aims to support displaced artists by providing them with a venue to showcase and sell their work. RADfest comes at a critical time for these artists, who make “70 percent of their sales” between October and December—Asheville’s busiest tourist season. “I think it’s very important to the community, the entire community, the Asheville community to be able to come to the River Arts District again,” says Kim Hundertmark, director of the River Arts District Artists (RADA) Foundation.

To learn how you can help the RAD recover, visit the RADA Foundation website here. Then, scroll through to meet the artists who made RADfest 1.0 a success.

Molly Walter + Clayspace

During RADfest, Clayspace Co-op invited artists displaced by Helene to share their gallery space. The beloved ceramics studio on Roberts Street survived the storm “basically untouched,” according to Clayspace artist Molly Walter. “We were just excited to see people out again, but I didn't anticipate how heartwarming it was going to be to see the huge crowds—like hundreds if not thousands of people showed up.”

Molly, a member of Clayspace for three years, believes that RADfest sales matched or bested the busiest autumn weekends of previous years. “People haven’t been spending here the last month,” she says, attributing the boom in sales to Asheville’s tight-knit arts community. “To see my friends back in ClaySpace, everyone out enjoying themselves, and the amount of support we had yesterday was wonderful.”

“I definitely cried,” she adds. “Everyone was smiling. It was like the whole city was out for us.”

Shop Clayspace artists here.

Cassie Butcher + Curve Studios

When Cassie Butcher’s friend invited her to share a table at CURVE studios & garden 16 years ago, the young sculptor was petrified. She took the leap anyway, making a home for herself in the historic brick building on River Arts Place. Then, floodwaters from Helene submerged the warehouse and surrounding garden in muddy water, displacing 11 artists—including Cassie—just before tourist season.

“CURVE wasn’t just a place of work for me; it was a community that grew and grew and grew,” writes Cassie in an Instagram post. She reflects on her 16 years there, mentioning every artist she’s shared studio space with, including Penny Clark, the friend who initially invited her. Now, as CURVE works to rehome its displaced artists, Penny has extended another invitation to Cassie at a crucial moment, asking the sculptor to share her studio space at 375 Depot Street.

During RADfest, visitors crowded around Cassie’s colorful booth at Pine Gate Renewables to see her ceramic figure sculptures, or “Soul Survivors,” as she calls them. “I use the word ‘souls’ to describe the basic figures that are the starting point for all of my work because I feel it touches on the essence of who everyone is,” she says. “We all experience joy, pain, suffering, sorrow, and love.”

Shop Cassie Butcher on Etsy.

Asher Holman + Small Batch Glass

Asher Holman of Small Batch Glass was out of town when Helene hit the RAD. Thankfully, his Craven Street building escaped the flooding that destroyed landmarks like CURVE studios, Marquee, and Riverview Station. Despite their luck, Small Batch Glass shuttered its doors for weeks until the city restored power and water. “There was no point in working,” says Asher, who spent his downtown in the weeks following the storm checking in with friends and helping where he could.

Asher, a San Francisco transplant, worked in multiple glass studios before opening Small Batch Glass in 2023. “We've always loved the River Arts District and wanted to be a part of the community here,” he says.

Since the storm, business at Small Batch Glass has been slow; the gallery has received only one visitor in the six weeks between Helene and RADfest. All that changed during RADfest as hundreds of visitors clamored to see Asher’s colorful handblown glassware. “We have to figure out how to survive right now,” he says, noting that Small Batch Glass is still in its infancy as a business. “[RADfest] is a good way to get the word out.”

Shop Small Batch Glass here.

Carlos Marrero + Marquee

Former Marquee artist Carlos Marrero lost his gallery space when the enormous Foundy Street warehouse flooded. “I won’t sugarcoat it; I’m exhausted,” the fashion illustrator writes in an Instagram post just one day after RADfest weekend. “But through it all, I’m reminded of the incredible power of resilience. Life throws curveballs, and somehow, we find the strength to keep going. I know that strength is in me, and I’ll get through this, one step at a time.”

At RADfest, Carlos presented his new line, the Marrero Collection. One standout item is the Blue Ridge oblong scarf (pictured), a luxurious blend of cotton and silk that Carlos describes as his favorite piece. “The Blue Ridge is known for being shrouded in a lovely bluish haze, especially when seen from a distance,” he says of his inspiration. “What a view that needed to be a subtle scarf!”

Shop Carlos Marrero here.

This feature has been edited for length and clarity. All photos published with permission of Michael Freas Photography.