Arts Revival

Artist Alan Shuptrine and author Jennifer Pharr Davis team up in their 2019 coffee table book, I Come from a Place, to celebrate the Appalachian region:  “This is a place that encourages creativity and collaboration.  There is room enough in these hills for differing ideas and styles to be defined and combined.  This is a land of life and creation, a long ridge of possibilities.” With a legacy of creativity and resilience, artists in the River Arts District (RAD) of Asheville, NC, have reflected this spirit since the mid-1980s.  Home to over 500 artists, the District continues to progress as the region approaches the September 24th second anniversary of Hurricane Helene.

Asheville photographer Elizabeth Beck of Daylily Photography notes the unrivaled charm of the area: “The RAD was always an ideal backdrop for shoots.  After the community came together to rebuild, I was excited to come back and take photos.  Helene couldn’t take away the magic that the RAD has, and I love to capture that magic.” Although the buildings and landscape of the area have evolved in the wake of Helene’s destructive force, the RAD community remains a true reflection of another cornerstone of Appalachia—generosity.

Reports estimate that about 80% of the River Arts District was destroyed by Helene, leaving community members in limbo as they worked to clear the ruins while considering their futures. Asheville architect Robert Todd of Red House Architecture shares the over-whelming struggle: “It was heartbreaking and exhausting to the owners, seeing that destruction and trying to decide what are my next steps.”

Jannette Montenegro, owner of Cotton Mill Studios, considers Todd and his team essential in helping her and others navigate through the destruction. “Robert and his team were instrumental in guiding us through this tough time from day one.  Our son’s food truck was washed away, and he was out there helping us locate it. Robert was also on site at the Cotton Mill with heavy machinery (a skid steer), days after the water receded.  He helped move out debris and mud away from the building for days!”  Having experienced the 2004 Asheville flood, Todd knows firsthand the emotional turmoil associated with such events.  “You are just there to help.  You get them over that hump, and there’s hugs and tears. Once you get it mucked out and dried out, then things can calm down for a moment, and you can assess.  What are we going to do now?”

For the Cotton Mill owners, this meant rebuilding. “Our goal was never just to restore a building—it was to honor a piece of Asheville’s history and keep the story of this beautiful old Cotton Mill alive for generations to come. The restoration process itself was both meticulous and deeply collaborative, involving careful preservation of original materials like the 1887 original floors and thoughtful updates to ensure the space could safely support modern artistic use and the return of our son's Cuban food concept (Guajiro Cuban Comfort Food) as a fully-functioning restaurant. The building’s bones and structure proved sound, marking the second time it has overcome a major flood since 1916. We’re planning to welcome the community back on September 12, also RAD Resilience Day.  More than any single event, this moment is about honoring community, resilience, celebrating the artists who bring this space to life, and recognizing everyone who helped make its return possible.”

Two of those artists are Jonathan Bidwell and Amanda McLenon, who share studio space in the newly renovated Cotton Mill Studios. Bidwell relates some of their journey in the aftermath of Helene. “After the storm and all of the flooding, Amanda lost her studio in the Arts District. I, in turn, lost my apartment in Swannanoa. So, she moved into my studio space, and I moved into her house, and we really teamed up to survive the harrowing months after the storm. Our ability to work together and understand each other's needs has been really amazing. We both survived by the skin of our teeth, but we continued to make our art and expand our offerings.”

Artist Sara Moser of Warehouse Studios echoes Bidwell’s sentiments. “The RAD community has been so important to me ever since I moved to Asheville in 2016 and even more so after the devastation of Helene in 2024. I was able to find a new studio space to share with a few of my artist colleagues who also lost their space, and we all support and encourage one another as we go through the slow process of rebuilding.”

Encaustic artist Lynn Bergman Blass of Pink Dog Studios has called Asheville home for 13 years, but remarks that she “fell in love with the area even more after Helene” as she witnessed the resilience and willingness to help one another in the community.

The Rivers Arts community is open and celebrating their recent designation as “The Best Arts District in the Nation.”  Selected as part of the USA Today’s 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards, RAD offers a packed calendar of live music and events, art exhibits and demonstrations, workshops and classes, and the French Broad River Greenway with public art and murals on display. Experience the creative comeback by planning your visit on riverartsdistrict.com.