When you think of Asheville, North Carolina, you think of the River Arts District (RAD). Situated along the historic French Broad River, the district has been a haven for the creative since the 1980s. Hundreds of artists - from photographers and painters to sculptors and jewelry makers – have made their home within the mile-long section of the riverfront, setting up their studios, storefronts and booths for shoppers eager to find unique, crafted pieces.
The artists never anticipated the impact of Hurricane Helene, which slammed into Western North Carolina (WNC) on Sept. 27, causing the French Broad to reach a record-breaking 24.67 feet high.
“We didn’t really know what was happening [during and after the storm],” said Kimberly Hundertmark, who is a glass artist in the district. Her studio was on the second floor of Riverview Station, one of many historic buildings in the RAD. After boarding up her shop and spending a couple of days at home after the hurricane hit, she ventured out.
"We can see our studio window and the water is up to the top of the stairs on the second floor. We knew at that point that this was horrible, and water was in the studio."
“We had friends who had power up on Riverside …so we went there. We were overlooking Riverview Station and we could see our studio window…” She paused to fight back tears. “We can see our studio window and the water is up to the top of the stairs on the second floor. We knew at that point that this was horrible, and water was in the studio.”
Hundertmark, whose artist name is Kim Self, lost her studio space, 30 years’ worth of glass art designs and approximately $1,000 of artistry books, many of which are no longer in print.
Unfortunately, she wasn’t alone. Hundertmark also serves as the executive director of the River Arts District Artists, Inc. (RADA), a non-profit member organization made up of more than 300 local artists. Following the storm, she checked on artists throughout the district.
“About 80% of the studios were damaged or lost,” she said. “14 of 24 buildings were severely damaged.”
To make matters worse, the hurricane hit right at the beginning of the peak selling season for the RAD artists, washing away a significant portion of their yearly income.
“Our biggest season as artists is from October through December,” said Hundertmark. “We make 70% of our sales in the final part of the year.”
As a company that calls North Carolina home – and one that started as a small business itself - Lowe’s knew it could help. On Nov. 30, Small Business Saturday, Lowe’s hosted a Holiday Pop-Up event at its store in West Asheville, featuring 27 artists (including two Lowe’s associates) from the RAD who were impacted by the storm. Lowe’s supplied the participating artisans with $1,000 grants to help replenish their supplies and inventory, and a table and tent at the event to sell both existing pieces and commissions.
Hundreds of shoppers browsed the market as festive Christmas music played, looking at everything from hand-blown glass vases and ceramic balloons to wooden cutting boards and energy-infused gemstone bracelets. Event attendees also enjoyed food from The Smokin’ Onion, a local restaurant that closed its storefront to send its food truck out to support the event.
And while shoppers left with smiling faces and gifts checked off their holiday lists, the artists were even more enthused.
Spencer Beals is a full-time sketch artist whose studio was completely decimated by flooding. Despite losing most of his original paintings, art and vendor supplies, and more, he was all smiles at the event as he talked about his Holiday Pop-Up experience.
“And any opportunity to sell, particularly around the holidays, is huge. And there’s been great traffic today, I’ve made a bunch of sales … I’m really grateful for the opportunity.”
“We love $1,000!” Beals laughed. “And any opportunity to sell, particularly around the holidays, is huge. And there’s been great traffic today, I’ve made a bunch of sales … I’m really grateful for the opportunity.”
That gratitude was echoed by other artists around the event. Melanie Saint-Jean, a jewelry maker who owns Of Sage and Stone, appreciated the financial boost from the grant and the chance to mingle with the community at the pop-up. While at the event, she met the owner of a local salt cave, who asked if she was interested in providing wholesale orders of her Mediation, Reiki and Yoga jewelry. That’s a connection that might not have been possible without the opportunity from Lowe’s.
“Lowe’s has definitely set a precedence for its support of the community [following the storm],” said Saint-Jean. “I hope other companies will follow.”
And while there is still work to do to help the RAD and the greater WNC area rebuild, little by little, hope is being restored.
“You know, artists are not always into big corporations,” said Carlos Marrero, owner of the Marrero Collection, which features silk scarves imprinted with his own designs. “This [the pop-up] has changed the minds of a lot of us, because there is a heart here. I feel joy, connection, hope … yeah, hope.”
Although select parts of the RAD are temporarily closed to recover, there are sections of the district, now featuring even some of the impacted artisans, that are open for business!
The Holiday Pop-Up is part of Lowe’s $12 million pledge to support relief and recovery efforts in the wake of the devastation in WNC from Hurricane Helene and the extensive damage from Hurricane Milton in Florida. Lowe’s also recently supported WNC small businesses and communities through Thanksgiving meal donations.
