Helene Recovery: Finding My Studio Home After the Storm

Finding My Studio Home After the Storm

When I moved to Asheville in late 2019, I had big dreams of diving into the creative heartbeat of this city. My plan was simple: start in my home studio, then transition into a working studio in the River Arts District (RAD). I craved the energy of being surrounded by other artists, much like the vibrant community I had left behind in Georgia.

But then the world shut down. Covid put those dreams on hold, and like so many, I made do by painting from my home studio. Still, I longed for more—more connection, more collaboration, more of that spark that only comes from being part of a larger artist collective.

A Spark in the River Arts District

In April 2024, things began to shift. I signed up for a linocut printing workshop at the Asheville Print Studio and Gallery in RiverView Station, right in the RAD. That class opened up a whole new world for me. I fell in love with the process of printmaking, the carving, the ink, the unexpected magic of each print. One workshop led to exhibiting at the gallery and eventually joining their shared studio space.

For six months, I threw myself into the work—expanding my skills, building a new portfolio, and nurturing the hope that I’d soon find a permanent painting studio in the RAD. It finally felt like things were falling into place.

Then Came Hurricane Helene

Pictured: RAD building where I created the linocut monotypes for my Formation series, destroyed by Hurricane Helene on September 27th, 2024.

On September 27th, 2024, everything changed. Hurricane Helene tore through Western North Carolina, flooding RAD, RiverView Station, and with it, the gallery and shared studio I had come to love. Overnight, everything shut down. The creative home I had been working toward was gone, and so were the dreams of many other artists in our community.

At home, life wasn’t much easier. We went 53 days without running water and two weeks without electricity. Like so many in WNC, survival mode took over. Art—once my daily rhythm—had to wait while we all figured out how to put life back together again.

Hope on the Horizon

But artists are resilient. And sometimes, when one door closes (or in this case, floods), another opens. In November 2024, I stumbled across an article in MountainXpress that gave me a glimmer of hope. The former Moog Factory building, that big brick icon in my Five Points neighborhood, was being reimagined as studio spaces for working artists.

Curiosity got the best of me, so I went to an information session. The vision was everything I had been waiting for: an artist collective with gallery space and studios designed to foster community. As I walked through the space—sunlight pouring in from large windows, old creaky wood floors underfoot, steel beams stretching across loft ceilings—I knew instantly. This was it. This was the place I had been waiting for.

A New Beginning at Resurrection Studios Collective

I didn’t hesitate. I signed a lease and claimed Studio 2C as my creative home. Since March 2025, I’ve been happily and productively working in Resurrection Studios Collective in Downtown Asheville. Every day, I’m surrounded by the hum of creativity, the energy of fellow artists, and the joy of finally realizing the dream I’ve been chasing since 2019.

Hurricane Helene may have temporarily washed away one chapter, but it also cleared the path to this new beginning. And now, from my light-filled studio in Asheville, I get to create, teach, and share my art with a community that has already given me so much.

Looking Ahead With Gratitude

As I look around my new studio space, I can’t help but feel an overwhelming mix of gratitude and excitement. This path has had its fair share of detours—pandemics, hurricanes, and setbacks—but it’s also been filled with resilience, community, and a whole lot of paint. Thank you for being here, for supporting me, and for following along as I step fully into this next chapter. My dream of a full-time career as an artist is finally ready to take off and flourish, and I can’t wait to share every brushstroke of the journey with you.

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