In city of asheville Efforts have begun to clean up the areas destroyed by the historic and catastrophic flooding of the French Broad River: volunteers, fire crews and Latino workers are searching and clearing the remains of offices, art studios and restaurants from the mud and rubble.
North Carolina's most famous arts district has been reduced to rubble: An estimated 80 percent of the buildings were damaged or destroyed by the flooding caused by Helene.
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Efforts to recover works of art
The RAD -as it is known in Asheville- is home to more than 300 art studios, an area that could be defined as the spirit of the city and for which it has been recognized throughout its history: a refuge for artists and artisans who turned what were abandoned industries into a thriving artistic center.
Since Friday, the community has rallied around artists' efforts to recover what remains of their artwork.
Since then, hundreds of people wearing boots, gloves and face masks have waded into the mud that has accumulated at the studios and have begun cleaning up the devastated area over the weekend.
River Arts District, a volunteer cleanup
At the 310 Art gallery, local artist Bridget Benton — covered in mud, wearing a white hard hat, yellow raincoats, gloves and high boots — takes out her damaged works and hands them to volunteers, who carefully arrange the art in a temporary location. The scene is repeated in all the studios.
Jennifer Pearson runs an art framing business in Asheville called Frugal Framers. Her business was not damaged by the floods, but the devastation to her friends' and clients' art studios was total.
Last Friday, he arrived early to the RAD area known as Foundation, home to the community skatepark, the famous 12 Bones restaurant, and art studios like Marquee, Jonas Gerard Fine Art, and Riverview Station.
“I love our community. And our art community is an incredible part of our community. And right now they need a lot of help. Everyone needs help,” said Jennifer Pearson as she received paintings and objects from artist Bridget Benton in what was once her art studio.
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“We must keep moving forward, not get discouraged.”
Among the volunteers was also a Latino family. Javier Trego Sanchez is Mexican but has lived in Buncombe County, in the Weaverville area - north of Asheville - since 1993. He was in the River Arts District working as a volunteer with his family.
Trego Sánchez is a painter, and although he's currently unemployed as a result of the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, he's optimistic about the future: "We have to keep moving forward, not get discouraged, as long as nothing happens to us, the rest is material things."
He, his son Steven and daughter-in-law Janet Brock spent the day helping clean up the River Arts District, a family favorite spot for a weekend stroll that now needs the help of the entire community.
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