A pop-up gallery featured and sponsored by Ponce City Market
Growing up along Biltmore Avenue in Asheville, I had no idea that the area was situated well below sea level, nor did I understand the definition of sea level itself.
But this past September, Hurricane Helene, the worst hurricane to ever strike Western North Carolina, helped me realize and accurately define what sea level is. Due to Hurricane Helene, flooding in the Biltmore area reached a height of 24.67 feet, resulting in widespread devastation. Everything was wiped out; everything is gone.
Now three months later, the Western North Carolina community is working together to repair their lives by helping each other get on their feet.
One such organization is the River Arts District (RAD), a community of old abandoned warehouses and mills that sits along the French Broad River in the Biltmore area. A 501(c)(3), RAD’s mission is “to foster and advance the arts in Asheville’s River Arts District by supporting the efforts of the River Arts District Artists (RADA) organization.”
Kimberly Hundertmark, Executive Director of RAD shares, “The RAD membership organization was incorporated in 2013. It had about 300 members before the storm. The Foundation, a 501(c)(3), was incorporated this year so we could raise funds to support the creative community in the RAD.”
Hundertmark goes on to share that the hurricane destroyed 80% of the studios and galleries in the River Arts District. “It damaged the workspace and ruined finished work. Hundertmark says, “Fall is our big season to sell work, and every artist in the RAD lost sales. My studio had a foot of water in it, and we were on the second floor of Riverview Station, a building with 60+ studios.”
As the city of Asheville and RAD work on making the community safer after Hurricane Helene, they have gone mobile and taken the show on the road to promote their community and their artists.
Partnering with Atlanta’s popular Ponce City Market, RAD has been provided a pop-up art gallery space to showcase their artist and their work. The gallery is open from December 6th through the 29th. Thursday-Sunday.
“We have a pop-up in Atlanta thanks to Ponce City Market, they donated the space and a place for us to stay while we are here, The Radical Hotel in the RAD. They brought the art down and organized the opening, Explore Asheville did the marketing and helped with the opening, and we as the River Arts District Artists are showing work and managing the gallery,” says Hundertmark.
RAD is working hard to make the community better for their artist and for everyone to enjoy their art, “We are rebuilding, studios reopen every month, and hopefully by this time next year most of the River Arts District will be open or close to reopening, says Hundertmark. The district will be open or close to reopening, says Hundertmark. “Asheville is open, though downtown is waiting for visitors, as is most of Western North Carolina. Come visit the mountains and purchase some art from RAD artists! Check out riverartsdistrict.com and donate or buy art, and find us on Facebook and Instagram and follow us!”
If you would like to contact Kim Hundertmark and learn more about RAD or offer assistance. She can be reached by email at: ex***************@ri**************.com.