ASHEVILLE, N.C. – As the floodwaters from Tropical Storm Helene poured into Asheville’s River Arts District, Erica Schaffel watched in horror from the relative safety of the Haywood Bridge.
She watched as years of creativity washed away. Works of art floated downstream among the debris — bright splashes of color in the murky water. Beloved spaces were steadily inundated with the incessant rain. Schaffel and her partner despaired at the devastation.
Two months later, Schaffel’s dark eyes fill with tears as she recounts the story in an interview at her new gallery space — St. Claire Gallery on Depot Street. But from loss, she has found hope. A few weeks ago, Schaffel launched a project that aims to give new life to the works of art swallowed by Helene: The Flood Collection deck of cards and coffee table book will feature 54 pieces of art lost to the storm, recreated from photographs or scans of the originals — most of which were never recovered.
“It’s not saving them, but it is a way to honor them and memorialize them,” Schaffel said. “A lot of people lost their entire bodies of work, and art is so personal — it’s almost a piece of us.”