Asheville – As part of its ongoing storm relief efforts through the Craft Futures Fund, the Center for Craft in downtown Asheville awarded $600,000 to 40 craft artists in Western North Carolina (WNC) who were impacted by Hurricane Helene. The recipients include 33 members of the WNC Craft Futures Cohort and seven participants in the Virginia A. Groot Craft Futures Residency, each receiving grants of $15,000 and engaging in six months of mentorship and programming. Their work is showcased in an exhibition titled WNC Craft Futures: From Here, at the Center for Craft’s Bresler Family Gallery at 67 Broadway Street from April 11 to August 30.
The artists’ works are striking and distinctive, reflecting a profound understanding of their craft. Rachel Meginnes’s Like Dew in the Sun is a handwoven deconstructed quilt made from reclaimed textiles in 2024; Erin Keane created Blue Ridge Mountains: Sculptural Book in 2025 using encaustic beeswax, paper, maps, and other materials; Louise Deroualle presents a blue and white ceramic piece; Carolina Rojas showcases a Mud Angel of Clay; Andrea Vail displays a colorful woven wall hanging; and sculptural walnut end tables by Swadwo Som-Pimpong and Faith Donani are also on exhibit. It is easy to see why these talented artists deserve the grants, having experiencde direct impacts from the storm, ranging from loss of shelter and studio space, to destruction of completed artworks, to substantial losses of materials, tools and equipment.
Individual recipients will engage in virtual and in-person gatherings focused on peer support, mutual aid, and cohort-selected topics. The cohort includes seven Virginia A. Groot Craft Futures Residents; four will spend six months onsite at the Center for Craft’s Ideation Lab to utilize shared facilities, while three will work from their home studios.
Hurricane Helene caused unprecedented damage to Western North Carolina, resulting in significant losses to life, property, and ecology. An estimated 80% of Asheville’s River Arts District, including studios, community spaces, and galleries, was destroyed. Many artists suffered catastrophic losses, with artwork, supplies, and essential equipment lost in the flood. The rebuilding of the River Arts District has started, but recovery will take time, especially for craft artists who faced some of the greatest losses in Buncombe County and surrounding areas…