Asheville Citizen Times: RAD Outpost Opens to Support Artists After Hurricane Helene
As Asheville’s creative community continued rebuilding after the devastation of Tropical Storm Helene, artists across the River Arts District began finding new ways to reconnect with the public and support one another.
The Asheville Citizen Times reported on several ways the public could support artists during the recovery, including the opening of RAD Outpost, a temporary downtown gallery created to showcase artists displaced by the storm.
Located at 24 North Lexington Avenue, RAD Outpost featured a rotating collection of work by River Arts District artists whose studios had been damaged or destroyed by flooding.
Jeffrey Burroughs, jeweler and president of River Arts District Artists, said the organization represents more than 700 professional, emerging, and craft artists working across the district, including glassblowers, fiber artists, metalworkers, painters, and woodworkers.
Burroughs said community support played a crucial role in helping artists recover.
“Support for artists can come in many forms, from giving a hug to buying art. When someone purchases art, the money goes directly to the artist and helps them continue creating.”
RAD Outpost was sponsored by The Radical Hotel and operated by River Arts District Artists as a way to connect displaced artists with collectors and visitors while studios continued recovering.
The gallery opened in January with a rotating exhibition of local work and a public opening celebration in February.
In addition to showcasing artists, the initiative helped remind visitors that many studios and businesses across the River Arts District had already reopened and welcomed the public.
The article also highlighted broader recovery efforts, including the RADA Foundation’s Hurricane Helene emergency relief grants, which helped provide direct financial support to hundreds of artists impacted by the storm.
As studios reopened and artists returned to work, events, workshops, demonstrations, and exhibitions continued bringing visitors back to the River Arts District.