Artists transform tragedy into healing with powerful post-Helene exhibit
An art piece made by a Swannanoa artist after Hurricane Helene hit Western North Carolina.
By Taylor Thompson
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SWANNANOA, North Carolina (WLOS) — The road to recovery continues for many communities since Hurricane Helene devastated the mountains more than 10 months ago.
After the storm, many artists in Swannanoa came together to create art in response to the disaster.
Now, they’re almost ready to share them.
Around 20 artists are organizing an exhibit that will include paintings, sculptures, photography, murals, quilting, fiber art, video installation and multi-media geolocated installations.
The idea is for the pieces to express artists’ reactions to the hurricane and the damage the community sustained. The exhibit will feature stories from residents whose lives were impacted.
Jerald Pope is one of the artists leading the initiative. He’s lived in Swannanoa for the last 25 years. He and his wife have been going around listening to stories of what residents experienced and plan to reenact them during the exhibit.
One story that stuck out to Pope was about a man who was swept down the river and stuck in a tree until he was pulled ashore by nearby residents. According to Pope, they wrapped him in a blanket, and he walked away, and they never got his name.
Pope said it’s a powerful statement about how this community has come together for one another after tragedy.
He also has a painting that he’s worked on since the storm hit, which shows his initial reaction to Helene.
“The day after the storm, the sky was so exquisite, you know, so I wanted to show that kind of despair rising to hope,” he said. Another artist helping to lead the initiative is Carolina Corona, who’s lived in Swannanoa for the last three years. What has stood out to her in the past 10 months, she said, is how the art community came together after the storm. She added that she’s met artists she probably would have never met otherwise, and they all began planning for this exhibit right after the storm.
“A few Swannanoa artists saw a need, that we really needed to create community around art,” Corona said.
These artists are all working on projects centered around recovery and resilience. There is also an open call to the community that aims to bring in more artists to be part of the event.
“We just want to welcome the community to come and see these pieces and to come and create community and share a part of their experience because this is what this project really is about–collecting stories, about making connections with people, what they went through, and also about how the community came together,” Corona said.
Corona said they want to remember what was lost, but also share the positives and show the community’s resilience in its recovery.
The exhibit is scheduled for the weekend of the one year anniversary of Hurricane Helene.
It will be open to the public at 216 Whitson Avenue on Saturday, Sept. 27, and Sunday, Sept. 28.
Events like this and future ones are only made possible with help from the community.
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