Asheville Is Back, With All Its Artistic Flair

"In 1889, when George Washington Vanderbilt, an art aficionado and a scion of the industrialist Vanderbilt family, had a 250-room Gilded Age house built in Buncombe County, North Carolina, it is said that he pressed quartz into its foundations. His intent, per local lore, was to channel the ground's "pure energies" into his château-esque mansion. Today his Biltmore Estate sits at the edge of Asheville, an artsy mountain town known for its creative, if eccentrically inclined, scene."

"But in September 2024, Hurricane Helene ravaged the southeastern United States, including this corner of the Appalachian Mountains, leveling forests and turning rivers into torrents. Asheville's artists were among the hardest hit. The French Broad River rose to about 25 feet, decimating the surrounding River Arts District, where some 750 creatives worked and exhibited. In the year since, Asheville locals have found innovative and true-to-them ways to regain their footing."

""After making sure everyone was okay, we jumped into recovery work," says Alex Matisse, founder of East Fork Pottery, an Asheville-based ceramics manufacturer whose earth-toned, iron-flecked wares have found fans from all over the world. Their purchases supported the town after Matisse redirected a percentage of East Fork sales, totaling over $500,000, toward grassroots organizations doing hurricane relief in housing, food security, and other social services."

George Washington Vanderbilt reportedly pressed quartz into the Biltmore foundations to channel the ground's "pure energies." Asheville blends outdoor recreation, craft culture, and a spiritual-leaning arts scene that values crystals and mica-rich soil. In September 2024 Hurricane Helene caused severe regional damage: forests were leveled and the French Broad River rose about 25 feet, inundating the River Arts District where roughly 750 creatives worked. Local artists and businesses mobilized for recovery. East Fork Pottery redirected a portion of sales that totaled over $500,000 to grassroots hurricane relief for housing, food security, and other social services, and continues regular charitable contributions and community events.

Read at Conde Nast Traveler