ASHEVILLE, N.C. — One year after Hurricane Helene tore through western North Carolina, Asheville's River Arts District — once nearly wiped out by floodwaters — is showing new signs of life.

In September 2024, rushing currents turned the arts hub into a canvas of devastation.

“We had anticipated that about 80% of the district had been devastated,” Jeffrey Burroughs, the volunteer president of the River District Artists, said.

This year, Burroughs says artists are picking up their brushes again.

“We have made such strides and such growth,” he said.

For local artist Jeremy Russell, the storm left behind total ruin. His Russell Armstrong Gallery sat along the river, where floodwaters filled the studio with mud.

“It was really bad, there was 6-8 feet of mud, this weird mud that stuck to e

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