
Artists of Joan Awake, from left: Jane Schmidt, Selene Plum, Leslie Rowland, Beth Elliott, Elizabeth Porritt Carrington
L Rowland Fine Contemporary Art in Riverview Station was among the many cultural casualties of Hurricane Helene. ”There had been a surprising amount of turbulence inside the gallery,” says Leslie Rowland, who paints under the name L Rowland. “All the walls were down and twisted up with paintings, art supplies, furnishings, equipment and mud.” Some of her paintings which she had moved to the second floor were salvageable, but most of her works were destroyed.
Rowland also owns Gallery COR downtown, which was not damaged. After the storm, she added several Helene-impacted artists to Gallery COR, and she is also opening a new gallery in Radview: Joan Awake. Joan Awake is a woman-owned gallery representing female artists who live in the Asheville area and have been impacted by Hurricane Helene. The gallery will exhibit nature- and science-focused artwork. “But it’s more than that,” says Rowland. “Joan Awake is about recognizing the warrior in all of us. It’s about allowing that part of us to awaken and to wage a battle, with compassion, self-realization, humility, awareness and empowerment.”

Selene Plum, artist
Rowland’s vision for the space evolved after she signed the lease. “When I took the space, I didn’t intend to open until January and was at first only going to have guest artists the first month or two, then I realized how many strong female artists had lost their retail space,” she says. “This concerned me and the idea for the gallery came to me over the next week. This framework provided the opportunity to help more artists that were impacted by the catastrophic flooding.”
Artist Selene Plum, who lost almost all of her work to the flood, is a member of Joan Awake. “When I met Leslie and some of the other member artists, instantly it felt like a warm and welcoming family,” she says. “My work embodies the female experience, passion, pain, happiness and peace. Joan Awake is filled with the kind, passionate hearts of women artists who want to communicate visually to make a meaningful difference in the world.”
Radview is located at 20 Artful Way, Asheville. The gallery will be open Friday through Sunday in January. Learn more at LRowlandArt.com.
Best group and Leslie is incredible