
Volunteers help salvage artwork at Riverview Station. Photo courtesy of T.C. Morphis
By Emma Castleberry
Once home to more than 70 artist galleries and studios, Riverview Station in the River Arts District (RAD) was devastated by Hurricane Helene, but is on the road to recovery with a phased reopening planned for this year. “Our building has been home to countless artists over the past 28 years,” says Helaine Greene, who co-owns Riverview Station with her sister Trudy Gould. “We’ve put our hearts and souls into building this community of artists and are devastated that the artists no longer have a place to work, display and sell their art.”
One of the largest buildings in the RAD, Riverview Station featured the work of more than 200 artists and attracted thousands of visitors every year. “Riverview Station has been described in the local news as an art fortress, and people traveled from all over the world to view and purchase art in our building,” says Greene.
The cleanup effort has been nothing short of monumental for the 110,000-square-foot building, every inch of which was covered in mud—including the second floor. It took a massive volunteer force to muck out the building and move debris to the curb to be picked up by the Army Corps of Engineers. The current task at hand is pressure washing and mold remediation.
Brian Luzader, an abstract expressionist painter and longtime tenant, was among those who joined the cleanup. “Riverview Station holds such an important place in my heart and changed my art journey in Asheville,” he says. “I truly believe this place is pure magic and that the building is special and the people within it are special. This is an art community that is unmatched and hard to find anywhere else.”
The grueling cleanup process has taken an emotional toll, too. “Seeing so many expensive art supplies in the rubble, so many pieces of art lying strewn around in the mud and representing so many people’s dreams, passion and life’s work was simply heartbreaking,” Luzader says. “Then, seeing so many volunteers from all over the region who came to lend a hand, local restaurants who came to feed us, donations of supplies and water and tools—it was all overwhelming in a good way.”
Riverview Station will reopen in phases, starting with five downstairs galleries and most upstairs studios. About a third of the previous tenants will return, with some moving into different studios. “Some of the artists have moved away, decided to retire or close their business,” says Greene. “What will remain the same is our intention to provide needed studio space to working artists in the RAD.”
Flood insurance covered only a small portion of the damage and Greene has yet to hear any news on her Small Business Administration (SBA) loan application. “We will not be able to fully reopen without financial support from the community,” she says. “There is a very large gap between the funds that we need to rebuild and the funds that we actually have. We hope to reopen by June of 2025 and hope the community will come out to support us.”
Visit RiverviewStation.com to learn more and donate.