By Andrew Patterson
Annie Bennett was just six years old when, at a theatre with their parents, they pointed to the paintings on the wall and said, “I’m going to be a painter one day.” Ironically, painting would become the one medium Annie truly had to work at—the rest of their creativity seemed to flow naturally.
Growing up in Alaska demanded resilience. Even amidst the everyday harshness, such as carving up freshly hunted animals while watching Alfred Hitchcock movies to survive long, dark winters, Annie found stillness. At just seven, they began making their own paints from the land.
Plant Seeds. Annie Kyla Bennett, artist
That resilience carried Annie from the Northern Lights of Alaska to explore their art in school at Winston-Salem, where they expanded their artistic expression and discovered Asheville. The beautiful combination of love, community and creativity eventually rooted them here.
In 2019, alongside co-founders Jack Henry and Dillon Endico, Annie launched Art Garden AVL—not just a gallery but a community experiment in shared resources. The Garden quickly grew from 1,600 square feet to nearly 6,000 in just five years. Within its walls, 12 artists had studios, while 60 others sold their work, and at least 40 more hosted workshops, skill shares, supply swaps, as well as theater productions, solo exhibits and more. Open seven days a week, the Garden became a hub where art, nature and community intertwined.
But the artists’ resilience has been tested multiple times. First, COVID’s shutdown nearly wiped out the collective, shrinking their team from 13 to 4. But thankfully their resolve adapted to the way of the world and they clawed their way back. And then, in one devastating day, Hurricane Helene tore through, destroying 10 studios, 2 galleries, a classroom and performance space, and years of creative labor. Riverview Station itself would need millions to rebuild. And almost 100 artists lost their income overnight, along with hundreds of others in the arts district.
“I’d see artists at the grocery store and ask how they were doing,” Annie says. “It was hard hearing how much of an impact the loss of their Art Garden check was having on a lot of families.”
For Annie, the loss was more than financial. Art Garden had been about connection to each other, to the land and to the stories art can tell “to people’s hearts in ways that language can’t.”
The Power of a Plant. Annie Kyla Bennett, artist
Annie’s been immersing themself in nature; it has been how they’ve held firm through the turmoil. They’ve reconnected with that child within and have been painting with colors made from plants and rocks—like lavender purple from oxidized stone in Arizona and pigments from local flora. Imagine painting the mountains of Sedona with the very rocks of Sedona. Post-storm, the struggle has been a tale of two lives: the artist and the business owner.
“The River Arts District was (and is!) something special,” Annie reflects. “It was a place that made artistic dreams possible to flourish.” Art Garden tapped into that.
That sentence encapsulates the essence of the South African concept Ubuntu that recognizes humanity and compassion for others. Annie, while reliant on art for their own income, has always worked to make it more accessible to those who otherwise wouldn’t have the resources to create a living from it.
It’s been a rough year for this trio of artistic magic. The shock of instant loss. The devastation of their business. The ripping apart of their community. But perhaps the hardest part has been the long, uncertain search for a new home for Art Garden—proof that it’s not only the best of human nature that has surfaced since the storm.
Annie’s face is dejected, yet hopeful. I leave the interview with a deep sigh as the midday sun catches my eye. Can they just catch a break?
Yes! In reaching out to Annie for an update before submitting this piece, I learn that they have signed a new lease at 98 North Lexington Avenue, and are opening this very month.
Art reminds us that beauty does not avoid struggle—it emerges because of it. And when we support artists, we hold that truth in our hands.
You can support Annie and Art Garden by visiting ArtGardenAVL.com. Andrew’s book, My Journey Beyond the Summit, is available on Amazon. To connect or nominate somebody that Andrew should feature, reach out on ap@andrew365.com.
