Hurricane Status
WE ARE SAFE. WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA, COMMUNITIES LARGE AND SMALL WERE RAVAGED BY HURRICANE HELENE. THE DEVASTATION IS TERRIFYING BUT THE PRESENCE OF ALTRUISM IN LIGHT OF THIS DISASTER IS ASTONISHING. PEOPLE AND BUSINESS NEED HELP, BELOW ARE A FEW LINKS FOR WAYS IN WHICH YOU CAN DONATE TO HELP ONES IN NEED.
In July Jamie and I bought a building on lower street in Spruce Pine with plans to move our studio spaces into the building ( and create additional studio spaces for more artists) in mid february 2025. We now face a serious set back to those plans as Hurricane Helene arrived with 30 inches of rain, the Toe river (across from our space) rose 25 feet and flooded our building with 6 feet of water and deposited tons of sewage sludge throughout the building.
Additionally Daniels studio practice has come to a halt in result of the Hurricane. All of his shows for the rest of the year have been cancelled postponed, or he has been forced to back out. This presents a significant loss of income, especially in the face of transitioning out of Penland and moving into their home that is in the process of renovation and a studio that is now in a precarious position.
Moving forward we need to power wash and sanitize the interior of the building, tear out compromised framing and get a structural inspection for damages. Our insurance on the building seems to not be covering any of the costs and like most small businesses on lower street and Western North Carolina, we did not have flood insurance in case of such an unexpected and devastating disaster.
We know some many in our region are struggling and in similar circumstances with loss of studio, income, equipment and housing due to the effects of Helene. If you have the capacity and ability to donate to this fund we greatly appreciate it. we also want to highlight these other support funds in our region that are working to support communities affected by Helene.
Downtown Spruce Pine – Donations to rebuild Spruce Pine NC
Cerf – Craft Emergency Relief Fund
Treats Studio – Artists collective in Spruce Pine NC – with links to donate direct to artists
Beloved Asheville – Resources for Asheville NC
Please reach out with any questions and concerns regarding Daniel and Jamie’s safety and status through this disaster.
GARVERSTUDIO@GMAIL.COM
If you decide to donate we would be so grateful for any assistance navigating this natural disaster and the financial hardship in addressing damages to the building and sustaining Daniels creative practice. Thank you everyone!