Like many other spaces in the River Arts District, ArtPlay Studio & Gallery was flooded and destroyed during Helene, but hope is on the horizon with a new location and a busy calendar of classes. “Our hearts ache for the unimaginable amount of loss in our area,” says ArtPlay founder and owner Kristen Edge. “With so much devastation, it’s hard to know where and how to begin again. We are doing what we can to try and uplift people as we navigate what’s next, and to provide opportunities for them to be together again in community.”

ArtPlay has found a new temporary space in the Chestnut Hill neighborhood just across from Asheville Yoga, where it will host classes on the weekends and show gallery art by appointment. It was important to Edge to reopen as soon as possible not only to provide support for the artists represented by ArtPlay’s gallery but also to serve an important need for her customers. “I’ve been told by some of our customers that ArtPlay was their ‘third place,’ a space other than home or work where people can go to connect over a shared interest and be themselves,” says Edge. “That feels spot on.”

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