Community launches new ways to support Asheville’s artists and businesses

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Tourism is a multi-billion dollar industry that supports thousands of jobs and artists in the Asheville area, but Hurricane Helene wiped out much of that industry at precisely the wrong time.

“October is our biggest month, and we lost pretty much all of October,” said Michelle Bailey.

Bailey is a chef who has poured a lot of passion into her unique restaurant and event space in Asheville’s famed River Arts District. Now, all that’s left are the battered remains.

“We were in business for eight and a half years, and it was just a really special place,” Bailey told Channel 9′s Jonathan Lowe. “I had my wedding reception in there just last year and there’s really nothing left.”

During Helene, the French Broad River swelled nearly six feed above flood stage, reaching a record of more than 24 and a half feet. The water consumed the River Arts District, which is key to this region’s economy. It accounts for about $1 billion in annual sales and supports nearly 8,500 jobs.

At least, it did until Helene.

“The fact of the matter is there are some areas of western North Carolina that are not able to host visitors right now,” Bailey said.

“A lot of the businesses that count on that boost in revenue to sustain them through the spring,” said Luisa Yen, with the Explore Asheville Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The bureau is working to help displaced businesses and artists with their long road to recovery. One thing they’re doing is expanding access to their goods online.

“We’ve partnered with a lot of local businesses and makers to create ‘Love Asheville From Afar,’” Yen said.

The website tracks businesses, creators, chefs, and organizations that you can buy from directly. You can also donate directly to them.

The Asheville Area Arts Council also launched the Always Asheville Fund, an emergency relief grant fund that provides $500 stipends to arts professionals in the 25 counties impacted by Helene.

“And those funds will go straight towards businesses to support both rebuilding and staffing,” Yen said.

For Bailey, rebuilding means shifting to a more mobile business model. It’s why she was salvaging pots, pans, and whatever else she could find when we met her.

“I grabbed our last health inspection score off the wall, it was not touched by the water,” Bailey said. “Actually, let me show you this that I found.”

Bailey showed Lowe a frame of a moment from her culinary school days.

“We found this in the debris today, this is the old newspaper article from 2007,” Bailey said.

The words in that article showed people across the region “seeing what they can do” to try to make the River Arts District the destination it was.

“I would just say keep an eye, things are changing quickly,” Bailey said. “Folks who can are reopening, and when they get reopened, that’s the symbol of OK, they want some business.”

Buncombe County tourism officials encourage you to visit Always.exploreAsheville.com if you’re wondering about traveling to the western part of the state this holiday. It has travel advisories for the entire region, as well as updates on what businesses and restaurants are open.

(VIDEO: As Asheville waits for clean water, aid groups set up sustainable options)