NCDOT took my previous studio 474 Gallery Studio (of the last 15+ years) for the 240 highway expansion, and now I need help finishing a new permanent studio space within the next 4 to 8 weeks.

My studio was not just a workspace. It was the home of my business and my career as an artist, painter, muralist, and tattooer. Since being required to move out, I have had to move into a temporary space and storage units, and the cost of making that transition has been enormous. My day-to-day life is very stressful right now, and my monthly expenses are through the roof.

I am currently creating a new permanent building to house my art and my work, and the funds from this fundraiser will go toward finishing that studio and covering building costs. Having a permanent space again would help me get out of this expensive temporary situation and give me a stable place to continue my career. It would also allow me to stay in my local West Asheville community and neighborhood, with the hope of having space for other artists as well as art openings and group shows.

If you are able to help, any donation or share would mean a lot to me. Your support would help me complete this new studio and move forward after losing the space where I built my work.

A Little More About Me and Why This Studio Matters

My name is Dustin Spagnola, and I’ve been a working artist in Asheville for more than 20 years.

I attended Warren Wilson College from 2001–2004, and I’ve lived and worked in Asheville ever since. I’m a muralist, painter, and tattooer, and over the years I’ve been fortunate enough to build a life around making art and working with people in this community.

For many years, my home base has been 474 Gallery Studio at 474 Haywood Road in West Asheville. I’ve had that space since around 2011, and over the years it became much more than just my personal studio.

It became a little piece of the community.

I shared the space with other artists and had multiple studio mates over the years. We hosted art openings and group shows, music shows, photo shoots, gatherings, and events for different people, causes, and organizations. Sometimes it was a formal event, and sometimes it was simply a few people getting together in a creative space.

I’ve also tried to keep the space accessible to the people around me. I’ve offered discounts to local people, worked with other small businesses and artists, and tried to make the studio a place where people could connect with art without feeling like they had to be part of some exclusive art scene.

Some of my favorite memories from having that studio aren’t necessarily about selling anything. They’re about people coming through the door. Artists meeting other artists. Friends playing music. Someone getting their first tattoo. A photographer using the space for a shoot. People seeing artwork they wouldn’t normally encounter. A group of strangers becoming friends at an opening.

Those things are important to me.

That’s what I want to continue doing in my new space.

I don’t envision this new studio as some big commercial venture. I want it to be a place where I can continue making my own work and making a living as an artist, but also a place that can occasionally open its doors to the community. A place for other artists. A place for small exhibitions, group shows, music, gatherings, photo shoots, and events. Something that contributes to the neighborhood rather than simply being another private business.

The last several years have been a lot.

COVID changed everything for everyone in 2020. I was fortunate enough to eventually bounce back and continue working. Then Hurricane Helene hit Western North Carolina and created another enormous disruption—not just for me, but for Asheville, our local economy, and so many people throughout the region.

And now, on top of all of that, I’ve had my studio taken through eminent domain by the North Carolina Department of Transportation for the 240 highway expansion.

I received the letter from NCDOT in February, and about three months later I had to be completely out of the studio. That meant moving more than 15 years of my life, my artwork, my tools, equipment, furniture, supplies, and everything else that had accumulated in that space.

I ended up with two storage units and another temporary studio here in West Asheville. The monthly costs of all of those spaces are substantial, and the cost of my storage has already gone up after the initial introductory rates expired. One of the storage properties is also directly affected by the highway expansion.

For months, an absurd amount of my time has been spent simply moving things from one place to another.

I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have friends and other people in my community help me through this. Honestly, I could not have managed the move without them. That help has meant a lot to me.

But financially, this whole process has pretty much bled me dry.

I’m at the point where I’m having a hard time keeping up with the ongoing monthly costs of this temporary situation. The good news is that I’m very close to having a permanent studio again. Once the new space is finished, my monthly expenses will drop back down to something manageable. I just need help getting across that final stretch.

That’s why I’m asking for help.

I really don’t enjoy asking people for money. My instinct has always been to figure things out myself, work harder, and provide for myself. I’ve been lucky enough to make a living as a working artist, but I’ve also always tried to keep one foot firmly planted in the community that has supported me.

I’ve continued to work regular jobs when I’ve needed to. I take classes and stay involved with other art spaces, including Odyssey Center for the Ceramic Arts. I’ve donated artwork to fundraisers like Open Doors, and I’ve tried to help other small organizations and creative spaces whenever I can by donating artwork or lending a hand.

I’ve also been incredibly fortunate to work with some amazing clients over the years, from New Belgium Brewery to Desoto Lounge and Nine Mile and the Foundation in River arts district and to the individuals who have trusted me with murals and commissioned artwork, including Sarver Realty and Patton Allen Real Estate.

I’m grateful for all of it.

I’m grateful that I’ve been able to spend more than two decades doing something I love. I’m grateful for the people who have supported my work, hired me, bought my paintings, gotten tattoos from me, helped me paint murals, come to shows, shared my work, and simply encouraged me to keep going.

And I’m asking those people—and anyone else who feels like they want to help—to help me get this studio finished.

This isn’t just about getting my stuff out of storage.

It’s about getting back to a place where I can work, create, support myself, and contribute to the community again.

I want to keep making paintings. I want to keep painting murals. I want to keep tattooing. I want to keep learning new things and working with other artists. And I want to have a place where I can open the doors and share some of that with the people around me.

Asheville has given me a lot over the past 20-plus years. This studio has been one small part of that community, and I’d really like the opportunity to keep it going in a new space.

If you’re able to contribute, thank you. If you’ve already contributed, thank you. And if you can’t donate but can share this fundraiser with someone else, that genuinely helps too.

I appreciate you taking the time to read my story, and I appreciate the community that has helped me get this far.

Hopefully, with a little more help, I can get this new studio finished and get back to doing what I love—and continue making a little room for other people to do what they love, too.