Help Rebuild Crazy Green Studios After Hurricane Helene

In late September, western North Carolina was devastated by Hurricane Helene, resulting in loss of life, widespread destruction of entire communities as well as the water system and other infrastructure.

Lori Theriault is a studio and production potter in Asheville, NC. She operates Crazy Green Studios, a production studio, making retail and wholesale service pieces and accessories for home and professional kitchens, with a small but fabulously skilled and dedicated staff of part timers. In addition, Lori is a member of The Village Potters Clay Center, where she has a studio making functional and decorative wares for their gallery and for direct commission. Both studios were located on the first floor of Asheville's Riverview Station, located in the River Arts District.

Asheville's River Arts District

The production studio is nicknamed “the Piggery” because a major focus of the work there is to create the sweet little lucky three-legged pig toothpick holders for Cùrate restaurant in Asheville. Her other clients include Campfire Grill in Flat Rock, Treska's on Highland Lake, and Tandem Restaurant in Carrboro, NC. In her studio at TVPCC, her recognized work includes wax resist trees on functional dinnerware and accessories, and intricately carved sculptural pieces in her "Vincent Series". Both studios were completely devastated in the hurricane.

Inside Crazy Green Studios

The river, which floods at around 11’, reached over 26’, and the entire first floor and part of the second floor of Riverview Station were completely flooded for more than 72 hours. What we were able to see in the days after the river receded also showed that it was a very turbulent flood, ripping nearby buildings apart and roiling the contents of studios around like a washing machine.

The water line reached into the 2nd floor

A plan was in place for potential flood scenarios, and those plans were all based on the expected events that would happen with the expected landfall of the hurricane. What was not expected were the rains that came in the days before the actual hurricane, and that they would come as fast and heavy as they did. The river, located across the street from the studio building, was already out of its banks more than a day before the hurricane arrived.

We moved our production studio pottery wheels up to the second floor, along with works for commissions in progress. Lori also worked with her TVPCC family to help secure equipment and pottery from that studio, with the intent to move more from the production studio as well, but the day before the hurricane hit, while we were in the midst of moving things to the second floor, we were evacuated from Riverview Station at 10am. And that was a good thing, as there really was only one passable road out of the neighborhood by then, and it was under water by the time of the evacuation. There was nothing to do but go home and hope for the best.

Photo of The Piggery shortly after move-in

In that moment it was hard to think about what might happen – we did what we could with the time we had, and getting evacuated from the building just as we were moving things upstairs was itself a bit disorienting. Still, we hoped that the worst might be that we would get flooded and have to clean it all up, maybe lose some furniture, etc. And in the production studio, we moved vulnerable things to the highest shelf possible, and put the heavy wet boxes filled with works in progress on top of the worktables, hoping they’d both be out of flood waters and hold the table in place. I certainly didn’t anticipate what actually happened.

Inside Crazy Green Studios

Except for the work moved upstairs with the wheels, and a few other tools that were salvaged after the waters receded, the entirety of our production studio was lost. We will try to salvage the kiln, but it will be a long, slow process to see if the unknown materials of the sludge and water will prove too corrosive for rehab. It will be a process even to find a new space for the studio. For now, it’s hard to think about that as we are still trying to clean and salvage what we were able to pull out in carts and shelving. As well, the WNC region is still in rescue and recovery mode, and there is much to do for so many others. Much to grieve, much to rebuild.

Works in progress moved to the second floor were not all safe.

I would like to express deep gratitude for all the volunteers who help us pull things from the building, and who continue to help muck out the building and tear out dry wall. Their unending help and kindness when we barely knew what to do, and that they continue to offer, is a balm on so much sadness. Forever grateful.

We will find a new home for Crazy Green Studios, and we will look forward to making work again in the future. This fundraiser will go a long way to that end, in helping replace lost equipment, furniture, tools, and materials. It will help us source what is needed to work in generously offered temporary locations, and secure a new space with deposits and any needed utility work. In addition, funds gathered here will also be distributed among the hourly part-time artists of Crazy Green Studios, as they have all lost their jobs as well and will need support as we all navigate what the future holds.

So many have reached out to offer help and resources, and I am constantly humbled by the extreme kindness that seems to come from every direction. I can only feel deep gratitude, and so very fortunate to be able to even think about rebuilding. It all seems very strange still to contemplate, but I know we will. Please visit our webpage to see the range of work that we have made and will make again.

Thank you so very much for your support.