1 YEAR LATER UPDATE

We’re moving! After a year of uncertainty following Hurricane Helene, we’re excited to share that JMK Studios is beginning a new chapter in a new space. Thanks to your incredible support, John and Ruthanne are starting the process of bringing artwork and supplies out of storage, setting up their studio, and preparing to welcome students again.

It’s been a long road since the flood, but this step forward is possible because of the generosity of friends, family, and community. The new studio will be opening in November 2025, and we’ll share more updates and details very soon!

Riverview Station a year later, still empty and waiting for it's next iteration.

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Our Story

My name is Tara Webb. I currently live in Greensboro, NC and I am part of a team helping to raise funds for my parents, who live in Asheville, NC. My stepfather is John Mac Kah, a contemporary realist painter. Like hundreds of others in the River Arts District, John and my mother Ruthanne lost their entire second-floor studio space in Riverview Station to Hurricane Helene.

Screenshot image from Reddit during the storm.

This is the studio pre-flood.

Aftermath of the flood, post cleanout - note the unsafe floor.

The storm devastated not only their personal workspace of nine years but also their teaching and community-engagement space. The studio, gallery, kitchen, and teaching spaces, JMK Studio 236, was swamped by the French Broad River as it swept through the River Arts District during Hurricane Helene on September 27th. We all had no idea the river would crest at 24.7 feet!

Unsalvageable paintings covered in silt.

What they could salvage is now in temporary storage, but the Riverview Station building is nearly 100 years old. They may not be able to return for months—or ever—if the building is condemned or faced with costly repairs. They lost two rooms of art supplies including tools, furniture, personal effects, and other living resources.

Flood damaged trash outside the building.

Business printer ruined.

They also lost an archive of student sketchbooks, multiple drawings and paintings, hard-to-find art books, furniture, storage drawers, plants, props for still-life, kitchen supplies, and so much more.

Student portfolios and materials soaked with flood water.

Most importantly, they suffered the loss of their main source of income - the opportunity to teach workshops.

This is the studio during a workshop.

Your donations continue to support:

We’re deeply grateful to everyone who has donated, shared, or sent encouragement over the past year. You’ve helped carry John and Ruthanne through one of the hardest seasons of their lives. The work isn’t over yet, but now there’s a way forward.

Thank you for being part of this journey with us.

With love and gratitude,

John & Ruthanne Kah

JMK Studios