Smart Bets: ReClaim the R.A.D.

During Tropical Storm Helene, the French Broad River swept away hundreds of works from artists who had their studios in the converted warehouses of Asheville’s River Arts District. In the aftermath, Rob Czar, artist and owner of CZArt Gallery on Haywood Road in West Asheville, began conversations with colleagues about how to respond. ReClaim the R.A.D: Flood Debris Resurrected into Art opens with a reception 5-10 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23, at the gallery. Participating artists used scavenged items such as disfigured street signs, broken furnishings and battered pieces of metal as canvases to produce new work. “For some of these artists, this is their first time creating artwork since the flood,” says Czar. “The emotions being expressed on these makeshift canvases are both profoundly raw and gut-wrenching.” The pieces will be for sale at the reception, then on view and for sale by appointment through the second week of January. Eighty percent of the funds will go to the artist, and 20% will be shared among the following relief charities: River Arts District Artists Foundation (RADA), ArtsAVL and N.C. Arts Disaster Relief Fund. avl.mx/eb3 Photo of Broken RAD Sign by Amar Stewart, courtesy of the artist