Hurricane Helene Art Disaster Relief

Hurricane Helene Art Disaster Relief:

Dear Friends,

Tens of thousands of families have been impacted by the recent hurricane. Homes and businesses have been destroyed.

Furthermore, we will soon learn about our fellow artists who have lost their studios, lost their life’s work, lost their homes.

And we will learn about galleries that cannot survive due to the impact on business in their area.

We need to help them.

Some things you can do right now:

Donate to the Red Cross. We are donating a percentage of all of our sales for the next month to the Red Cross. Please consider making a donation, perhaps some percentage of your art sales, to the Red Cross as well.

We need to know who in our art world needs help. Please let us know your stories, your needs, or the needs of our brothers and sisters in art, artists, galleries, and suppliers.

We at Streamline will evaluate individual needs and do whatever we can. Our editors will try to highlight these stories in our newsletters and magazines.

We don’t yet know exactly how we can best help the people and businesses affected. It may be raising money, it may be offering free advertising, or it may be some other solution.

But what is most important is to be there to support our arts family. We should offer our homes as a place of refuge to stay or recover. Provide extra art supplies to those in need to replace what they have lost. We need to find ways to help the affected artists to sell artwork, and we need to provide emotional support.

If we find that helping sell art is the best approach, we will create a fundraiser art auction and expose it to hundreds of thousands of people. We may offer special advertising to those who demonstrate a need.

It’s too soon to know exactly what we need to do, but there are thousands of displaced people who don’t have access to their homes and have lost everything, who may not even have Internet or cell coverage. As we learn more about their specific needs, let’s all find ways to help.

Please keep us informed of those you learn about who are in need. We’ve had hundreds of artists attend our Plein Air Convention from Asheville and the Carolinas and from Florida. There is no doubt in my mind that many are severely impacted.

Let’s pull together and help our fellow artists, galleries, and suppliers for Hurricane Helene Art Disaster Relief.

Editor’s Note: We’re learning of more places that are accepting donations and support, and we’ll continue to add them here as well as in the comments section below:

• The River Arts District Foundation is taking donations to support those artists who have been impacted by the flooding in Asheville, NC. People can join at sponsor levels, or choose the “help artists within our community” link.
• “Samaritan’s Purse is boots on the ground in bigger way in North Carolina. That is their base. Keeping artists in prayer. NC is my home away from home. And my family is there helping now. God will show himself big. Please keep us informed on how we can help our art community.” ~Gretchen C.
• “These people are air dropping supplies: Operation AirDrop” ~ Jeana G.
• “Another way… To donate to the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund, visit nc.gov/donate.” ~CJ Hudgins
• “Hannah Cole is in Asheville and lost everything in her studio, she’s a working artist as well as teaching finance to artists…” ~ Dana Batho
• “‘Carolina Mountain Vacation Homes’ – this is my son. He’s a contractor and firefighter who cares deeply for his hometown, Maggie Valley. He is headed our way with much needed supplies. If you feel led, please donate. Every little bit helps.” ~ Shelda M.
• NC Arts Disaster Relief Fund (shared by The ArtWorks-Wilmington, and many others)
• “I work in the building on the bottom left of the picture from Appalachian State University. So many people here have been devastated by this event. Please donate to Samaritan’s Purse, Wine to Water, the Red Cross or any other local charity. So many people are helping but it’s going to take months not weeks. This place we call home is forever changed; it’s truly heartbreaking. My son also works and lives near Asheville. We are blessed to only have minor damage and all our family members and friends are alive. Anything you can do to help from the outside is appreciated and much needed. God bless you all for your concern and your help!” ~ @grahamkq2017
• Buddy and Kathie Odom are coordinating donations to directly help those they personally know who are in need from Hurricane Helene and the resulting floods.
• Cathy Nichols Art has a studio in the River Arts District: “My dear friends. Yes, I am in Asheville, where Hurricane Helene has hit us HARD. My River Arts District art studio is under water. But I consider myself lucky as so many have lost their homes, businesses, and loved ones. We have no water, fuel, power or internet (10/3/24). I am writing from pop-up wifi at library lawn. Just want you to know I am alive. Despite losses of my artwork and to my business, I am still painting during daylight! As long as we can create and be kind to each other, we will persevere.”
• “I was a local artist just currently in SC. I recommend you search in google for the website of a local artist or gallery you want to support in Asheville so they can receive 100% of the donation.” ~ Annie M.