August 2025 Round-up: A One-Year Milestone

​Q: When did artwork get political? A: It always has been.

So sayeth George Orwell, a man who knew propaganda when he saw it. Singling out a serene landscape as propaganda might sound nonsensical, but as a master of his craft, Orwell understood that even seemingly neutral art carries political weight. Behind every mountainscape or hand-woven basket lie crucial questions: Who gets to make it? Who gets to show it? Who gets to own it, and who benefits from it? These are all political questions—with political answers.

Art is never just about aesthetics. Even purely decorative art, if there is such a thing, upholds certain values. The market’s longstanding distinction between fine art and craft, for example, is fraught with political implications, often sexist or classist in nature. As we witness the dismantling of federal agencies like the EPA and the erosion of civil rights protections, the second-wave feminist slogan “the personal is political” rings truer than ever in 2025.

Folks in Western North Carolina will likely tell you there’s nothing more personal than having your house swept away by a freakish hurricane made wetter and wierder by human-caused climate change. As I wrote in my recent story on A Tale of Two Cities, our upcoming exhibition commemorating the anniversaries of hurricanes Helene and Katrina, Asheville has long been hailed as a climate haven, protected from coastal extremes. That illusion was shattered last September when a violent torrent of rain and wind swept up from the Gulf Coast and into the mountains.

Researchers warn that the U.S. can expect to see more storms like Helene in the future. While both New Orleans and Asheville have made astonishing progress in their recoveries, climate-fueled disasters will continue to decimate our communities until we agree on a lasting solution. The artist’s job—as A Tale of Two Cities curator Andrew Rogers says—is to present these complex ideas to the community and allow them to respond. The question on the table isn’t whether art should tackle politics; it’s whether we’re ready to acknowledge the politics already embedded in it.

A virtual version of A Tale of Two Cities opens Sept. 1 on ArtsvilleUSA. Catch the IRL exhibition at the New Orleans Academy of Art on Sept. 13.

A Tale of Two Cities: Art Exhibition Unites Asheville and New Orleans on the Anniversaries of Hurricanes Katrina and Helene

Even after 20 years, the ghost of Hurricane Katrina still haunts New Orleans. Now, the memory of another brutal storm looms over Asheville, North Carolina, as local artists prepare for the first anniversary of Hurricane Helene with events leading up to the Sept. 27 milestone. As anticipation grows, a specially curated collection of artwork is set to depart from Asheville on a 650-mile journey southwest, where it will join an exhibition at the New Orleans Academy of Art (NOAFA) observing the anniversaries of both hurricanes.

​Opening on September 13, 2025—a date strategically positioned between the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and the first anniversary of Helene—A Tale of Two Cities commemorates the shared experiences of residents in New Orleans, Asheville, and Western North Carolina as they navigate the aftermath of climate-related disasters decades apart.

Read more about A Tale of Two Cities here.

Asheville Artist Kenn Kotara Chronicles Mammoth Lakes Residency in Visual Journal

Like many summers before, Asheville artist Kenn Kotara spent this season in the mountains. But instead of the familiar lush greenery and gentle slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Western North Carolina, he found himself surrounded by a higher, more rugged range dotted with giant sequoia trees, crystalline lakes, and lava-capped peaks.

Kenn’s summer residency in California’s Sierra Nevadas unofficially kicked off in May, when he traveled westward to meet his son and explore the breathtaking national parks of Colorado and Utah. After their adventure, Kenn spent some time in Los Angeles before finally making his way to a cozy cabin in Mammoth Lakes, a ski resort town nestled in the Eastern Sierras. Here, he began his summer artist residency in earnest.

See Kenn’s Mammoth Lakes visual journal here.

News + Notes From Asheville and Beyond

Here’s where we share quick craft bites for busy hands and hungry minds. The summer season slows down in the Blue Ridge Mountains, but September promises a bigger and brighter fall than we could have hoped for last year.

Events + Exhibitions

• A Tale of Two Cities (River Arts District Artists Version): The Asheville-exclusive leg of the exhibition opens Sept. 1 at the Ferguson Family YMCA in Candler.
• A Tale of Two Cities (Virtual Version): The virtual version of the exhibition will open on ArtsvilleUSA on Sept. 1 and remain viewable in our archive.
• A Tale of Two Cities Speaker Series: The exhibition’s speaker series kicks off on Sept. 12 at the New Orleans Academy of Art and features Asheville artist Kenn Kotara and the President of the River Arts District Association, Jeffrey Burroughs, alongside Steven Bingler from Concordia Architects, who will discuss cultural recovery in New Orleans post-Katrina. Learn more here.
• A Tale of Two Cities (New Orleans): Opening Sept. 13 at the New Orleans Academy of Art, A Tale of Two Cities highlights the artwork of artists from Asheville, Western North Carolina, and New Orleans, all focusing on themes of creation after environmental fury. The event will feature a reception with refreshments and live performances showcasing New Orleans jazz and Asheville bluegrass. Details here.
• RAD Resilience: This community-wide art event focuses on healing, creativity, and collective strength. It is free and open to the public. Learn more here.
• A Tale of Two Cities Artist Panel: On September 14, the River Arts District will host an artist panel at Pinegate or the RAD Welcome Center and Art Market. New Orleans artists from NOAFA will participate via live stream, allowing visitors to explore gallery exhibits and discover captivating stories from each city.

Special Thanks To Our Partners

This copy has been edited for length and clarity. All photos published with permission of the artist(s); featured photo: “Community” by Rob Amberg.