Ponce City Market is widely known for its support of local art and artists. Its next pop-up gallery, however, has a particularly special meaning. Titled Love Asheville from Afar, the month-long exhibit will help Asheville artists gain reach and sales after the devastating loss of their physical spaces and financial well-being due to Hurricane Helene. One hundred percent of the proceeds will go toward artists affected by the hurricane.
Amy Michaelson Kelly, principal at hospitality group Hatteras Sky, splits her time between Atlanta and Asheville and is the catalyst of the pop-up gallery. Her hotel property, the Radical, is in Asheville’s River Arts District, and she has seen firsthand how her neighbors’ livelihoods have been devastated. (The hotel also suffered water damage and is temporarily closed.)
Ponce City Market was an obvious choice for Michaelson Kelly, who is familiar with the property’s artist pop-up markets. “Ponce City Market and Jamestown celebrate art, and I love that it’s part of their programming,” she says. Michaelson Kelly says she’s been keeled over by their support of Asheville. “Everyone has been so willing and insistent on helping Western North Carolina.”
A collaboration between the River Arts District Artists Foundation (RADA), The Radical, Explore Asheville, and Jamestown, Love Asheville from Afar will highlight artists from the over 300 studios and galleries in the River Arts District. Participating painters, sculptors, and mixed-media artists include Kevin Andrew, Colton Dion, Molly Sawyer, Zati, and Elizabeth Porritt Carrington.
The gallery will kick off its time at Ponce City Market on December 5th with a free and open-to-the-public event featuring Asheville-based live musicians, drinks, and light bites. Throughout the month, the gallery will host other events, such as live paintings.
The 3,600-square-foot temporary gallery is located on the front side of Ponce City Market, near City Winery, and will be open 11 am to 7 pm Thursday through Sunday, now through December 29.
View the full Atlanta Magazine article HERE.
Learn More about Hatteras Sky’s hospitality projects in Asheville, North Carolina here.