Artists and community members at Appalachian State University have turned the aftermath of Hurricane Helene into opportunities for creative expression and healing. The storm, which caused significant disruption in Western North Carolina, inspired a range of artistic responses intended to foster hope and recovery.
“When humans are in crisis, they often naturally turn to the arts,” said Dr. Katie Biddle, assistant professor in App State’s Department of Counseling, Family Therapy and Higher Education. “For thousands of years, humans across cultures have engaged the arts as a form of healing. It brings a sense of connection to home, so after a natural disaster in which the idea of home was disrupted for so many people, it’s a very powerful thing.”
Dr. Biddle has developed the Art Relief Map, an online tool that documents art-based programs created in response to natural disasters. The map was developed with Josh Platt, Geographic Information System lab supervisor and adjunct instructor at App State’s Department of Geography and Planning. This resource features public artwork from across Western North Carolina and highlights various forms such as visual arts, music, writing, and movement activities.
Biddle described the project as a way to honor a “topography of healing” made possible through creative expression, while also serving as a tool for research and education.
“During Helene, we were experiencing these dramatic changes to the physical landscape, but many of us were also experiencing changes to our inner landscape, which in some ways mirrored those shifts, which felt really profound,” she said. “That’s how this idea began to emerge about creating a map to document art programming inspired by Helene.”
Community mental health professionals are encouraged by Biddle to contribute information about their own art-based initiatives following Helene. She hopes that over time the Art Relief Map will expand beyond local boundaries and serve as an international archive documenting creative responses to disasters.
“It’s like we found beauty in the midst of chaos, and it feels incredibly hopeful,” said Biddle. “I believe everyone is an artist, and it’s amazing to see what we can create together, even in the most difficult circumstances.”
Local artist Davis created “hope, even when the creek rises,” after participating in a community event called “Make to Mend.” Davis explained her process: “I created a river form by intertwining various textiles and materials. The materials used at the gathering were intuitively layered — found fabrics, thread and natural textures that echoed both the chaos of the storm and the quiet persistence of the people in the High Country. That river, serving as a symbol of resilience, healing and collective strength, became the inspiration for this mixed-media piece.”
Davis views artmaking during crises as both personal reflection and community support: “Art invites us to slow down, to witness and to feel,” she said. “In times of crisis, artmaking can create a communal space where people can reflect together, share stories and make meaning out of loss. Especially in rural communities like ours, where gathering spaces are vital, creative acts like artmaking help reaffirm our shared resilience. It doesn’t erase the pain, but it gives us a way to hold it together and sometimes even transform it.”
Appalachian State alumnus Jesse Barber ’22 ’24 contributed by photographing communities affected by Hurricane Helene for national media outlets including The Washington Post; its coverage was recognized as a Pulitzer Prize finalist.
“A lot of the time I spent was not with the camera in people’s faces but trying to talk to people and show that I cared,” Barber said about his approach capturing life after Helene across several rural counties.
“Most of their photos are the typical big destruction images so mine stand out as they’re from a local’s perspective,” he added. “I wanted to show my close relationship to these places, and that had a profound impact on my work.”
Barber focused on community support efforts rather than only destruction: “I’ve been working with a writer on a story that is a year in the making,” he said regarding his ongoing project with The Assembly magazine about residents who started grassroots relief work post-storm.
He believes photography played an important role not just publicly but personally: “Translating that healing process to Helene allowed me to ask deeper questions engage with world with curiosity document relationships… Photography is tool show how interconnected our world really is.”
Through his ongoing documentation Barber has built connections within affected communities: “Even if stories weren’t told publicly they’ll always stay with me.”
Students faculty staff alumni at App State responded creatively after Hurricane Helene producing works ranging from essays theater productions documentaries.
Appalachian State University is part of North Carolina’s public university system offering more than 150 undergraduate majors 80 graduate majors enrolling over 21 000 students across its campuses in Boone Hickory as well as online programs.
More information about Appalachian State University can be found at https://www.appstate.edu.
