[Image above] Artist Gay Smith’s mud-caked candelabrum as it was found after the flooding of her studio during Hurricane Helene. Credit: Ceramic Arts Network
For generations, artists have helped us cope with our grief on both individual and society-wide scales by using visual, auditory, and tactile mediums to process big emotions that cannot be understood through words alone. But what happens when the artists themselves are at the center of a tragedy?
In September 2024, Hurricane Helene brought devastating wind, flooding, and landslides to North Carolina. During the event, which primarily affected the state’s western Appalachian region, entire communities lost access to core services and communication, resulting in long-term cessations in operations for businesses.
Ceramic artists were among the business owners heavily affected by the hurricane. North Carolina is known for its strong studio ceramics tradition, and numerous artists found their facilities flooded or completely swept away during the torrential downpour.
Considering the extent of damages across the state—initial estimates are at least $79.6 billion—no one would fault those daunted by the prospect of rebuilding from such devastation. Yet numerous ceramic artists shared stories of resilience and renewal in a new documentary created by Ceramic Arts Network (CAN).
CAN is the ACerS-owned online community for potters and ceramic artists. In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, CAN senior editor Jennifer Harnetty said she “was heartbroken” to see “these exceptional artists and lovely humans” impacted so deeply by the event. So, she and the CAN team set out to capture some of their stories in a video called “Picking up the Pieces: Resilience and Recovery in the Clay Community After Helene.”
Following months of interviews and editing, Harnetty hosted a premiere of the roughly hour-long documentary on Zoom on Oct. 14, 2025. The recording of the premiere is available for free on the CAN website, and extended interviews with each artist can be found on the CAN YouTube channel as well.
Though recovery efforts have made notable headway, the work of rebuilding remains far from finished. If you would like to help support the region in its continuing recovery, visit this page for a list of nonprofit organizations, which were selected by the artists who participated in the documentary.
