Village Potters reopens in Westgate after Helene flood recovery effort

The Village Potters came back to Asheville in a bigger, safer home at Westgate, turning a Helene disaster into one of Buncombe County’s clearest signs of arts recovery. The clay center held its grand opening April 11 at 44 Westgate Parkway, opening an 18,000-square-foot space that is about 4,000 square feet larger than its former Riverview Station studio.

The move followed the kind of damage that can wipe out a small arts business in a single night. When Tropical Storm Helene hit on Sept. 27, 2024, staff thought they had protected the studio by moving objects upstairs and hauling larger pieces away, but the flood rose faster than expected. Kat Reeves, the marketing and creative director, said the team had to flee as water overtook the space, leaving many pieces coated in mud and many others beyond rescue.

What came next was not a quick repair job. Over 18 months, staff and volunteers salvaged what they could, moved materials to an apple farm in Haywood County and spent months cleaning, power-washing and rebuilding the operation. George Rolland repaired pottery wheels one by one, while Sarah Wells Rolland traveled to teach workshops in multiple states to help fund the restart. The organization said donors, supporters and volunteers helped make the reopening possible.

The new site matters because it is not just a replacement. The Westgate location sits outside the flood plain and offers ample parking, two practical advantages after the River Arts District flood damage that forced the old space to close. Riverview Station was severely damaged by Helene and remains closed until further notice, underscoring why the Rollands wanted a location less exposed to Asheville’s flood risk.

Founded in 2011 by Sarah Wells Rolland and George Rolland in the River Arts District, The Village Potters has long been more than a retail shop. The rebuilt center is expected to include studios, education offerings and a clay and tool supply operation, keeping a place where people can learn, make and gather. Sarah Wells Rolland also said she transitioned the business into a nonprofit after the flood, a move meant to preserve the mission long term.

For Asheville’s arts economy, the reopening is a test case for what recovery can look like when an institution does not just survive but rebuilds with more room and a different financial structure. Westgate’s larger footprint, the volunteer-heavy cleanup and the shift into nonprofit status all point to a broader reality in Buncombe County: recovery is being stitched together by community labor, business adaptation and a determination to keep cultural spaces alive after Helene.