In the wake of unprecedented flooding, the Marshall Handmade Market is moving venues.
Courtesy of Marshall Handmade Market
When Hurricane Helene hit, the French Broad River swallowed Blannahassett Island in Marshall, filling Marshall High Studios with nine feet of cold, muddy water. The state of the 100-year-old schoolhouse-turned-artspace when the river finally receded was unbelievable, says Julie Covington, owner and operator of Covington Pottery in Weaverville.
“Studio furniture and equipment had been sloshed and smashed, and some had floated through doors or windows to other parts of the building,” she tells Asheville Made. “It was a muddy melange of kiln parts, work tables, printing presses, shelves, books, couches, artwork, and much more.”
The scene outside was equally heartbreaking, says Jocelyn Mosser of Abacus Corvus Artwork in Marshall.
“Everyone is saying this these days, but I just never thought I’d see such a familiar piece of the earth so dramatically changed overnight,” Mosser explains. “The grassy earth has been replaced by sand, and there are mountains of debris piled along the length of the island. So many beloved plants and trees are gone. So many animals, too. It’s hard to remember where everything was — the basketball hoops, the park, the pawpaws, the paths.”
It soon became clear that the Marshall Handmade Market, an annual gathering of regional makers organized by Covington and Mosser, would not happen at Marshall High Studios come November. Luckily, Odonata Farm in Mars Hill stepped up, donating their barn and field to the cause.
That said, the 14th annual Marshall Handmade Market will look a little different this year. “But it means a lot to everyone that it is still happening,” says Mosser.
Participating vendors include Emilja Frances, a local illustrator who finds joy in drawing everything from dandelion doodles to cheeky comics about the monotony of everyday life.
“Sometimes I just look around my house until I see something I think would be fun to draw, like a house plant or my cat,” says Frances. “I draw what I like, and sometimes I think, ‘I bet other people would like this too!’”
This November, Frances will bring her prints, an “ever-growing selection of stickers,” and some greeting cards to Odonata Farm. She will be joined by several dozen other makers selling everything from hand-printed tea towels to raccoon postcards.
“The Marshall Handmade Market has become a really special tradition for some of our region’s most talented makers,” says Mosser. “This show is often critical for our artists’ livelihoods. But we’ve also come to understand that the Handmade Market feeds our souls, too. There is a warmth and connection in the gathering that is downright magical.”
The Marshall Handmade Market will happen November 23-24, 10am-5pm, at Odonata Farm (5640 Paint Fork Road, Mars Hill). For more information, see marshallhandmade.com or see @marshallhandmademarket on Instagram.