Henderson County painter Cynthia Wilson was out of town when Hurricane Helene unleashed her fury. Four days later, when she and her husband finally made it back to the mountains, they were amazed by both the power of Mother Nature and the goodness of mankind.
“We all lost something during this catastrophe, but seeing how much people are willing to give to help each other was encouraging,” says Wilson. “Our wonderful neighbors had sent photographs of the house to us while we were away, so we were relieved to see it had not been damaged. Another neighbor fed our cat and checked to see no water was in the house because the cat sitter couldn’t get up the mountain. Neighbors helping neighbors.”
In this same spirit of giving, Wilson will host an open studio event at her Laurel Park home November 9-10, 10am-5pm. During the event, Wilson will display her paintings alongside the handcrafted work of accomplished metalsmith Marilyn Bailey and hand-woven garments and pillows by Kathleen Weir-West.
The event will also include a raffle for art items, with all proceeds benefiting World Central Kitchen, a nonprofit food relief organization, or Conserving Carolina, a local land conservancy.
“The winner of the drawing can pick which [organization] they prefer,” says Wilson, who culls inspiration from her long walks at the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site or simply by looking out her studio window.
“Since the storm, I continue to paint the woods around me,” says Wilson. “We need to care for and preserve the beauty of this place we live in, and maybe my task as a painter is to preserve it on paper and canvas for others to enjoy.”
Cynthia Wilson, Hendersonville, clwilsonart.com. The open studio event is slated for November 9-10, 10am-5pm, at Wilson’s home studio. Visitors should follow the yellow signs starting at the Laurel Park Town Office (441 White Pine Dr., Hendersonville) up Laurel Park Highway to Wilson’s home.