MARSHALL - Before Tropical Storm Helene, Marshall and Marshall High Studios in particular was gaining a reputation in an up-and-coming art scene, but the 2024 storm nearly derailed that momentum.
Now though, the studios, in the longtime Marshall High School building built in 1926, are reopened to the public and are regaining buzz and spark as a key driver to Madison County's artistic flair.
Marshall High Studios is situated on Blannahassett Island, which can be considered a kind of floating cornerstone for both Madison County and the town of Marshall. The roughly 10-acre tract in the middle of the French Broad River was part of the first 50-acre piece of land parceled from Buncombe to Madison, creating a seat for the new county in 1853.
The building
is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Marshall High Studios has 26 studio units and more than 30 artists. The organization's mission is to maintain a facility that supports accomplished, creative, diverse individuals, organizations and small businesses in Madison County and Western North Carolina, according to its website.
Marshall High Studios took over management of the nonprofit organization July 1, 2025. The building was donated by previous owner Rob Pulleyn in December 2025. The Studios operate a nine-person board.
According to David Schmucker, The Studios' new executive director, each of the artists represents a small business in downtown. The space offers a variety of mediums, from 3D printing to yoga and a Chinese Cultural Center, and hosts painters, photographers, fiber artists and documentarians.
"We want our organization to impact the arts and economy throughout the region," Schmucker said. "Our main goal is to provide affordable rents for regional artists, but we really want to focus on high-quality artists. We're really proud of the artists we have now."
Schmucker, originally from Indiana, moved to Marshall in 2007 and is still surprised at how much the downtown has grown. That expansion is likely to continue, as nonprofit River Island Gym is working to transform the historic former Marshall High gym, in the same building, into a year-round recreation, wellness and community gathering space.
Additionally, the town of Marshall is working with Appalachian Design Center in the first phase of the island's recreation area rebuild, to include the construction of a new playground and walking track on the island, as well as a regrading of the island. The first phase is fully funded and will come at no cost to residents, according to Julia Passik, Appalachian Design Center's Marshall project manager.
Schmucker recalls moving to Marshall shortly after Zuma Coffee opened its new location on Main Street.
According to Schmucker, Zuma owner Joel Friedman called the studios starting up as "a shot in the arm" for the town, with Thomas Jablonski, Matt Lucas and Pete Whitlock renovating buildings and helping to spawn an economic revitalization.
"I'm really happy for the progress (the) town's been making. I like seeing strangers here. It's nice to see people thriving in town," Schmucker said.
In the midst of the planning, Marshall High Studios is in its general fundraising campaign.
The building faced roughly $900,000 in damages due to Tropical Storm Helene's flooding. When Helene ripped through the region on Sept. 27, 2024, heavy rains caused catastrophic flooding of many rivers, including the French Broad, which devastated Marshall, destroying homes, roads, bridges and businesses. Helene killed more than 100 people and caused nearly $60 billion in damage across the state.
"The artists had their own stuff to deal with in the flood recovery, and they could have just gone home and sorted their own stuff out. But we had certain artists put in untold hours volunteering to recover the studios itself, because they just really value the place," Schmucker said. He spoke of painter Frank Lombardo mucking out the basement and spraying fungicides on the framing, and leading large groups of volunteers, including those through Marshall Relief Alliance, in the cleanup.
"It just spoke to me about how much they value it as more than just a room to rent."
While much of the recovery is complete, several infrastructure and maintenance needs remain, including replacing the shingle portion of the roof within the next two years.
'Deliciously quirky': Healing community
Trish Marshall is another Marshall High Studios artist who was instrumental in the space's rebuild. The News-Record visited with her during one of her community craft events Oct. 19.
The community craft space started in her kitchen, and the group quickly outgrew it. The community art space hosts workshops and visiting artists, with core programming, including a poetry workshop, image lab and watercolor painting work sessions.
"It's become like a community offering to have a standing 'Thank you' for the way the community came together after the flood," Marshall said. "This is just a positive, 'What we will do' thing to go forward together."
Marshall also helps organize a Community Zine, which will have a launch party and community reading Nov. 19 at French Broad Exchange. Marshall previously ran Church of Craft Asheville, a local, informal gathering for crafters, makers, and DIY enthusiasts who bring portable creative projects to work on together in a social setting.
But for Marshall, who has also been operating a printmaking studio since 2023, she hopes to help inspire residents to look forward and ahead, rather than dwell on the struggles of the storm.
"I love this place. There's so much connection that came about because of the flood, but that's not all of who we are," Marshall said. "I wanted to find a way to seed forward that connectedness, not through tragedy and need, but through heart-centered desire. This place is deliciously quirky, and I want to celebrate that."
That impact has been felt by community members, including Shirley Noland and Lauren Rutten.
Noland said she currently can't work, as she's suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, for which Marshall and the community art space have helped to "anchor" her in her processing.
"Nobody else has a studio like this," Noland said. "And it's for everybody else. She embodies the loyalty, the commitment and the knowledge. She sees a big vision. She's an anchor."
Rutten, a photographer who owns Milkhouse Studios and is another Marshall High Studios tenant, said the building would not be where it is today if not for the "immense generosity and spirit" that Marshall has given to support its recovery.
The studio space hopes to keep expanding on that spirit.
"Our goal is to have that identity in the region — not just Marshall and Madison County — but to be known as an arts incubator and creative business incubator for Western North Carolina," Schmucker said.
For more information on Marshall High Studios and to donate to its fundraising campaign, visit its website.
Johnny Casey is the Madison County communities reporter for The Citizen Times and The News-Record & Sentinel. He can be reached at 828-210-6074 or jcasey@citizentimes.com.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: 'Deliciously quirky': Marshall art studios celebrates town's unique spirit
