Rose Hardesty (she/her) - Bakersville, NC
Bio: Rose Hardesty is a visual artist who was born in Ventura, CA, and is currently living and Western NC. She creates functional and sculptural wood fired ceramic pieces inspired by the natural world and informed by imagination. Her work seeks to marry seemingly disparate elements of the art and craft world, blurring the line between high and low craft. A deep love for found materials, a passion for printmaking, utilization of local clay materials, and atmospheric firings are cornerstones in her practice. The process of wood firing is integral to the story of her life and the objects she creates.
Guest at Lisa Guiliani’s studio.
Etsy shop: rosebud artworks
IG: @rosemakespots
Hurricane Helene
Rose was among the many artists whose lives were upended by the devastation of Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina. The storm caused widespread damage to homes, studios, and galleries, while also cutting off access to roads, electricity, and water. It severely disrupted creative livelihoods, leaving many uncertain about how to rebuild. Despite these overwhelming challenges, Rose’s resilience shines through. We are grateful she shared her experience of hardship, loss, and the journey toward recovery. We are also thrilled to have her join us at the Mo’town Studio Tour, where she will be selling her beautiful handmade wares. In her words:
When Helene hit I was in the middle of moving my home and studio from Swannanoa, where I had been located since 2018, to Bakersville area. I had outgrown my small basement studio in Swannanoa, and found a beautiful studio along the road near Rebels Creek with an apartment up on the nearby ridge. I was lucky that I got my electric kilns and much of my equipment out before the storm, because my old studio in Swannanoa flooded. The flooding is not as bad as most of the area, and much of the remaining equipment can be salvaged. My new home and studio were incredibly lucky: only a few trees on the kiln shed roof, which did not cause structural damage. There was a wind event/tornado on the ridge and I watched from my kitchen window as it pulled down hundreds of trees early Friday morning. The hurricane was loud enough that you couldn’t hear branches cracking, just the whir of the storm and dull thuds of tree trunks landing in the deep mud. As I watched trees fall away from the house, and so close to my truck one took out the side mirror but didn’t damage the vehicle I felt awe at the power of nature, and also incredibly lucky.
It took a few days to be able to get out, as Rebels Creek Rd and Hwy 80 suffered significant damage, not different from every road in the area. 80 is a particularly windy mountain road. There were many trees down on the road, power line spaghetti to drive over, and washouts that sometimes took a whole lane or more out of the road. Neighbors worked together to clear it up and by Wednesday I was able to get my truck out and drive to Julie Wiggins’ place, where I helped run a supply distribution center for the past few weeks.
We transitioned from supplies to generator distribution in week 2, getting over 300 generators out to families who needed them. I am lucky to have power back at my place as of last week, but many folks will be waiting some time. Power outages will continue through the winter as the countless standing dead and leaning trees left by Helene come down.
We will be continuing relief work as we transition back to our studios, focusing on organizing construction needs and connecting folks with rebuilding supplies as we move into the next phase of hurricane aftermath.
On a personal note, I’m finally back to working on my move and furnishing my apartment. I am more in love with the community and place here than ever, and feel so lucky to be putting down roots in Mitchell County.
