Print size: 11"x14" 
Framed Size 12"x15"
 
When I finally reached my studio in the River Arts District, three days after Hurricane Helene tore through, the city felt strange. The streets were different, wet, and scarred by the storm's destructive path.
 
My eyes drifted up, above the now unfamiliar chaos of the skate park, to the power lines. There they were: dozens of shoes hanging silently in the air. I’d seen them countless times, but never truly noticed them before. They were just part of the background. 
 
Now, after the storm had washed everything clean, they were impossible to ignore. Every pair was spotless, gleaming brightly against the ruined streets below. What might have been dismissed as old junk now felt important, even sacred.
 
You realize that every single shoe up there holds a story. They are traces of people who have lived here, walked these streets, and been part of this community. A jogger's running shoes, a skater's worn-out sneakers, a worker's boots, all hanging together.
 
In that moment, these shoes weren't just shoes, they were a monument to the people of Asheville. They represent our strength, our journeys, and the quiet, strong bond that holds this community together. They are the soles of our city, full of history and the unbreakable spirit of a place that always finds a way to stand back up.