A quick tour of what our artisans are working on right now, and a few signs that word about Echoes is getting around.
An Echo for Gateway Park
Something special is taking shape for Asheville’s riverfront. RiverLink’s new Gateway Park is coming to Riverside Drive at the Pearson Bridge, on ground that held the beloved Riverside Park more than a century ago, complete with its iconic carousel, before the great flood of 1916 swept it away. The new park will bring that history back to life with meandering pathways, native plantings, a carousel-inspired pavilion, and arched gateways welcoming visitors at both entrances.
That’s where Echoes comes in. Mark and Jacqueline Oliver of Foundation Woodworks are tag-teaming the design and crafting of an archway Echo for the park, a gateway built from storm-salvaged timber to welcome cyclists, runners, and walkers along the French Broad. There’s a fitting symmetry to it: wood the river’s flood brought down in 1916 gave this site its history, and wood brought down by Helene will help mark its next chapter.
Gateway Park is projected to open in 2026. We’ll share more as the archway takes shape. Site plan above by Equinox Environmental, courtesy of RiverLink.
Wood Day: A Full Table and New Friends
Our table at the Southern Highland Craft Guild’s Wood Day at the Folk Art Center on August 8 was everything we hoped for. Alongside a full day of demonstrations by master woodworkers of the Guild and the Carolina Woodturners, we met a steady stream of visitors, sent handcrafted pieces home to new owners, and made connections we expect to be telling you about in future posts.
Thank you to everyone who stopped by, asked about the wood, and heard the story. Every conversation and every purchase directly supports our artisans and the communities still recovering from Helene.
Getting Known
Here’s one that made us smile. Tony Reed of Reed Creek Creatives recently crafted two custom bowls for delivery to retiring faculty at Duke University, each one a piece of Western North Carolina headed off to mark the end of a distinguished career.
When people well beyond our mountains start choosing Echoes pieces to honor the milestones in their lives, that tells us something. The work is traveling. The story is spreading. We’re getting known.
Want a piece of your own, or one for someone worth celebrating? Visit our studio by appointment, or reach us at info@echoesoftheforest.org or (828) 273-3096.