Collaboration Project
The Flood Spirit, Helene portrait series is a form of processing the aftermath of the storm. The bear wandering spaces of devastation are meant to be reminiscent of polar bears roaming their melting arctic homes in the wake of climate change impacts.
While this project is ongoing, locations photographed thus far include Asheville’s River Arts District, Chimney Rock, along the shores of the French Broad & Swannanoa Rivers, and the highway 9 waterfall. Now over one year after Helene, the duo plans to visit other areas as a way to show the recovery progress, or lack there of, in a region forgotten.
Flood Spirit, Helene
Joining forces to collaborate on a series of creative portraits depicting some of Arulu’s hand-made masks, the duo have most recently worked in areas impacted by the devastation of Hurricane Helene using the Appalachian Black Bear Spirit Mask. This mask represents the Flood Spirit, and her name is Helene. In this portrait series, the mask also represents all of us, and all the wildlife in the region, trying to make sense of our mountain home reshaped by the impacts of climate change.
House of Arulu &
Jungle Branch
Various prints of the Bear are available for sale, with Arulu and Mike splitting profits three ways - amongst themselves and donating the last third to local disaster relief organization Grassroots AID Partnership.
Each artist has a variety of works available for sale at all market events as well as the Rotating Gallery at Cooperative Coffee in West Asheville.
Prints For Sale
CAB’s ART4AID Program
Caravan Art Bazaar’s ART 4 AID program uses art for good by donating a percent of sales from artwork by participating artists to various grassroots mutual aid programs near and far.
To date, CAB has helped raise over $14,000 in funds for Hurricane Helene disaster relief in North Carolina, rainforest conservation in Peru and Sumatra, community land stewardship near Cherokee, affordable housing in Swannanoa NC, community art experiences in Asheville, cultural preservation in Vietnam, and more!
