One year after Hurricane Helene tore through western North Carolina, the recovery is still very real for those who lived through it. In the small town of Canton, one local business is proving that rebuilding isn’t just about repairs — it’s about purpose, patience and the people who refuse to give up.

Just 20 miles west of Asheville, tucked away in a stone building off Adams Street, sits Cold Mountain Art Collective — a ceramics studio and gallery featuring the work of 50 local artists. It’s run by Hannah Burnisky, an artist who’s no stranger to starting over.

“Ceramics is a very patient art,” Burnisky said. “It’s a lot of waiting.”

That same patience was tested when Hurricane Helene brought devastating floods to the area last year. The storm submerged her studio under more than seven fe

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