ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — This Juneteenth, The Block, the historic Black business sector of downtown Asheville, will receive a new, custom-designed bench from Echoes of the Forest, a nonprofit creating functional artwork from trees felled by Tropical Storm Helene.

The bench, designed by local artist Kwadwo Som-Pimpong, is inspired by Ashanti chief stools and crafted from salvaged white oak. The piece will be unveiled by the city of Asheville, Echoes of the Forest and the YMI Cultural Center outside the latter at 1 p.m., Friday, June 19, 39 S. Market St. in downtown Asheville.

Designing the bench

Som-Pimpong said that creating the bench was a powerful experience after the devastation wrought by Helene.

“Having the opportunity to craft this bench from a Hurricane Helene-felled tree was deeply cathartic. Wood that fell in devastation has been transformed into a place of rest — a fitting way to process the many layers of what my family and our region experienced together,” said Som-Pimpong in a city press release.

“Our son was born four days after Helene made landfall. He was our God-given joy in the midst of the storm. This bench is a monument to his entering the world, to my family’s Helene journey and to the journey of this entire region. My hope is that for years to come, many will find in this bench a place of rest and reflection — and that it will stand as a testament to the resilience and renewal taking root in our community. The Boosting the Block initiative is one fine example of that spirit, and I am honored to contribute to it.”

Development of the bench was spearheaded by Echoes of the Forest, YMI Cultural Center and The Block Collaborative, and partly supported by Boosting the Block grant funding, an initiative for “amplifying a more representative narrative of Asheville’s historic Black cultural district,” the city wrote.

Maintenance of the bench will be overseen by the Asheville Downtown Improvement District.

Symbolic seating

For the partners behind the project, the bench serves as a powerful symbol for The Block.

“At the onset of this initiative, The Block Collaborative — a group of organizations, businesses, and residents of The Block — asked the City for a bench to symbolize our work in bringing awareness and activation to an historic and often overlooked area within downtown Asheville,” said Alexandria Monique Ravenel, YMI Cultural Center director of cultural programming, in the release.

“Thanks to Kwadwo and Echoes of the Forest, we have so much more than a place of respite. As a work of art, this bench serves as a contemporary nod to the origins of East End/Valley Street Neighborhood, home of The Block, which arose from necessity, resiliency and joy. ​The design captures the collective effort of YMI Cultural Center and The Block to center both Black legacy and Black futurism as we carry forward the ingenuity of our ancestors. We are honored to be the stewards of this landmark for generations to come.”

Liisa Andreassen, founder of Echoes of the Forest, saw the project as an opportunity for healing.

“When Tropical Storm Helene tore through our mountains, it left behind both heartbreak and an extraordinary amount of timber — wood that carried the memory of this place and its people,” Andreassen said in the release. “Partnering with YMI Cultural Center and the City of Asheville to transform that storm-salvaged wood into a gathering space rooted in Asheville’s Black cultural heritage felt like exactly the kind of healing this community deserves. Echoes of the Forest exists to honor what was lost while creating something that endures, and this bench — shaped by Kwadwo’s artistry and anchored in The Block — does just that. We are deeply honored to be part of this story.”

Read about previous Echoes of the Forest projects:

• Love, lumber and what comes next for Echoes of the Forest
• Felled trees, carved art: Echoes of the Forest debuts woodwork tribute