Radical Artists Taking up Space

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Radical Artists Taking up Space •

The Mall R.A.T.S. is a collective of artists and curators who transform unused spaces in Asheville, NC, into vibrant hubs of creativity. Through exhibitions, craft pop-ups, immersive installations, and educational opportunities, we ignite engagement by activating space for the arts.

A 2023 study from ArtsAVL, which polled over 300 arts businesses, revealed that area artists need affordable space to display art and create art experiences. With extensive damage to various regional art districts from Hurricane Helene, including the River Arts District in Asheville, Marshall High Studios in Marshall, and Treats studio in Spruce Pine, among countless others, the need for space is now even greater.

Mall R.A.T.S. is working with the Asheville Mall to activate vacant spaces while supporting regional artists and the local creative community. All of our exhibitions are made with accessibility in mind: no cost or barrier to entry, we welcome all. The collective is self-funded and actively seeking sponsorship partners and grant funds.

In our first three exhibitions, we have shown 156 artworks!

Meet the R.A.T.S.

  • Anna Helgeson

    She/Her

    Elevator pitch: Anna makes aweful art and wants your company.

    Things that inspire her: Yoko Ono, her cats, Winding Road Farm, bell hooks, Sophie Calle, and awkward queers

    Favorite food: Sushi

    Favorite mall memory: In 1987 Anna and her mom were at the Thunderbird Mall in Menomone, Wisconsin when a tornado siren went off. Every one in the mall had to duck and cover inside one of the stores. She and 30 strangers packed into the tiny jewelry store , 2+2 and sat on the floor. The tornado passed but the satisfaction of doing weird shit with strangers permanently opened a tiny door in her brain.

    Find her at: annahelgeson.com and @awefulphotos

  • Lenny Kyriakoulis

    He/Him

    Elevator pitch: Lenny is a multidisciplinary artist, curator, and teacher specialising in ceramic sculpture that explores identity, grief, and belonging.

    Things that inspire him: the ocean, food, Greek folk dances, community organising, figural imagery, generational and ancestral interconnectedness

    Favorite food: His grandmother’s spanakopita

    Favorite mall memory: Falling asleep in a circular clothing rack as a toddler, they had to shut the department store down to look for me until a cashier saw my little rain boots poking out.

    Find him at: lennykyriakoulis.com and @lennydkceramics

  • Erik Mace

    He/Him

    Elevator pitch: Erik makes photographs and then complicates them.

    Things that inspire him: Music, video games, music that sound like it’s from a video game.

    Favorite food: Anything orange flavored

    Favorite mall memory: Escaping hot summer afternoons at the mall arcade with my brother.

    Find him at: erikmace.com and @erik.mace

  • Jeannie Regan

    She/Her

    Elevator pitch: I am a curator and program developer with a steadfast commitment to persuading the public that participation in the arts is the key to a wildly happy life.

    Things that inspire her: Es Devlin’s colossal sculptures, Corita Kent, and social practice collectives Led by Donkeys and Fine Acts

    Favorite food: Xiao long bao

    Favorite mall memory: Visiting the incredible Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo at the Dubai Mall. Very sofishticated!

    Find her at: jeannierebecca.com and @jeannierebecca

  • Daniel Simone

    It/They/He/She/Daniel

    Elevator pitch: Daniel is a Transgender Alternative Print/Papermaker and Painter (TAPPP) vying for the auspicious title of International Artist of Mystery or also any cheesemongering or teaching opportunities you may have. Their work centers around the body through refuse and the labor that creates it.

    Things that inspire them: The works of Faith Ringgold, Bryan Lee O-Malley, and Hung Liu. Comic books, Morrowind, prog metal, and Steely Dan. TV static. Number stations. The chorus of hundreds of cicadas. 

    Favorite food: Palak paneer with garlic naan

    Favorite mall memory: Eating at the floating California Pizza Kitchen with my mom at Lenox Mall.

    Find them at: danielsimoneart.com and @danielsimoneart

  • Liz Trader-Williams

    She/They

    Elevator pitch: Liz is a sweet and hopeful sardonic multidisciplinary creative.

    Things that inspire them: Community, art collaborations, finding solutions and humor while navigating dire straits. The work of Diane Arbus, Toyin Ojih Odutola, and Gordon Parks also inspires me. 

    Favorite food: Pepperoni pineapple pizza

    Favorite mall memory: Watching Kill Bill in a nearly empty Richland Mall (Columbia, SC) rooftop theater is a fond teenage mall memory. Before the film began, I excitedly ran all over the empty room with friends before the film began and the genre-bending movie blew my young, impressionable mind from start to finish.

    Find them at: makemesomeart.com