After Hurricane Helene devastated approximately 80 percent of Asheville’s art galleries in the fall of 2024, alumnus Gary Ball’s church, Redeemer Anglican, applied and received grant money from Creo Arts and the Anglican Relief Development Fund to lease a building that houses four art studios and a gallery for displaced artists in the area.
The plan is to offer a dedicated space for local artists to create and showcase their work throughout the next three years. “They can sell their art in the galleries,” Ball said. “We’re also going to host live-music events.”
Ball has a heart to minister to the creative community in Asheville. In addition to being a pastor, he is also an established watercolor painter. He felt drawn to the art culture in Asheville when he decided to move there in 2013 to plant Redeemer Anglican.
He enjoys painting images from Scripture as well as scenes that reflect the beauty of the forests, mountains and streams of the Appalachian Region.
“It’s inspiring when you look at something so beautiful that it makes you want to imitate it, and even more, see beyond it to the God who made it,” he said.
Amid his pastoral responsibilities, Ball says taking time out to paint allows him to unwind and contemplate. “It’s just such a good way to decompress in the evenings with the kids around,” he said.
In 2024 Ball released a book, “The Artistic Vision: Cultivating a Sacramental Imagination for Creative Practice,” with Alex Sosler. The co-authors host a podcast by the same name. A selection of Ball's artwork can be seen on his Instagram account, @g_ball2 (Gary Ball).
