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About Me and My Loving Wife Eileen, In The Villages

Hello, I'm Marty Black. My wife Eileen and I have been living in The Villages since 2014, and we've truly enjoyed it. We reside in the Hillsborough neighborhood, which was previously more centrally located before the southern expansion of SR44. Our community consists of fifty wonderful homes and fantastic neighbors. When we first arrived, we were able to take advantage of many of the amenities that The Villages offers. Unfortunately, due to an autoimmune disease I've developed, I find myself frequently homebound. However, Eileen remains active, participating in activities like pickleball, golf, table tennis and more. As for me, I took up a hobby that was meant to be profitable, though it hasn't turned out that way; I strive to at least break even.

I specialize in personalized printing from home while Eileen engages in her numerous activities. My work is dedicated exclusively to The Villages and the surrounding neighborhoods, as I prefer not to deal with packing and shipping.

Before We Moved To The Villages (If you are really interested, it's long).

Eileen and I relocated from Queens, New York, to various places after the authorities tracked me down. Our first stop was Miami, Florida, where I worked as an Electronics Engineer specializing in the design of medical devices. Eileen took on the challenging role of being the mother of our two children, Evan and Robin. While we were there, Eileen aimed to pursue more than just being a full-time mom, leading her to join The Ceramics League of Miami, where she honed her craft and became a potter (an exceptionally skilled one at that).

Afterwards, we moved to Greensboro, North Carolina, where I took a role as the managing engineer for advanced development. In the end, I founded my own company, FMB Communications, after obtaining five patents. My company focused on producing electronic signs for retail stores and highways.

While in Greensboro, Eileen really began her pottery business. She organized pottery exhibitions in various rooms of our home. Additionally, she started selling her pottery wholesale to art galleries across the nation (she crafted the pots, and I packaged and shipped them). This venture became very successful, known as "The Potters Mark, Ltd".

Upon my retirement, Eileen and I settled in Asheville, North Carolina. In 2002, we acquired the remnants of the Cotton Mill, a structure that had withstood a severe fire in 1995 in the Asheville River District (later renamed The River Arts District). We revitalized it, created our studio, provided rental spaces for other artists, and renamed it Cotton Mill Studios, I then became an apprentice potter, working for Eileen (without pay). The business thrived with walk-in customers, wholesale, and online sales. We also became part of a small group of artists who later became known as "The River District Artists. Eileen served as president of that group in the early days of its formation.

Excerpts From Asheville Publications

Eileen and Marty Black were true pioneers in Asheville’s River Arts District (RAD). Their journey exemplifies how a couple of determined artists transformed a neglected industrial area into one of the Southeast’s most lively creative centers.

🌱 Their Role in the River Arts District

• At that time, RAD was still a neglected neighborhood with only about 35 artists, most of whom opened their studios merely once a year for a single “studio stroll.” Crime was rampant, and visitors were few and far between.

• The Blacks transformed the Cotton Mill into a home for 15 artists, creating a communal space that provided the district with stability and visibility, quickly becoming one of the main attractions in the River Arts District.

• They also facilitated the expansion of the studio stroll into a two-day event held twice a year, complete with full-color brochures and even a complimentary trolley service.

✨ Their Legacy

• By the time they retired in 2014, RAD had flourished into a vibrant community of over 180 artists, accompanied by restaurants, galleries, and international acclaim.

• They ensured that the Cotton Mill Studios remained in the hands of artists when they sold it, rejecting any offers that would turn it into a commercial space that did not support the creative community.

• In essence, the Blacks were more than just studio owners—they were facilitators of change. They played a significant role in transforming Asheville's River Arts District from a forgotten industrial area into a destination that now rivals the Biltmore Estate as one of the reasons people visit Asheville.

Hurricane Helene & the flood.

• In late September 2024, Hurricane Helene made landfall (as a Category 4) and its remnants tracked northward, dumping extreme rainfall well inland — including western North Carolina.

• Asheville and the surrounding areas experienced heavy rainfall before Helene arrived; ground and waterways were already stressed.

• The French Broad River, which borders the RAD, rose dramatically. It crested at 24.67 feet, setting a new record — eclipsing the previous record (about 23.1 ft) set during the “Great Flood of 1916.”

• Because the RAD lies within the floodplain of the French Broad (and near the confluence area of other tributaries), many RAD buildings were inundated.

• Floodwaters reportedly reached 10 feet or more inside some structures, violently pushing contents, bulging walls, and damaging interior infrastructure.

• The scale of the event has been characterized as something like a 500-year flood.

• In Short, Asheville's River Arts District was devastated.

• They are now in the process of rebuilding, although many artists relocated to other areas. Despite the devastation, RAD is still a visitor destination and hopefully will rise to its previous glory.