Chrys Corn Goodman: Painting Mystery and Hope

For painter Chrys Corn Goodman, creating art is an act of discovery—uncovering beauty, mystery and truth one stroke at a time.

“I try to discover what I am painting as I paint it,” she says. “My work is mostly abstracted human forms with vivid colors and words that capture meaning.”

Born in the San Francisco Bay Area, Goodman grew up surrounded by the towering Redwoods and the Pacific’s quiet power. She studied fine art at the Academy of Art in San Francisco and California State University East Bay, where realism gave way to her love of figurative abstraction.

Now rooted in Western North Carolina, where her family has lived for over 200 years, Goodman feels deeply connected to place. “I’ve been coming here since I was a child,” she says. “There’s so much love in these hills.”

For the past year and a half, she’s been part of Asheville’s River Arts District community. “It’s inspiring to be surrounded by so much natural beauty—especially waterfalls and the blue ridges on the mountains. It is encouraging to be around so many other artists.”

When Hurricane Helene barreled through, Goodman watched trees snap and metal roofs flap like flags. Power, phone and radio were out. Roads were blocked. During the chaos, she turned to what grounds her most: painting.

“An image of a woman showed up in my paint, looking like she was about to throw punches,” Goodman recalls. “I named her Helene.”

Days later, walking by the French Broad River, she found a piece of debris that matched the painting. She pulled it from the mud, cleaned it off, and mounted her Helene onto it. “It felt like completion, a type of collaboration between me and the storm.”

That piece now hangs at Asheville Regional Airport, carrying the memory of a storm that changed everything.

When asked what keeps her going, Goodman doesn’t hesitate. “Leaning on God, family, friends, neighbors and making art. You never know what tomorrow brings.”

As for her next adventure? She smiles. “I’m always open to go pretty much anywhere.”
 

You can view Goodman's piece "Helene" in the exhibit "Mountain Memories" at Asheville Regional Airport, on display through October 30, 2025.  The exhibit is displayed in the Asheville Regional Airport Art Gallery located in the new North Concourse, post security – please note only ticketed passengers can view this area. 

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