Aaron Yakim & Cynthia Taylor / White Oak Baskets
Aaron Yakim and Cynthia Taylor create refined rib baskets and split baskets directly from the white oak tree using hand...
Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands
Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands |
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For four days each July and October, the Civic Center in Asheville, NC comes alive with fine traditional and contemporary crafts. Over 200 craftspeople fill the two levels of the center selling their works of clay, fiber, glass, leather, metal, mixed media, natural materials, paper, wood and jewelry. The Fairs, a local tradition since 1948, showcase the work of members of the Southern Highland Craft Guild. Having been accepted into the Guild through a rigorous jury process, these craftspeople are the best of the best in the Appalachian region. Membership is open to artists living in the mountain counties of nine states from Maryland to Alabama. The Fairs also feature craft demonstrations and, beginning on Friday, local musicians share their love of traditional and bluegrass mountain music live on the arena stage.
Unlike any other fair, the Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands is an experience, a place to show off the talent and innovation of Guild members. It is diverse: crafts rooted in Appalachian traditions are featured along with the work of contemporary artists, reinventing their medium to accommodate the modern world and to reflect their view of it.
The Fair focuses on the process of craft, often lost in a highly mechanized and digital world, the work of the hand – iron is hammered to become a fireplace tool, splints of white oak are harvested to become a basket. This theme is reflected in the scheduled demonstrations as well as the individual craft booths. Visitors interact with highly-trained craftspeople selling their work and sharing a bit about their process and inspiration.
Asheville, NC, nestled within the Blue Ridge Mountains, provides the perfect backdrop for the Craft Fair. Long known as an arts and crafts destination, Asheville offers architectural charm, eclectic restaurants and a wide variety of lodging. As an organization, the Guild has been serving artists in this area since 1930.
For a complete listing of exhibitors, craft demonstrations, and entertainment schedule for the Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands, visit http://craftguild.org/.
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“Creating a world in which craft and other native talents can flourish – this is the Guild’s legacy. The craftspeople of Southern Appalachia are always aware of tradition and forever renewing themselves from the old sources of nature, family, spiritual life and the desire to share one’s gifts with others.”
Jan Davidson, Director, John C. Campbell Folk School
The Southern Highland Craft Guild is a non-profit, educational organization established in 1930 to bring together the crafts and craftspeople of the Southern Highlands for the benefit of shared resources, education, marketing and conservation. The Craft Fairs are one of the ways in which the Guild fulfills its mission. To learn more about Guild programs, visit www.craftguild.org.
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October 2011 Craft Fair Exhibitors |
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Milepost 382 Blue Ridge Parkway
Asheville, NC 
