With a creative community of juried members spanning over nine states, the Southern Highland Craft Guild fosters opportunities for makers to build, market, and maintain their creative livelihood through continuing education, retail outlets, and mentorship. We are invested in helping members achieve their goals and providing them with the resources to refine and sell their craft.
Impacting the
Creative Community
We educate the region and arts community on the importance of craft and its ability to impact the local creative economy. Through our retail locations, demonstrations, craft fairs, and special events, we promote the purpose and appreciation of our makers and their craft.
Cultivating Fine Craft
The Southern Highland Craft Guild is an advocate for high quality craftsmanship and goods made, sold, and curated in the Southern Highlands. Since 1930 we have served as a visionary advocate to help generations value the design and function of traditional and modern crafts.
Our Makers
For 90 years, the Guild has curated over 800 artisans, juried in based on their fine craftsmanship of twelve different mediums. These makers reside in the mountain regions of Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, & West Virginia.
Upcoming Events
JULY 2021
This four-day online event features a directory of fine craft exhibitors and their online shops. Visitors to the site can shop directly from the artists, watch live streams, participate in a raffle drawing, and win giveaways on Instagram.
Haywood Community College of Professional Crafts Program is an educational center member of the Southern Highland Craft Guild. This exhibit in the Main Gallery on the second level of the Folk Art Center features the graduating class of 2021.
On the second level of the Folk Art Center, "Magic is in the Air" is on display in the Focus Gallery now until August 3, 2021. This exhibit features five Guild Members: Cindy Billingsley (clay), Sharon Gordon (wall textiles), Jane Cole (quilts), Jeanne Rhodes – Moen (jewelry), Lisa Besler (leather).
Visit the exhibits during open hours of the Folk Art Center, Tuesday-Sunday 10:00 am-5:00 pm.
In the lobby of the Folk Art Center, visitors are invited to watch and interact with Guild members as they demonstrate their craft and explain their process from 10am-4pm.
News & Stories
Graduate Show 2021: Haywood Community College Professional Crafts Program
GRADUATE SHOW 2021 HAYWOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE PROFESSIONAL CRAFTS PROGRAM ON DISPLAY MAY 15- AUGUST 22 MAIN GALLERY EXHIBIT Graduating Class…
“Magic is in the Air” at the Folk Art Center
MAGIC IS IN THE AIR ON DISPLAY MAY 1- AUGUST 3 FOCUS GALLERY EXHIBIT Cindy Billingsley – clay Sharon Gordon…
Working Together: Barbara & Hugh Webb
WORKING TOGETHER: BARBARA & HUGH WEBB by Janet Wiseman Barbara Webb started her career in craft up-cycling found driftwood…
Featured Maker
Historical Collection
We invite you to walk through our permanent collection of historical, archived, Appalachian craft at the Folk Art Center. This exhibit of approximately 250 works features woodcarving, textiles, furniture, basketry, pottery, dolls, and other crafts of Southern Appalachia, dating from 1855 to the late 20th century. Many pieces date from the 19th century and were collected in the Asheville area by Frances L. Goodrich, a founding member of the Guild.
Our Permanent Collection also includes works from Berea College, Campbell Folk School, Penland School and other centers that have taught craft skills and connected makers to markets throughout the 20th century. These institutions also added their own patterns to the rhythms of mountain life, such as the Friday morning custom of local carvers coming to the Folk School to sell their latest works.
