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.
Visit our headquarters, the Folk Art Center in Asheville, NC.
Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands
July 21-24 & Oct 13-16, 2022
SHOP OUR FINE CRAFT COLLECTION ONLINE
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
DAILY CRAFT DEMOS
HARRAH'S CHEROKEE CENTER - ASHEVILLE
JULY 21-24 | OCT 13-16
2023 Dates: July 20-23 | Oct 19-22
Tickets are available online or at the door. $10 admission, children under 12 are free.
News & Stories
Deneece Harrell
DENEECE HARRELL 2022 FEATURED ARTIST BOOTH # 102 Where are you from / where do you live now / what…
1948: The First Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands
1948: The first Southern Highlands Craftsman’s Fair Excerpt from Images of America, Southern Highland Craft Guild written by Deb Shillo…
Sarah Tremaine
SARAH TREMAINE 2022 FEATURED ARTIST BOOTH # 203 ABOUT SARAH TREMAINE Where are you from / where do you live…
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.
