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. The Southern Highland Craft Guild is headquartered at the Folk Art Center in Asheville, NC on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
The 77th Annual Craft Fairs of the Southern Highlands take place July 18-21 & Oct 17-20, 2024 at Harrah’s Cherokee Center-Asheville (downtown). For more information, visit craftguild.org/craftfair.
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, live craft demonstrations, craft fairs, and special events, we promote the purpose and appreciation of our makers and their craft.
EDUCATIONAL EVENTS
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.
EXHIBITION EVENTS
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
View the Event Calendar to see all upcoming events.
CRAFT FAIRS & SPECIAL EVENTS
EDUCATIONAL EVENTS
DAILY CRAFT DEMOS
Holiday Seconds Sale!
Artists of the Southern Highland Craft Guild are selling this year’s inventory in the Folk Art Center’s auditorium from 10am-4pm. Choose from a variety of gift items including ceramics, jewelry, fiber, apparel, paper, glass & wood with discounts of 10-50% off retail price!
This sale is an opportunity for our member artisans to cycle out the remaining designs of the year at this market, so they can begin the new year with a fresh start.
News & Stories
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.
