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Southern Highland Craft Guild

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Southern Highland Craft Guild

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The official page of the Southern Highland Craft Guild and all of its operations.
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Cultivating the crafts and makers of the Southern Highlands for the purpose of shared resources, education, marketing, and conservation.

10/28/2026

We are so proud to welcome our newest Southern Highland Craft Guild members!

This group of makers introduces a beautiful range of work, from deep-rooted traditions like Cherokee storytelling to contemporary craft. Their work is a direct reflection of the immense time and care they have poured into their craft; from delicate hand fabricated jewelry to wire sculpture and cold worked glass. Their work includes felted wool, traditional basket making, finely worked wood, paper, natural materials, and more. These makers have spent years in relationship with their craft to meet our exceptional juried standards and we are so glad to have them. Swipe through to discover each artist!

10/26/2026

Join us at the Folk Art Center for a live woodcarving demonstration by award-winning artisan Ronnie McMahan. Based in Black Mountain, North Carolina, McMahan has specialized in wildlife woodcarving since 1979. Known as “The Redbird Carver,” he utilizes specialized carving tools and meticulous woodburning techniques to create highly detailed, lifelike avian sculptures complete with realistic habitats.

Today 10/26 through Thursday 10/29 guild member Ronnie McMahan will be demonstrating wood carving at the Folk Art Center in Asheville; 10am-4pm.

10/25/2026

Tomorrow 10/26 through Thursday 10/29 guild member Jeff McKinley will be demonstrating glass blowing at the Folk Art Center in Asheville. 10am-4pm. 🔥

Western North Carolina glass artist and flame-worker Jeff McKinley specializes in sculptures, holiday ornaments, collectible marbles, and wearable art. His professional path began in 1994 under the mentorship of Gary Newlin at A Touch of Glass in Asheville, where he spent two years learning the foundational techniques of decorative glass manipulation. To expand his technical skills, McKinley later undertook training at a scientific glassblowing corporation in Raleigh, where he studied the structural properties and durability of borosilicate glass. Returning to decorative artistry full-time in the fall of 1998, he combines these scientific manufacturing standards with decorative design to produce fluid, highly detailed glass work.

10/25/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us at the Folk Art Center yesterday for the opening reception of the New Members Exhibition! It was wonderful to see our community of visitors, collectors, and neighbors come together to celebrate the 39 new members who have juried into the Southern Highland Craft Guild over the last two years.

Bringing a collection of this scale together is a major achievement, and we want to give a special thank you to our curator and fellow guild member, woodworker Valerie Berlage, for everything she did behind the scenes to make it happen!

The New Members Exhibition is open through January 20, 2027. We invite you to stop by the gallery, explore these exceptional handmade pieces, and welcome our newest guild members!

10/23/2026

Several Southern Highland Craft Guild members are participating and vending at the Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair (SAFF) at the WNC Agricultural Center this weekend!

While exploring the fairgrounds, you can support juried guild artists across a wide range of disciplines. Stop by the vendor booths to see needle felting by new guild member Emma De La Laine, traditional woodworking by Lyle Wheeler, architectural ironwork by William Wheeler, and contemporary ceramics by Kelsey Schissel. Guild member Mary Nichols is also there having a good time enjoying the fair. In addition to the market buildings, Cassie Dickson and Rita de Maintenon are on-site sharing their expertise through heritage fiber workshops.

10/22/2026

Come celebrate the Southern Highland Craft Guild’s new members with us!

You are invited to the opening reception of the New Members Exhibition this Saturday at the Folk Art Center. This biennial showcase honors the rigorous path to guild membership, spotlighting the technical skill and original designs of the 39 featured Craftspeople.

This exhibition is a dedicated space to appreciate the unique contributions of these incoming makers.

Come meet the artits and explore a diverse collection spanning the full range of functional, wearable, and decorative craft; including wood, clay, metal, fiber, glass, jewelry, mixed media, and natural materials.

There will be light refreshments.

Opening Reception Details:
• Date: Saturday, October 24
• Time: 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
• Location: The Folk Art Center (Main Gallery), Milepost 382, Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville, NC
• Admission: Free and open to the public

10/22/2026

Today 10/22 through Sunday 10/25, Guild member Rodney Leftwich will be demonstrating at the Folk Art Center from 10a-4p.

During the 1970s, Rodney Leftwich began collecting and studying western North Carolina’s regional folk pottery, which inspired him to learn the craft using traditional forms, locally sourced glazes, and regional historical techniques like face jugs. When other potters began creating similar work, he transitioned his style from folk pottery to art pottery by incorporating his lifelong interest in drawing, incising detailed images of mountain scenes, people, and wildlife into his pieces. His appreciation for the region’s early art pottery also led him to work part-time at Pisgah Forest Pottery, where he revived historical crystalline and cameo design traditions that had been discontinued in the 1950s. Today, Leftwich is a celebrated native artisan and member of prominent craft guilds whose unique, widely collected work is featured in numerous museums and private collections; he is also the author of Pisgah Forest and Nonconnah, The Potteries of Walter B. Stephen and co-author of North Carolina Art Pottery.

10/21/2026

Tomorrow 10/22 through Sunday 10/25 Rita de Maintenon will be demonstrating crochet lace at the Folk Art Center in Asheville 10a-4p.

Rita de Maintenon is a master fiber artist, author, and antique textile restoration specialist based in western North Carolina who specializes in traditional European heritage lacemaking. Raised in Frankfurt, Germany, she has spent over four decades teaching, completing custom commissions, and preserving rare techniques including broomstick lace, hairpin lace, and Irish crochet through her studio, Heirloom Treasures Fiber Arts. She is a certified Blue Ridge National Heritage Artist, a member of the Southern Highland Craft Guild, and a Craft Yarn Council Certified Instructor who has taught at the John C. Campbell Folk School and Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts. Additionally, she has authored two instructional books dedicated to classic heritage crochet methods.

10/19/2026

What a great group, and what a wonderful time!
A huge, heartfelt thank you to the 8 talented emerging artists for bringing all of their good energy and enthusiasm to the Fair and the Guild’s Emerging Artist Program. Our long-time juried members loved the fresh vibe they brought to the arena! The program ended on a high note for 2026, helping us connect with the next generation of makers and navigate the complexities of becoming professional artists. We cannot wait to see what they do next.

This program truly takes a village. Huge thanks to Mountain BizWorks , Craft Your Commerce , Laura Wood Studios , and The Path Forward Foundation for helping make it happen. And a special shoutout to our hard-working SHCG team, Caren, Susan, and Elizabeth for putting so much love into this initiative.

Watch this space for the 2027 EAP application, available in January!

Address

Milepost 382 Blue Ridge Pkwy
Asheville, NC
28805

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 5pm
Tuesday	10am - 5pm
Wednesday	10am - 5pm
Thursday	10am - 5pm
Friday	10am - 5pm
Saturday	10am - 5pm
Sunday	10am - 5pm

Telephone

+18282987928

Website

https://www.craftguild.org/shop

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