The Southern Highland Craft Guild has been an advocate for high-quality crafts being made and sold in the southern Appalachian Mountains since the 1930s.
Their mission is to ensure that generation after generation of locals and visitors alike continue to value both the traditional and modern arts and crafts of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Originally designed to boost income during the Great Depression, the SHCG now represents 800-1,000 craftspeople from 293 counties in 9 Southern states.
Guild members work in 11 different mediums, including clay, glass, wood, metal, leather, fiber, paper, jewelry, natural materials, man-made materials, and mixed media.
What they all have in common is creating fine Appalachian folk art, which is sold at retail locations and various North Carolina craft fairs.
They host special events throughout the region, including a bi-annual Craft Fair in Asheville in the Summer and Fall. The Guild also has a shop in Biltmore Village, a shop on Tunnel Road, and another at Moses H. Cone Manor.
Read on for our guide to the Southern Highland Craft Guild Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway, where visitors can find a artful exhibits, a craft shop, library, bookstore, and demonstrations from local craftspeople.
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Looking for a place to stay near the Asheville Folk Arts Center?
- Mountain Springs Cabins (pet-friendly cabins 10 min west of Asheville)
Southern Highland Craft Guild Folk Art Center Info
ADDRESS: 382 Blue Ridge Pkwy, Asheville NC
PHONE NUMBER: 828-298-7928
HOURS: Open daily from 10 AM to 5 PM (except major holidays).
ADMISSION: Free
Driving Directions from Downtown Asheville
From Downtown Asheville, take Haywood St. towards College St. After 0.3 miles, turn right onto I-240 E. Go 4.2 miles, then keep right to continue on US-74 ALT E, following signs for the Blue Ridge Parkway. In 1 mile, exit towards the BRP and turn right onto it in 0.2 miles. Turn left in 2.8 miles, and the Asheville Folk Art Center will be on the right.
Driving Directions from Downtown Brevard
From downtown Brevard NC, head northeast on US-64 E/S Broad St toward E Main St. In 2.9 miles, at the traffic circle, continue straight onto US-276 N/US-64 E. Go 0.5 miles, then continue straight onto NC-280 E.
After 12.4 miles, turn left onto NC-191 N/Old Haywood Rd, then go 3.7 miles and turn right onto Ledbetter Rd. Make a right onto NC-146 E, then take a left onto Overlook Rd in 1.3 miles.
Continue for 1.9 miles, then make a left onto US-25 N/Hendersonville Rd. In 0.9 miles, turn right, then turn right onto Blue Ridge Parkway. Continue on the BRP for 6.7 miles, then turn left. Your destination will be on the right.
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Asheville Folk Art Center History
The origins of the Southern Highland Craft Guild go back to 1895, when the Industrial Revolution’s disruption of the farming economy brought widespread poverty to Southern Appalachia.
Frances Goodrich, a missionary who traveled to the area and fell in love with Appalachian culture, set up what would soon be called Allanstand Cottage Industries to sell quilts, baskets, and other items sewn by local women.
Another arm of the craft revival began after the death of Olive Dame Campbell’s husband in 1919. After studying the folk schools of Scandinavia, she founded the John C. Campbell Folk School in 1925.
It was Olive Campbell who had ideas about creating a cooperative craft collective, which became the Southern Highland Craft Guild in the 1930s. The SHCG has had a partnership with the US National Park Service for over 50 years now.
Their Asheville NC Folk Art Center was built in partnership with the NPS and the Appalachian Regional Commission in 1980, and now serves as the Southern Highland Craft Guild’s permanent headquarters.
The Allanstand Craft Shop (which was founded in 1895) was also moved to the Folk Art Center from Asheville, and is nationally recognized as the oldest craft shop in America!
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Folk Art Center Main Gallery
Located on the second floor of the Folk Art Center, the Main Gallery showcases traditional and contemporary arts and crafts by members of the Guild and affiliated organizations.
Though some historical elements (including woodwork, clay, fiber, jewelry, and more) are permanent, this gallery also hosts temporary exhibits that change every few months.
This year began with an exhibition from the Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts, the oldest art center in Tennessee. The exhibit includes workshops on painting, woodworking, fiber art, and metalwork, and runs through May 1, 2024.
The next Main Galley exhibition, “Class of 2024–Haywood Community College’s Professional Crafts Program,” runs from May 11 to September 18, 2024. It will highlight the historical relationship between the college and the SHCG.
Their final Main Gallery exhibit of 2024 will focus on “New Members of the Southern Highland Craft Guild,” and runs from September 28 to January 18, 2025.
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Folk Art Center Focus Gallery
Located on the second floor of the SHCG Folk Art Center, the Focus Gallery spotlights the work of just 5 Southern Highland Craft Guild members at a time.
On display until May 20, “The Art of Detailing” focuses on fiber artist Judy Ott, clay artist Kelsey Schissel, glasswork from Kathryn Adams, clay artists Michael and Ruth Fischer Rutkowsky, and traditional broom-maker Peter Werner.
From May 24 t0 August 19, the “Hand Over Matter” exhibition will feature glasswork by Billy Bernstein, woodworking from Christine Smith, jewelry by Tamela Wells, clay pieces by Robert Milnes, and fiber art from Pam Grainger Gale.
Lastly, the “Beautiful Mystery” exhibition will run from August 23 to November 11, with batik fabrics by Robin Ford, clay art by Sue Grier, clay, jewelry from Ilene Kay, woodworking by Brian Melton, and more clay from Joe Frank McKee.
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Daily Demos and Workshops
Visitors to the Asheville Folk Art Center will often have a chance to meet local craftspeople and watch them demonstrate their talent and skills. These demos are typically offered in the Craft Shop or one of the two galleries.
When we last visited the Center, I met women who use traditional spinning wheels to spin wool. They talked about dying it using natural materials, and showed how it is turned into fabric. It was a great experience in an inspiring setting!
March 2024 will feature demos on broom-making, jewelry-making, quilting, and needle felting.
April 2024 will bring a bookbinding demo, as well as basketry, fiber adornments, woodturning, pottery, and jewelry-making demos.
It’s worth signing up for the Blue Ridge Parkway Folk Art Center’s calendar to get up-to-date info on upcoming events.
The Center also hosts occasional workshops where visitors can sign up for day-long classes with Guild members, and get instruction on a specific skill for a small fee.
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The Folk Art Center’s Allanstand Craft Shop
The story of the Allanstand Craft Shop, which is now located on the ground floor of the Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway, started in 1890 with the arrival of Frances Louisa Goodrich to Asheville NC.
After meeting several women who were still using traditional Appalachian weaving practices, she was inspired to start a cottage industry in the hopes of helping local women to provide for their families.
Ultimately, Goodrich wanted to nurture creativity and artistic skill and “to save from extinction the old-time crafts while producing things of value and beauty.”
In 1897, she founded Allanstand Cottage Industries, which eventually became the Allanstand Craft Shop.
The business moved to Downtown Asheville in 1908 and stayed there until 1980, when it was relocated to the Asheville Folk Art Center. Many of the pieces in the Folk Art Center’s permanent collection came from Goodrich herself.
But in the end, her most generous contribution was arguably handing over the deed to Allanstand Cottage Industries to the Southern Highland Craft Guild.
They offer artisan-made jewelry, textiles, pottery, glass, and much more, making it a great place to find unique souvenirs and Christmas gifts! –by Emma Gallagher; all photos by Bret Love & Mary Gabbett
