Craft Arts

From the Editor

From the Editor of the Laurel of Asheville

Dukkha, Ivy and Frances Figart

Craft is the focus of this issue, and it’s exhilarating to see the richness of its expression in our region. These pages explore the work of makers right here in Asheville, as well as those as far afield as Bangladesh.

Craft today often incorporates both function and design. The summer edition of the Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands returns to the US Cellular Center July 21–23, offering new design vignettes to celebrate its 70th anniversary. Working with a team of designers and architects, Southern Highland Craft Guild makers transformed everyday rooms into handmade spaces that feature their unique craftworks.

An ongoing exhibit jointly sponsored by downtown gallery Blue Spiral 1 and the Center for Craft, Creativity and Design, Forging Futures: Studio Craft in Western North Carolina showcases makers who excel in clay, fiber, glass, metal and wood. We talked to one artist representing each discipline for our Featured Artists story, and their quotes reveal the intelligence, sensitivity and care these makers put into their work.

In our Spotlight Feature, fair trade retail store Ten Thousand Villages helps makers in developing countries earn income by bringing their jewelry, clothing and home décor items to the US market. Celebrating 25 years, the Asheville store helps artisans in Asia, Africa and Latin America improve their homes, educate themselves and their children, and put food on the table.

Want more on craft? Read about the return of Big Crafty to downtown Asheville the Mount Mitchell Crafts Fair, the Come to Leicester Studio Tour, the summer concert series at Lexington Glassworks, a new exhibit at the Village Potters, a glimpse into the arts and crafts photography of Tim Barnwell and the new Westside Artist Co-op.

Happy crafting!

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