Whimmy Diddle competition
The Southern Highland Craft Guild presents its 44th Annual Heritage Weekend at the Folk Art Center on Saturday and Sunday, September 21 and 22, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days. The free event features demonstrations of traditional crafts, bluegrass and gospel music, and the Annual World Gee Haw Whimmy Diddle competition held at 2 p.m.
Cassie Dickson, a coverlet weaver, spinner and natural dyer, will be at Heritage Weekend demonstrating how she processes her homegrown flax plants into linen cloth. “I will show and tell the story of a 200-year-old linen sheet that was woven by a woman from North Carolina,” she says. “I feel it is important for the public to see craftsmen demonstrating our heritage crafts. Traditional crafts are what our Guild was founded on.”
Woodcarver Tony Dills will be demonstrating how he carves birds from basswood using just a pocket knife. “Heritage carving to me is keeping up mountain-style carving handed down from one person to another,” he says. “I hope shows like Heritage Weekend can help get younger folks interested.”
On Saturday, September 28, the Guild opens its final Main Gallery exhibition of the year, The New Members Show, featuring 27 artisans accepted into the Guild in 2023 and 2024. Heidi Bleacher will display her needle-felted fiber wall art in the show. “The connections I have made, both professional and personal, along with the numerous member benefits I received, have been invaluable to me and my craft,” she says of her membership.
The New Members Show will also include one-of-a-kind, heirloom-quality jewelry by Summer Merritt of Pride & Archive Jewelry Design. “Being a member of the Guild is deeply meaningful to me because it validates my journey as a self-taught jeweler and reinforces the importance of craftsmanship—a crucial element that was often overlooked during my time in art school. While I was grateful to study design, history and concept-driven work, I found that craftsmanship was not emphasized as much as it could have been. The Guild’s long-standing tradition of celebrating craftsmanship resonates with my own values, and being welcomed into this community was incredibly validating.” The New Members Show will be on display through January 18.
The Folk Art Center is located at Milepost 382 Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville. Learn more at CraftGuild.org.
