Luther “Butch” Goings, right, with Sylvester Crowe
Established 80 years ago, the Qualla Arts & Crafts Mutual is the oldest Native American cooperative in the country and has the largest collection—more than 3,000 items—of authentic Native American crafts made locally by its co-op members, all of whom are enrolled members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI).
The co-op has evolved through the years, growing from its founding in 1946 with 60 members to more than 350 members today. One member who joined the co-op in the late 1950s as a high school student is Luther “Butch” Goings, who also serves as president of Qualla Arts & Crafts Mutual’s board of directors.
Goings had done a little bit of woodcarving while he was in grade school, but it was when he went to high school that he got the chance to study under Amanda Crowe, a celebrated EBCI woodcarver.
Born in Murphy in 1928, Crowe lost her parents at an early age and, having decided when she was four to become an artist, was sent by her foster mother to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. When she came back to North Carolina, she set up a studio and began teaching, ultimately sharing her knowledge with more than 2,000 students. Today, her carvings can be found in museums and public collections throughout the US.
Goings says that his carvings haven’t changed much through the years, nor has his process as taught by Crowe when he was her student. “I do mostly animals,” he says. “Whatever comes to mind, I’ll think, I want to try that, and I’ll draw a pattern. Miss Crowe told us to always draw out a pattern, then put the pattern on wood. Sometimes I think I’ll try something new maybe, but it always falls back to the old ways.”
He works with woods like black walnut, wild cherry, cedar and buckeye as well as with stones such as alabaster, soapstone and red pipestone.
Like Crowe, Goings and his wife Louise, a basketmaker who is also a member of Qualla Arts & Crafts Mutual, teach their skills to students in elementary and junior high schools and often teach classes at their home. “Young people will usually have seen someone carving and want to get started,” Goings says. “Once they try it, they want to carry on. I’ll have them start with soapstone carvings, and when they’re a little older, they begin with woodcarving. We try to encourage younger people to get involved with the co-op because they will be the ones to carry on our art.”
Each October, Qualla Arts & Crafts Mutual celebrates Qualla-Ween with activities for all ages. This year’s events include the exhibit Fear as a Teacher at the Museum of the Cherokee People running Thursday, October 1, through Saturday, October 31, and on October 30–31 DIY activities, the annual Open Air Market and a costume contest at Qualla Arts & Crafts Mutual.
Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual, Inc. is located at 645 Tsali Boulevard, Cherokee. Learn more at QuallaArtsAndCrafts.org.
