(Clockwise from left) Live Edge Ati End Table (set of two) Kwadwo Som-Pimpong and Faith Donani, artists; Blue Ridge Mountains: Sculptural Book. Erin Keane, artist. Photo by Tim Barnwell; Seed, Necklace. Laura Wood, artist; Bubby’s Bed Sheet. Nava Lubelski, artist
By Emma Castleberry
The Center for Craft’s WNC Craft Futures: From Here exhibition, on display through August 30, celebrates the resilience of craft artists in Western North Carolina. The exhibition features the works of 40 artists who received grants from the Center for Craft’s Craft Futures Fund, which awarded $600,000 to help rebuild the region’s craft community through the WNC Craft Futures Cohort and Virginia A. Groot Craft Futures Residency.
Kwadwo Som-Pimpong, a member of the Craft Futures Cohort, shares how the support from the Center for Craft came at a critical time for him and his family. “The support from the Center for Craft prevented my craft business from going under and enabled me to make strategic moves to further my business,” he says. The grant allowed him to continue supporting his part-time employee and invest in new product development.
Som-Pimpong crafts heirloom-quality wooden furniture that blends his Ghanaian artistic culture with Scandinavian design. “My studio also supports the community by purchasing locally, providing craft education and operating sustainably,” he says.
Som-Pimpong also notes how craft helps the community process both tragedy and joy, playing an essential role in the healing process. “Craft is crucial for the uplifting of the spirit of the community and the region,” he says. “Artists support the quality of life of the community and help interpret and process complex issues through their craft.”
At the end of 2024, the Center launched Phase 2 of its Craft Futures Fund response to Hurricane Helene. These unrestricted grants support long-term recovery for artists and art organizations. Support from the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina (CFWNC) allowed the Center to increase individual grant awards from $10,000 to $15,000. “With the loss of studios, galleries, equipment, teaching opportunities, prospective sales and more, individual artists and cultural organizations were deeply impacted by Hurricane Helene,” says CFWNC senior program officer Tara Scholtz. “The Center’s efforts to get emergency grants out to meet immediate needs and recovery grants to support longer-term rebuilding align with CFWNC’s goals for grants from the Emergency and Disaster Response Fund. Funding both efforts acknowledges the important role the arts play as a cornerstone of Western North Carolina’s culture and economy.”
There will be a community reception for the WNC Craft Futures: From Here exhibition at the Center for Craft on Thursday, June 12, from 5:30–7:30 p.m.
The Center for Craft is located at 67 Broadway Street, Asheville. Learn more at CenterforCraft.org.
