Qualla Arts & Crafts Mutual, Inc. opened its doors in Cherokee in 1946, with 59 charter members. Promoting the social welfare of its members and preserving the heritage of the Cherokee was its aim in those early days. Today, the organization exists under the direction of its 350 artist members and claims its place as the oldest Native American cooperative in the US. Its mission has broadened to include encouraging quality crafts in both workmanship and design, providing a year-round marketplace and helping craftspeople secure better prices for their work. “Qualla began with the hopes of craftsmen and craft supporters wanting to greatly extend the arts and crafts produced on the Boundary, where it keeps our crafts together,” says Amanda McCoy, manager of Qualla Arts & Crafts Mutual. “As one of the most important cultural institutions of the Eastern Band, it’s the best thing our people ever chose to do.”
Shell gorget made from lightning whelk. Antonio Grant, artist
Those considered for membership must be at least 16 years old and a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI). Applicants submit examples of their work and an artist’s statement and are required to demonstrate their craft before Qualla’s board of directors. Factors that go into the jurying process for both traditional and contemporary crafts include originality, elements of art, design, knowledge, degree of difficulty, marketability and authenticity. If applicants meet the board’s approval, they are then voted on by the full membership.
Examples of the exquisite work found in the spacious shop include paintings, textiles, beaded and metal jewelry, carvings of wood or stone, baskets woven from white oak or rivercane splints, and hand-formed and wood-fired pottery made from locally sourced clay. “Our members put their heart and soul into every piece they make,” McCoy says.
Qualla Arts & Crafts Mutual also maintains a permanent collection “dedicated to deceased or inactive master artisans, some of which is on display in our History Gallery along with a timeline showcasing the cooperative’s history,” says McCoy. “This collection highlights the variety of Cherokee talent in art, and these priceless treasures are safely kept so future generations will have a way to learn the older methods used by our people for thousands of years.”
Qualla actively partners with organizations—including Conserving Carolina, Mainspring Conservation Trust and the Cherokee Preservation Foundation—that work to protect and preserve natural resources Qualla artists use in their work. Through these partnerships, artisans are also able to acquire materials needed to teach classes to young EBCI artists, furthering the longstanding craft tradition and preserving skills and methods used for centuries.
“All ethnicities and cultures face a multitude of influences from media that threaten authenticity and meaning,” says McCoy. “Qualla not only saves and preserves valued objects, it likewise encourages and preserves the cultural traditions and processes that make these objects possible.”
Upcoming events at Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual include an Open Air Art Market on Saturday, August 23, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Quallaween on Friday and Saturday, October 24–25, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Qualla Arts & Crafts Mutual is at 645 Tsali Boulevard, in Cherokee. Summer hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily. Learn more at QuallaArtsAndCrafts.org.
