Art and Craft Trails Surrounding Asheville
In the early 1990’s, a regional effort, HandMade in America, was established to highlight the depth and breath of the fine arts and crafts of our region. Among its programs is a series of craft trails that lead you to some of the finest art galleries and craftsman's studios in the region. Two of those trails start and end in Asheville; the Circle the Mountain Trail, which is a broad northern circle running through the northern mountains near the Tennessee border, and the Mountain Cities Trail, which runs east and south of the city. Let’s follow these trails using the official guide, The Craft Heritage Trails of Western North Carolina, available in any local bookstore in the area or on-line at HandMade in America.
Circle the Mountain Trail
Head east from Asheville to the Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway, mile post 382 near US 70 in Oteen. The Center is home to the historic Allanstand Craft Shop, one of the earliest retail craft co-ops in the country. The work displayed here represents some of the finest craftspeople from the nine states of the Southern Highlands and all the craftspeople's works are juried into the co-op by their peers.
Allanstand Craft Shop
Continue on US 70 to downtown Black Mountain where the streets are lined with galleries and restaurants. Don’t miss Seven Sisters Craft Gallery,117 Cherry Street, and its wide collection of crafts from the region. Also take a look at Black Mountain Gallery, Cherry Street Gallery, Black Mountain Iron Works and the Old Depot.
Take a quick trip over Black Mountain on I-40 to Old Fort and once again exit on US 70. Here you will want to visit the Max Woody Chair Shop, which makes and sells the finest rocking chairs in the area.
Max Woody Rocking Chairs
Now, head northeast on NC 226 to Little Switzerland, milepost 334 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Visit the Switzerland Inn, a fanciful hotel with a great gallery - the Trillium Gallery. While in the area, you will not want to miss its renowned blacksmith, Bea Hensley and Son Hand Forge, where you can see 15th and 16th century blacksmithing conducted by masters of the art.
Face Cups - The Trillium Gallery
Next, take US 80 into the Toe River Valley and the dozens of galleries and shops on US 19, all located along the roadside and in little towns like Spruce Pine and Burnsville. You will want to pay special attention to the Twisted Laurel Gallery on Locust Street in Spruce Pine. A short drive further west brings you to the Penland School of Crafts and its collection of galleries. The campus welcomes visitors the year round.
Mountain Cities Trail
Any collector’s trip to Asheville should include visits to its premiere galleries. Next door to the famous Grove Park Inn is one of the region’s finest, the Grovewood Gallery. This gallery offers two floors of furniture, glass, pottery, clothing and jewelry. Once you drink it all in head downtown to continue the feast.
Asheville’s downtown is full of galleries and showplaces for artist and craftspeople from around the nation. Concentrated on Biltmore, Lexington and Haywood Streets, there are galleries and shops for every taste:
Earth Guild, 33 Haywood Street, looms ready, you supply the skill
Jewels That Dance, 63 Haywood Street, three of the nation’s top designers show here.
Appalachian Craft Center, 10 North Spruce Street, old-time mountain crafts
Blue Spiral 1, 38 Biltmore Avenue, one of Asheville’s best - fine artists and craftspeople at the peak of their talents.
Grove Arcade, 1 Page Avenue, one of the most unique buildings in Asheville with a variety of galleries and shops.
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Nearby, in Biltmore Village, visit New Morning Gallery (7 Boston Way), Bellagio (5 Biltmore Plaza) and the Grand Bohemian Gallery (11 Boston Way) - all are located in the village center and provide a great start to a relaxing afternoon stroll in this little village built by G.W. Vanderbilt.
Grand Bohemian Hotel Gallery
The trails goes on to Hendersonville and its amazing collection of local galleries but we will cover those treats in a future article! Appreciating art on local "trails" - another interesting aspect of Living in Asheville, North Carolina. Join us when we pick up the trail again in a future article.
Many thanks to Dan Keith Ray, Asheville resident, former President and CEO of the American Craft Council, and occasional contributor to this blog for his assistance in preparing this article.
Many thanks to Dan Keith Ray, Asheville resident, former President and CEO of the American Craft Council, and occasional contributor to this blog for his assistance in preparing this article.
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