Very proud of Janet Purcell, BRFG member and new Southern Highland Craft Guild member!

The Southern Highland Craft Guild will be hosting the New Members Exhibition and Opening Reception on Sept. 26 to celebrate 39 artists who, in the past two years, have been juried in by a panel of judges to the nation’s oldest craft guild.
The Opening Reception will run from 1-3 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 26, in the Folk Art Center Gallery. It’s free and open to the public. The New Members Exhibition will run from Sept. 26, through Jan. 20, 2027.

This is an opportunity to celebrate the artists for this accomplishment and introduce them to other Guild members and the community. Their artwork ranges from clay, fiber, metal, jewelry, glass, mixed media and chair caning to brooms, wood, and leather work. Several of the artisans will talk about their pieces and answer questions. Light refreshments will be served.

The Guild is partnering with ArtsvilleUSA, a non-profit promoting artists and art professionals and educators in Western North Carolina to host an online version of the New Members Exhibition. The online exhibition will be available at https://www.artsvilleusa.com/

Membership in the Southern Highland Craft Guild is open to dedicated artists working in traditional and contemporary craft who successfully complete a two-part jury process focusing on technical skill, originality, and professional presentation. The process typically takes about six months. To be eligible, artists must live in specific counties in a nine-state region of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Presently, the Guild has about 800 members.

For more information, contact the Folk Art Center at (828) 298-7928.