The Folk Art Center

382 Blue Ridge Parkway | Asheville, NC

828-298-7928

Important Note:

To visit the Folk Art Center, please enter via the Blue Ridge Parkway.

We are located in east Asheville.

Take exit 55 from I-40 and follow the signs for the Folk Art Center.

The Parkway is open and accessible where we’re located.

GET DIRECTIONS

OPEN DAILY

MONDAY-SUNDAY

10AM-5PM

Current Exhibitions at the Folk Art Center

Natural Wonders Opens September 12

Curves Ahead: Focus Gallery Exhibition

Kaleidoscopic Whimsy Opens at the Folk Art Center

Graduating Class of 2025: Haywood Community College’s Professional Crafts Program

A Touch of Color by guild member Rita de Maintenon. Patience Makes Perfect will be on display in the focus gallery upstairs at the Folk Art Center from April 26–July 13, 2025.

Exhibition: Patience Makes Perfect

Graduating Class of Professional Crafts Program at Haywood Community College

Silence by guild member Robert Milnes. On display at the "Hand Over Matter" Focus Gallery located at the Folk Art Center, NC.

Upcoming Events at the Folk Art Center

Southern Highland Craft Guild Hosts Annual Holiday Sale Markets

By Millie Davis | September 29, 2026

Daily Craft Demos at the Folk Art Center

October 15-18, 2026

10:00am–5:00pm Thursday-Sunday

Meet the makers. Discover extraordinary craft. Bring home an heirloom.

• 100+ JURIED ARTISTS

• LIVE DEMONSTRATIONS

• MUSIC

Plan Your Visit

Explore Exhibitors

Alex Gray
Tom Reardon & Kathleen Doyle
Ray Jones
Maya Stansbury

FIRST LEVEL

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Shop Fine American Craft

Allanstand Craft Shop

Established in 1895, Allanstand Craft Shop is nationally recognized as the oldest craft shop in America. Explore artisan-made jewelry, textiles, pottery, glass, and much more, crafted by the members of the Southern Highland Craft Guild, over 400 artists and craftspeople of Southern Appalachia.

DAILY CRAFT DEMONSTRATION

March - December

Visitors are invited to watch and interact with Guild artisans demonstrating their craft in the lobby from 10am-4pm. View the calendar above or call 828-298-7928 for the schedule.

Preserving Southern Appalachian craft & culture since 1980

SECOND LEVEL

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EXHIBITION

Main Gallery

Featuring both traditional and contemporary works by members of the Guild and affiliated organizations.

Focus Gallery

Exhibitions focusing on the works of five members of the Southern Highland Craft Guild.

EXHIBIT SCHEDULE

PERMANENT COLLECTION

Craft Traditions

Selected Works from the Guild's Permanent Collection of international craft ranging from AD 1000 to the present day. Alcove Room: select works from the Permanent Collection.

ONLINE GALLERY

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ALLANSTAND INTERIORS

Showcasing one-of-a-kind furniture and home accessories crafted by Guild members.

VEIW MORE

ROBERT W. GRAY LIBRARY

Named for one of the Folk Art Center's founders, the library contains over 20,000 historical and current volumes of books, exhibition catalogs, video, and more relating to craft from around the world.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE GUILD & THE FOLK ART CENTER

HISTORY

Built in 1980 to preserve Southern Appalachian culture on the Blue Ridge Parkway

During the construction of the Parkway, a cooperative relationship formed between the National Park Service & the Southern Highland Craft Guild. Together with the Appalachian Regional Commission, the Folk Art Center was built.

Today, it holds a craft shop, library, three exhibition spaces, an auditorium for special events, and a National Park Service bookstore and information desk.