New Members Exhibition

By Caren Burmeister | September 30, 2026

SOUTHERN HIGHLAND CRAFT GUILD

NEW MEMBERS EXHIBITION RESCHEDULED

Press Release date: Sept. 30, 2026

Event Date: Friday, Oct. 2, 2026

Contact: Southern Highland Craft Guild, The Folk Art Center
828-298-7928 | [email protected]

Location: Folk Art Center, Milepost 382 Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville, NC

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

The Southern Highland Craft Guild’s New Members Exhibition, showcasing outstanding handmade work in diverse mediums ranging from traditional Appalachian craft, like hand-woven cane chairs and a hand-forged set of fireplace tools, to contemporary flax leaf sculptures and innovative ceramics, opens Friday, Oct. 2, 2026, in the Main Gallery of the Folk Art Center.

Previously scheduled to open Sept. 26, the New Members Exhibition was postponed a week due to unforeseen circumstances. The new exhibition opening, with light refreshments, is now scheduled for 1-3 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 24.

The collection will remain on exhibit through Jan. 20. The gallery is free and open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week.

Occurring once every two years, this exhibition represents 39 new Guild members who successfully completed a two-part jury process focusing on technical skill, originality, and professional presentation in traditional or contemporary craft. The artists were juried in between January of 2024 to January of 2026.

“This exhibit encompasses such a breadth of craft - from very traditional to very contemporary, and from functional to wearable to decorative,” said Val Berlage, Curator for the Southern Highland Craft Guild. “This show is a wonderful example of how the Guild holds both tradition and innovation in equal regard. It is important not to lose sight of our heritage, but also to continue expanding and exploring craft. The scope and creativity with which our artists create is incredible.”

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/

Many of the new Guild artisans will also be exhibiting at the Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands at Harrah’s Cherokee Center–Asheville from Oct. 15-18.

The 39 artists represented in this exhibit are:

Rae Bachus, wood carving
Julie Bagamary, textile art pieces
Ashley Bangert, cork bags and accessories
Sharon Bass, wire crocheted jewelry
Bob Bragg, furniture
Theresa Clower, mixed media sculpture (skeletonized flax leaves)
Maggie Connolly, clay
Charles deVries, mixed media sculpture (bronze casting)
Leslie Fawcett, beaded jewelry
Cathie Fitzjohn, fused glass
Sherry Green, fiber (weaving)
Amanda Hayes, metal
Max Hendry, brooms
Karen Hovis, fused glass
Jill Howell, jewelry
Suzanne Hrytzik, jewelry
Aaron Iaquinto, wood (hand carved spoons, accessories)
Sharla Kaufman, clay
Nina Kawar, jewelry
Doug Lowman, chair caning
Shannon Lucas, jewelry
Dalleen McClaskey, clay
Cindy Morgan, fiber (felting)
Cheryl Munyan, clay
Vickie Napoli, jewelry
Denise Phillips, clay
Amy Pike, jewelry
Janet Purcell, fiber (quilting)
Rebecca Regal, clay
Deborah Robertson, leather (footwear)
Lorie Russell, beaded and wire-wrapped jewelry
Kelsey Smith, clay
Judy Spark, fiber art/quilting
Martin Stankus, clay
Maya Stansbury, clay
Eleanor Trollinger, fiber (dolls)
May Lyn Wake, kilts
Jeff Ware, wood sculpture
Lyle and William Wheeler (Wheeler Forge), blacksmithing

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The Southern Highland Craft Guild is a non-profit, educational organization established in 1930 to cultivate the crafts and makers of the Southern Highlands for the purpose of shared resources, education, marketing and conservation. The Southern Highland Craft Guild is an authorized concessioner of the National Park Service, Department of the Interior.