Visit our headquarters at the Folk Art Center in east Asheville, NC.
Milepost 382 Blue Ridge Parkway
Open Daily, 10AM–5PM
With a creative community of juried members spanning over nine states, the Southern Highland Craft Guild fosters opportunities for makers to build, market, and maintain their creative livelihood through continuing education, retail outlets, and mentorship. We are invested in helping members achieve their goals and providing them with the resources to refine and sell their craft. The Southern Highland Craft Guild is headquartered at the Folk Art Center in Asheville, NC on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Read the latest news and stories from the Southern Highland Craft Guild: https://southernhighlandguild.org/blog/
SHOP OUR FINE CRAFT COLLECTION ONLINE
2026 Events
CRAFT FAIRS & SPECIAL EVENTS
May 2 and June 6 - Pop-up Mini Craft Fairs at the Folk Art Center
July 16-19 and October 15-18 - Craft Fairs of the Southern Highlands at Harrah's Cherokee Center-Asheville
September 5-6 - Craft Making & Thinking: Craft Conference at the Folk Art Center
December 5 and 12 Holiday Sale Markets in the Folk Art Center's auditorium
EDUCATIONAL EVENTS
Folk Art Center
April 4 - Glass, Metal, and Clay Day
April 18 - Southern Highland Craft Guild 96th Annual Meeting
May 9 - Fiber Day
August 8 - Wood Day
September 19-20 - Heritage Day
DAILY CRAFT DEMOS
Folk Art Center
Free craft demonstrations take place in the lobby of the Folk Art Center from March through December from 10 am-4 pm. A demonstration schedule will be posted closer to March.
2026 Exhibitions
MAIN GALLERY
big/LITTLE, August 30–January 21, 2026 (Members Exhibition focusing on play in proportion)
We Still Make Things: 100 Years of Craft and Culture at the John C. Campbell Folk School, January 31 – April 29, 2026
HCC Professional Crafts Grad Show, 50th Anniversary, May 9 – September 16, 2026
New Members Exhibition, September 26, 2026 – January 20th, 2027
FOCUS GALLERY
Kaleidoscopic Whimsy | October 11 - December 28, 2025
Curves Ahead January 3 – March 22, 2026
Lyrical Tendencies March 28 – June 14, 2026
The Details Have It June 20 – September 6, 2026
Natural Wonders | September 12 – November 29, 2026
Guild Membership
For 95 years, the Guild has curated over 800 artisans, juried in based on their fine craftsmanship of twelve different mediums. These makers reside in the mountain regions of Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, & West Virginia.
HOW TO JOIN
2026 Application Deadlines:
March 16, May 18, November 6
Need Help with the Guild Application? Attend our application workshops!
Feb. 7 In-Person, April 11 In-Person, June 6 Zoom, Sept. 12 In-Person
WHY YOU SHOULD JOIN!
With a network of juried members across nine states, the Southern Highland Craft Guild supports makers in growing their craft careers through education, retail opportunities, and mentorship. We’re dedicated to helping members refine and market their work, providing the resources they need to succeed.
Support Our Restoration Efforts
Our Biltmore Village shop, flooded by 16 feet of water during Hurricane Helene, is in need of restoration. Your generous donation will help us rebuild and restore this historic space, ensuring it continues to serve as a hub for local artisans and the community.
Historical Collection
We invite you to walk through our permanent collection of historical, archived, Appalachian craft at the Folk Art Center. This exhibit of approximately 250 works features woodcarving, textiles, furniture, basketry, pottery, dolls, and other crafts of Southern Appalachia, dating from 1855 to the late 20th century. Many pieces date from the 19th century and were collected in the Asheville area by Frances L. Goodrich, a founding member of the Guild.
Our Permanent Collection also includes works from Berea College, Campbell Folk School, Penland School and other centers that have taught craft skills and connected makers to markets throughout the 20th century. These institutions also added their own patterns to the rhythms of mountain life, such as the Friday morning custom of local carvers coming to the Folk School to sell their latest works.
