Portrait by Rimas Zailskas
American Craft Week, a project of Craft Retailers & Artists for Tomorrow (CRAFT), will occur October 5-14. This art-filled week — actually ten days — provides opportunities for craft makers in 25 states to share their passion with others through demonstrations, promotion, and sales. Asheville routinely places in the event’s annual “Top 10 Towns for Craft Lovers” online survey, and our area responds with dozens of related events from regional galleries and retail venues.
Among them is Local Cloth, a textile operation located in the heart of Asheville’s South Slope cultural district. Local Cloth is all about handmade clothing, but the nonprofit’s ambitions are larger than its humble name implies. The organization is a consortium of farmers, fiber artists, suppliers, sewers, educators, and small-scale fiber mills “dedicated to growing the fiber-supply chain in Western North Carolina,” according to a mission statement.
Resident artist Karen Donde reveals to CH+G, “For American Craft Week, we will have a focus on community cloth, educational demonstrations, and our gallery opening. The theme for the whole week will be aimed at understanding where the textiles come from and how to make the cloth.”
At the adjacent Asheville Area Arts Council, Local Cloth members “will use the front gallery to show how the materials are sourced. For example, we want to show where the fiber comes from through photography of the farms and animals we obtain our textiles from, and by allowing visitors to practice spinning yarn and felting.”
Another part of the show, “Filling the Need,” will display the finished products created by visitors, which will later be donated to local homeless shelters. Highlighting the need for local outreach is an important goal for American Craft Week.
With so many historic craft institutions still running — Biltmore Industries, founded in 1901, is now the thriving Grovewood complex of galleries and studios in North Asheville; the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown has been holding classes since 1925 — Western North Carolina can claim serious heritage status during American Craft Week.
In fact, glassblowing — hot in the spotlight this year as part of Asheville’s Summer of Glass — originated in Western North Carolina, in the Mitchell/Yancey county region where the esteemed Penland School of Crafts continues to draw international residents. Kari Rinn, outgoing executive director of the NC Glass Center, confirms that the state “has a rich history of craft dating back hundreds of years. Skills and artistry passed down from generation to generation have made craft an important part of our culture which still flourishes today.” The Glass Center will also participate in ACW with an exhibit at the Asheville Area Arts Council gallery, as well as hosting classes and demonstrations where participants can create their own glass piece.
Sherry Masters, leader of Art Connections Art Tours, oversees the Asheville region during this immersive week. “Our long history as a center for craft education, combined with the vibrant and active art scene of today, allows for an abundance of opportunity,” she says. Locals and visitors alike can benefit from this cultural radiancy — and if any doubt lingers, check the American Craft Week website for updates on where we stand in the yearly “best craft town” poll.
Local Cloth, 207 Coxe Ave., Asheville. For more information, call 828-222-0356 or see localcloth.wildapricot.org. For a full list of regional American Craft Week events, check out www.americancraftweek.com/wnc.