Nancy Allen – Flamingo Silk
Asheville, NC
Nancy started painting silk 20 yrs. ago. Her early training was in pencil sketch, watercolor, oil and acrylic. Her prior art training provided a foundation for applying various techniques to the art of silk painting. Her inspiration comes from the natural world around her. Her luxurious, vibrant hand painted silk, rayon and hemp fabrics and non-toxic dyes for wearable art and decorative objects for the home.
Wesley Angel
Asheville, NC
Wesley has been blacksmithing for over 10 years. Using traditional methods, he feels it is important to preserve the old ways of this craft. He keeps his work as natural as possible functionality of his items is key.
Linda Bellino
Burnsville, NC
Linda is mostly self-taught but her introduction to fiber art began in her family. Later, with her husband, she made lampwork beads. Her line of frogs & lizards was started in the 80s & continues to bring joy & smiles to her customers.
Phil and Veda Bickley – Bickley Studios
Lake Lure, NC
Phil and Veda Bickley are self-taught glass artists who were drawn to the medium at an young age. They share a passion for the art that defines their lives, but work independently. We create objects that will inspire you to be creative. Glass is our love and our passion. We design and make everything from ornaments, beads and pendants for personal adornment, to goblets, vases, perfume bottles and sculpture. http://www.bickleystudios.com
Patti Blacknight – Wild Moon Gallery
Marshall, NC
Patti is a lampwork bead maker who likes to blend her handmade beads with genuine gemstones and Thai or sterling silver. She is also an art teacher. Patti is an alumnus of the Mountain Biz Works program. www.wildmoongallery.com
Alberta Blazina
Topton, NC
In 1982, Alberta took a class in stained glass at the Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts. She also studied various other techniques, such as fusing and using a glory hole glass furnace with several noted glass artists. She exhibits her work throughout the mountains.
Joseph Blazina
Topton, NC
Joseph was in the construction industry but after his retirement in 1994, he pursued his interest in design and construction of country and rustic furniture. His greatest joy is finding a special slab of wood to create one of a kind piece.
Mike Bolden
Hendersonville, NC
Mike Bolden is a local wood craftsman that works in fine woods creating keepsake desk sets and beautiful scroll woodwork Christmas ornaments.
Austin Boleman – Black Mountain Studios
Swannanoa, NC
Austin’s first love was stained glass, which he observed in many European cathedrals while studying at the Sorbonne. He was a stained glass artist until he found clay to be his true passion. He is a Mountain Bizworks (Formerly known as MMF) graduate. www.blackmountainstudios.com/
Maud Boleman – Black Mountain Studios
Swannanoa, NC
Maud grew up near New York City and was captivated by the city’s museums and their stunning art. Throughout the last 20 years, Maud has developed a style that is a synthesis of the rustic and the refined. She is a graduate of Mountain Bizworks. www.blackmountainstudios.com
Brown’s Pottery
Arden, NC
Charlie Brown is an 8th generation master potter from the Western North Carolina area. His two sons Charles Jr. and Christian represent the 9th generation. Charlie’s wife Jeanette does all of the glazing and firing. Their work is displayed in the Smithsonian and other fine art museums. http://brownpotters.com/
Barbro Bengston
Chimera Designs
Old Fort NC
Barbro was born in Sweden and came to the US as a child. She studied at Kent State College of’ Design & Architecture. She is a self- taught jeweler and since 1984 has been showing at juried art shows all across the country.
Tamara Burns
Candler, NC
Tamara’s youth was filled with hiking in the woods, walking along the beach and working on any art projects she could get her hands on. Nature has always been a source of inspiration for her. Each of her pieces are hand carved and invites you to feel the various textures.
Leon Cassada – Appalachian Jewelry
Asheville, NC
This Mountain Bizworks graduate uses pressed flowers & leaves to create his unique barrettes, earrings, pendants and pins. Locally handmade jewelry is all original designs. He creates his one of a kind look by using “liquid glass” with a paper backing to display the flower or leaf inside.
Brandy Clements
Asheville, NC
Brandy comes from a long line of chair caners. The craft was passed down by the women in her family, beginning with her great grandmother. Brandy started out doing chair repair work, and then began restoring various colorful unique contemporary antiques. http://gochairrepair.com
Ronno Cooke – Woodworks Studio
Morganton, NC
Ronno makes furniture the old-fashioned way: one piece at a time using mortise, tenon and dowel joinery. Each piece is hand-rubbed using natural finishes. Strength, function and beauty blend together to make pieces which can be passed down for generations.
Cherry Brown Corn – Evan’s Pottery
Arden, NC
Tradition of throwing pottery has been passed down through seven generations in Cherry’s family. She learned how to throw pottery from her father, Evan. Evan who in turn was trained by his father E.J. Cherry’s pottery embodies both strong family traditions, functionally and beauty.
Julie Covington – Covington Pottery
Weaverville, NC
Julie started making pottery in high school and continued while in college. She graduated with a B.A. in Ceramics and Sculpture. Today, she makes high fired dinnerware in her own studio near Asheville. Julie also builds earthen structures from clay, sand and straw.
Mike Cowan
Asheville, NC
Mike Cowan has taken his skill for metal fabrication and ironwork into the world of master craftsmanship. His history is as diverse as his wares. This former Army avionics technician, dirt track car racer, and NASCAR fabricator’s history has provided a special dimension to his unique metal work. http://www.moonshinermetalworks.net/
Lee Daly
Fletcher, NC
Lee is a multidimensional artist. The forms, colors and textures of her work are inspired by her reverence and love of nature. You can see her love of the Appalachian Mountains in every piece of her work. A graduate of the Pratt Institute, she has been creating with clay, metal, paint & stone for 20 years.
Susan Davis – Susie Q Gourds
Sylva, NC
Susan has been doing gourd art for 15 years. It takes an entire season to grow the gourds and then another year to dry them. Once the gourds are dry Susan plans out the designs and concepts. She carves in details, paints leaves, mosaics using various leather, mixed media, gourd patterns and colors along with leather dyes.
Olga Dorenko – The Olga Dorenko Fine Art Gallery
Leicester, NC
As a child, her family was frequently uprooted and moved around in the former Soviet Union. As a young mother, she later immigrated to the US. She was drawn to the beauty of the Western North Carolina region since nature had always been a personal touch stone during changing times. Olga says that “Life is ever changing but my painting purse the everlasting.” < href=”http://theolgadorenkofineartgallery.com/index.html”>theolgadorenkofineartgallery.com
Monroe Drake
Canton, NC
Monroe makes both plain and carved walking sticks with a wise “mountain man” face. Monroe also does walking sticks and brooms using antique tobacco sticks which were all made by hand by local farmers. These sticks were used to hang the “number one crop” of North Carolina. He finds his tobacco sticks in local shops and in tobacco old curing barns.
Sandy Edmonds
Candler, NC
Sandy first developed her skills in pottery using the traditional wheel thrown method. But when she moved to WNC in 1995, she took lessons in creating hand-built pottery. She discovered that this method allows her the freedom to experiment and use her imagination to its fullest. The uniqueness of each her pieces reflects that creative process
Wayne Erbsen
Asheville, NC
Wayne moved to North Carolina in 1975 from his home on the West Coast to learn more about the roots of Southern Appalachian music from the masters. Eventually he began recording CDs and teaching students of all ages how to play banjo in the traditional styles of Appalachian music. http://www.nativeground.com/
Robbie Gaulding
Marshall, NC
After 20 years as a chemist Robbie began to pursue her interest in pottery, in particular crystalline stoneware. Being a mostly self-taught artist, she believes pottery should be a pleasure to hold, beautiful to the eye and a compliment to any table or home.
Phoebe Gibbs
Asheville, NC
Phoebe is a graduate of Haywood Community College’s Professional Woodcraft Program. Using local woods, she designs and creates wonderful furniture and accessories for the home employing both traditional Appalachian and modern techniques and tools.
Robert C. Gunther
Asheville, NC
Bob’s woodwork is the result of his long interest in native woods. He attempts to maintain all the variances of nature whether subtle or dramatic. Each piece is totally different and unique. He turned on lathe, hand sanded and polished.
Simon J. Gurdal
Fairview, NC
Simon’s interest in photography has grown steadily over the years and is now the main focus of his work. His interests are varied; he enjoys exploring new photographic techniques and is always looking for that special moment involving people or nature.
Judi Harwood & Melanie Robertson
Arden, NC
”Earth 2 Art” is a two artist studio creating dinnerware, raku ware and musical instruments, Their creative process and passion for clay has grown and developed through classes, workshops and being exposed to and studying high quality work found in North Carolina and other southern states.
Jo Kelly
Asheville, NC
Even in her childhood, Jo knew she wanted to paint. Growing up on a dairy farm in NC, she delighted in roaming the surrounding woodlands, pastures and streams. And it was there during her trail walks that she first developed an appreciation of the beauty of the local scenery and a desire to capture it in her art.
Pam Knies
Fairview, NC
Pam has had a lifetime interest in textile design in all its forms. She feels fortunate to have been able to collect various textiles and fabrics from many different countries and cultures. She is very proud to share her work with other admirers of fabric and design.
Suzanne Kraman – Clay Waves Studio
Marshall, NC
Suzanne creates functional pottery that is strongly influenced by her love of natural world. Earth tones and leaf patterns are common themes throughout her work. Suzanne is also an alumna of the Mountain Bizworks development program.
Bob Kytta
Fairview NC
Bob is a broom maker and master craftsman who has been creating various types of woodcrafts for over 20 years. Every broom is hand made from unprocessed broomcorn. All of his handles are made from driftwood, storm damaged trees or branches from selective pruning.
Jesse Lee
Leicester, NC
Coming from an accounting and framing background, where things were even, square and balanced, Jesse now uses copper, old ceiling tin and barn shingles; along with aluminum siding, heating ducts, and just about anything else to create bold and amazing one-of-a-kind artwork.
Matthew Leroux – LeRoux Hotglass Studio
Asheville, NC
Matthew has always held a strong internet in the properties of color and light. He enjoys the ongoing challenge involved with creating flame worked glass; fighting gravity while shaping and molding each individual piece in the open fire.
Kathy Lightcap
Weaverville, NC
Kathy showed a flair for jewelry making since childhood. She attended the Fashion Institute of Technology, in NY. She has also further studies in fused glass and other glass working technologies. Kathy says, “Glass is fascinating. In the kiln the shapes and colors change and always surprise you.”
Jill Love
Black Mountain, NC
Jill’s jewelry is inspired by her passion for gemstones, the mountains, the rivers and the ever changing colors of the sky. By combining gemstones & silver she creates pieces of understated elegance, very tactile, dimensional & wearable.
Teresa Lovelace
Asheville, NC
Teresa has loved making jewelry and been involved in some form of art since childhood. In 2000 she took a silver smithing class and now creates designs featuring silver, copper. Gold filled metals semiprecious stones and beads
Lynette Miller
Fletcher, NC
MMF graduate Lynette’s Flora cloths combine a method of contact-printing real leaves with traditional painting and stenciling these one-of-a-kind floor cloths reflect Lynette’s strong design background and her love of natural beauty.
Andrew Montrie
Asheville, NC
Andrew started working with clay over 20 years ago, took classes & developed his own studio. His work is characterized by a neo-classical design. He uses a combination of Eastern and Western throwing styles to create functional ware.
Pat Moretz
Andrews, NC
Pat has been greatly influenced by North Carolina folk potters. She has taken classes at Gaston College and J.C. Campbell Folk School. Her pottery hand thrown, is one of a kind and mostly functional.
Bill Mosher – Warren Wilson College
Swannanoa, NC
Bill grew up in north India and now teaches intercultural studies. He is hooked on responding to people and places in photographs and sharing them with others. He is interested in personal experience and the feel, taste, smell and colors of places.
Stuart Nye – Stuart Nye Jewelry
Asheville, NC
During the Great Depression, Stuart bought some silver and second hand tools and learned to fashion silver into the leaves and flowers so characteristic of his jewelry today. His partner’s son and grandson continue the tradition.
Mary Phoenix
Asheville, NC
Mary works in clay, both sculpting and throwing pottery.She finds that throwing pottery is alearned skill whereas her sculpting is more of an innate talent.Workincludes tribal masks, primitivedolls, sculptural wall vases.
Pegi Pike – Echo Handcrafted Jewelry
Asheville, NC
Pegi began making jewelry in 2002, after moving to Asheville. She studied various techniques with some master jewelers and is also self-taught. Her creative process is deeply spiritual and reflects her love of nature.
Jason Probstein
Asheville, NC
Jason has a degree in scientific glassblowing and studied Venetian technique at Penland School of Crafts. He manipulates glass tubing and rod with a bench torch to first heat then shape his work using Corning Pyrex.
Gayle Ray
Asheville, NC
Gayle has been making jewelry for over 10 years. Each piece is handmade with semi precious stones & beads, always with an eye to unique color & texture combinations. She finds joy in creating with beads & loves the vital energy in stones.
Lucille Rogers
Asheville, NC
Lucille Rogers taught herself to make pine needle baskets at age 65. Not able to find a book at that time had to rely on her memory from when she was about age 10 and watching her mother. Lucille is 91 years young!
Jean and Carl Saake
Asheville, NC
Jean and Carl potter, ceramicist & artists, have been working together for over 52 yrs. Wheel throwing, molding, hand building/painting are part of daily life. Jean studied under several master potters. Carl is an architect/artist.
Barbara Sewell
Asheville, NC
1995 Barbara was encouraged (or goaded to hear her tell it) by her spouse to write down some of the pioneer recipes and cooking techniques she had collected during her many years of self-taught trial and error. Now the author of 8 historic cookbooks, she is glad she did. http://www.nativeground.com/kitchen.asp
Andrew Stockman
Hendersonville, NC
Andrew has been working with wood all his life and has recently returned to wood turning full time. He prefers using local woods and his art emphasizes the wood’s natural beauty. All items have a food-safe finish.
Kate Stockman
Hendersonville, NC
Kate, a native of Charleston, grew up surrounded by her mother’s & grandmother’s needlework. Her early creative pastimes expanded into her current work, combining her love of book forms, fabric, nature & the written word.
Naomi Stuecker
Asheville, NC
Naomi studied hot glass work at Centre College KY and Penland School of Crafts. Familiar faces of local characters often inspire her current work. The multicultural flavors and colors of SE cities also influence her dishes and wall pieces.
Judy Tanner
Dana, NC
Judy grew up with an artistic family and enjoyed creating by hand since she was very young. She discovered polymer clay in 1997and her current work reflects her fascination with its end less possibilities of color, shapes and embellishments.
Sally Timmel-Gammons, Dred Works
Waynesville NC
Sally creates her mirrors based on her philosophy of life: Live, Love. Laugh. Her background in elementary education gives her the inspiration to create simple forms with bright colors.
Frank Tuuri – Renaissance Glass Studio
Alexander, NC
Dichroic glass contains micro thin layers of metal oxides creating the brilliant color. The glass is not colored. Five to six layers of glass are fired to over 1400deg. These layers create jewelry that is both beautiful and durable. http://www.renglass.com/dichroic_home.html
Kimberly D. Tyrrell – Southside Arts Studio
Arden, NC
Kimberly studied visual arts in NJ, then apprenticed in Lisa Dornfeld’s pottery studio. In 2002, she moved to WNC and continued her apprenticeship at Brown’s Pottery in Arden. She now creates decorative & functional pieces at her own studio.
Cindy Vanderwart – Bashert Designs
Fairview, NC
Cindy is fascinated by gourds, their beautiful colors & shapes. She paints them with leather dyes which combine with their natural hue. Keep them out of direct sunlight & clean with a dry cloth.
Patti Waltz
Marshall, NC
Patti Waltz is a jewelry designer & illustrator. She holds a BFA in painting & views gemstones as an extension of her palette. Patti composes her jewelry into painterly lines of texture & color. She is a graduate of Mountain BizWorks.
Edwin H. Weaver, Jr.
Hendersonville, NC
Ed, a self-taught glass blower, has been creating works of art for 33 years. Each one-of-a-kind object is crafted at the lamp & furnace by blowing and spinning crystal & colored glass. His work is in the Smithsonian’s permanent collection
Nalan Weaver
Weaverville, NC
A quilter for 15 years, Nalan is also an avid gardener. The vibrant colors and energy found in her garden are reflected in her quilting. Her pieces are colorful and happy.
William “Tom” Whittell
Spring Creek, NC
Unique paintings on leaves. Tom Whittell captures local scenes and critters on leaves of local trees with his paint and brush.
Tommy Williams
Banner Elk, NC
After his degrees in Fine Arts, Tommy participated in the EnergyXchange program which utilizes landfill produced methane gas to fire kilns. Using simple shapes as a canvas, he continued to explore various decorative techniques.
Kristen Wineland
Waynesville, NC
Nature, love of animals, humor & whimsicalness has an influence on Kristen’s work. Every piece has a personal touch, meaning it will never be duplicated, some have her horses’ hair burned onto them, others glazed with ash from her wood stove.
James Yaun
Asheville, NC
The artist’s mastery of James’ technique allows him to effortlessly convey feeling and emotion as well as beauty. Most of his pieces are colored with 24K gold and fine silver, through a process called fuming.
