Artisans Contribute $200M to Blue Ridge Region’s Economy
Published Mar 23, 2009
Creativity runs through the Blue Ridge Mountains like cool, brisk water and the region is tapping it as a force for tourism and economic development.
More than 700 potters, weavers, wood-workers, glass blowers, jewelry makers, metal fabricators and other artisans are registered with HandMade in America, a nonprofit resource center.
HandMade also lists nearly 140 galleries in the region, and all but 20 are in small cities and towns such Old Fort, Marshall, Andrews and Bakersville, where the agency works with the communities to build up and promote arts resources.
“What is truly unique about the region is the unexpected number of craft galleries in hamlets too small to be a small town, such as the six galleries in West Jefferson, population 1,081,” says Dian Magie, executive director of the Center for Craft, Creativity and Design in Hendersonville.
The Penland School of Crafts is a national center for craft education, training artisans and bringing arts and crafts into local schools and communities. Its roots in Penland date to the 1920s, when Lucy Morgan provided looms and materials for local women to weave and help with marketing their creations.
The craft industry contributes at least $200 million a year to the Western North Carolina’s economy, according to a 2008 study by the center, part of the University of North Carolina system.
The study looked at only direct economic impact – tourists’ craft purchases, artist earnings, educators’ salaries, craft publishing and materials suppliers.
The study also found that a third of the region’s galleries have been in business for a decade or more. Forty percent have opened since 2000.
One of HandMade’s signature projects, the Craft Heritage Trail, directs visitors to galleries and studios in small towns, providing suggestions for coffee shops and bed-and-breakfast spots, as well as offering a little history.
“It’s one of our great projects that is starting to be duplicated,” says Geraldine Plato, HandMade’s executive director.
The 25 counties of Western North Carolina were designated the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area in 2003. The trail guide is in its third printing; a virtual trip planner is available at www.handmadeinamerica.org.
HandMade hosts courses that teach artists business skills and has a computer kiosk in its lobby so they can design business cards and resumes. Another push is helping artists learn to read blueprints so they can better work with architects and builders. The organization and Biltmore Farms Homes, a developer, created HandMade House at the Ramble, a showcase home in Hendersonville that includes the work of more than 100 craftspeople.
Betty Blackerby, a weaver from Hendersonville, was one of them. The house featured dishtowels, a shawl and a jacket from her loom.
“There are a lot of opportunities that bring the notion of handmade anything to the public eye,” she says.
Story by Pamela Coyle
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