THE SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS FOLK ART CENTER

BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAIN PARKWAY

The Southern Highlands Center is on mile marker 382 on the Blue Ridge Parkway just minutes from downtown Asheville.  They carry a wonderful variety of arts and crafts from the Southern area of the United States.  The crafts are all handmade by skilled artisans from the area.  Many of the crafts were handed down from generation to generation.  They were originally a part of daily life, pottery for dishes and storage, weaving for clothes and rugs, carving for tools and instruments, painting and printing for decoration.  There is almost aways a artist demonstrating a craft daily at the center and on some occasions as the September festival, there are example of all the crafts of the area with hands on experiences for adults and children. The center also has a wonderful reference library where you can research art of the area, or any art you may be interested in learning.  It is a wonderful resource. If you are not from the United States and want to know more or plan a trip to the Blue Ridge, Smokey Mountain area I highly recommend it.  But if you cannot, I will post as much information as I can to let you take a virtual trip.  While I am in the mountains I will post a variety of information on the area itself, the artist, musicians and writers.  The absolute stunning natural environment influences artists in many ways in their work.  

Thoughts on the Healing Nature of Art

Glass and Clay class are always on wednesdays for me. For two years I have looked forward to the oasis of friendship and creativity while I was coping with three major illnesses. Some days just getting out of bed, and getting there three blocks away, sitting through a class was major achievement. As I listed to the laughter and companionship of the group, it became a magnate of positivism for me. Art has healed me in so many ways and places in my life.

Crafts were never my world, I have always been a fine artist. It is my university training, my career, and my major art work. But, from these people in my class and trying something new, that I had an antipathy towards, I have opened my world to a larger universe. I appreciate craft and those who are skilled in perfecting a technique with persistence and study. For me creativity rules and I am open to the all media and not perfecting one skill. For me art is intellectual thinking, discovery, experimentation, and creation.

I look at my fellow classmates in glass and clay and see their joy in creation and learning a new skill. I see art moving in peoples lives and adding to it. I am a peace with that. I think in art appreciation of each others world is important. Not everyone will become a famous artist, not everyone will become a gallery showing craftsperson, not everyone will have an installation at the MOMA, but we can all be encompassed by the large umbrella of art and creation. If you love realism is it necessary to think modern art is stupid and for the unskilled? If you are a fine artist is it necessary to look down at crafts. I would say understanding would be of help to both views. Whenever anyone criticizes modern art, as a university trained artist, it shows a lack of education to me. When an artist can't accept any thing but realism because they are skilled at representational art, it tells me they need to open their minds a bit. It is not necessary to reject something to make ourselves feel better or more superior about what we do in our own art. I am speaking from as a recovering art snob. Lets all be more understanding, more welcoming of all art and artists. Art makes the world a better place, a more peaceful place, and a place where people can be uplifted not trod down!

Asheville Sights/A progressive creative/arts and crafts town

Asheville, Arts and Crafts Center




These are the last photo's of my most recent trip to Asheville. These images give you a feeling of the artistic, progressive feel of the town. This is where Thomas Wolfe wrote about in "You Can't Go Home Again", where the Last of the Mohican's was filmed. It is where Jonas Gerard, internationally famous abstract painter has his studio, and the home of wonderful restaurants and cafes that use local and health food oriented menu's.

I highly advise a visit to the Blue Ridge Mountains, their beauty is a natural wonder. And I recommend Asheville as a wonderful place to venture from. Go on the Blue Ridge Parkway, visit the galleries and eat a wonderful restaurants like Early Girl Eatery, Table, Curate, Honey Tupelo, and so many others. Sit in one of the best Independent books stores in the country, Malaprops. It is a European town in a way, it is walkable and easy to get around. Visit the Biltmore Estate and the historic Grove Park Inn. There is much to do and enjoy. Most of all there is art, Art and crafts. Some of the finest craftsmen you will see in the United States. Enjoy.