77th Annual Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands

Much like a squirrel preparing for winter’s chill, Haywood County woodworker Thomas Irven is zealous about acorns. Look through his portfolio, and you’ll find a woodland’s worth of works inspired by the nut — everything from acorn-shaped boxes topped with walnut finials to abstract acorn sculptures made using India ink-stained maple. He traces this passion to Winamac, Indiana — his oak-tree-shaded hometown. It’s there that he learned basic woodworking techniques from his father, an amateur carpenter. But it wasn’t until the 1980s, when Irven moved to Houston, Texas, and studied under the tutelage of a master craftsman, that he embraced the medium as a career. Today, he uses a lathe to create small decorative boxes and vessels. “My designs grow out of an inherent respect for the rarity and the extraordinary aesthetic qualities of the woods I use,” he tells Asheville Made. “These unusual materials deserve remarkable presentations, so I seek unexpected forms that will reveal the exotic character of the woods.” This October, Irven will bring these unexpected forms — and acorns, of course — to the 77th Annual Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands. He will be joined by 100-some juried artisans from the Southern Highland Craft Guild’s nine-state territory. Admission is $12.