Appalachian makers step into the national spotlight
Western North Carolina’s handmade legacy travels north this month as the Blue Ridge Craft Trails participates in American Craft Made Baltimore, February 20-22 at the Baltimore Convention Center in Maryland. Hosted by the American Craft Council, the national marketplace gathers nearly 400 artists from across the country. Representing the Blue Ridge region are three distinct makers: woodworker Kwadwo Som-Pimpong of Crafted Glory, whose furniture blends West African influence with Scandinavian restraint; mixed-media artist Ann Hord-Heatherley, known for her expressive fiber figures crafted with natural dyes and angora from her own goats; and jeweler Melinda Lawton of Sweet Magnolia Gallery, whose antique-inspired pieces nod to heirloom traditions. An initiative of the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area, the Craft Trails connect more than 345 artists, studios, and galleries across the region. Their presence in Baltimore signals both a celebration of Appalachian craft and a growing national audience eager to experience its depth, history, and contemporary vitality.
For more information, visit blueridgecrafttrails.com.