Every spring, the Southern Highland Craft Guild spotlights the next generation of makers with a show featuring recent graduates of Haywood Community College’s Professional Crafts Program. This exhibition culminates focused studies in clay, fiber, jewelry, and wood, and serves as a bridge between student work and professional craft. “The graduate show is the capstone of two years’ effort by our students,” says Brian Wurst, a woodworking instructor at the college. “The Folk Art Center is a marvelous space to showcase them — now as emerging artists, and hopefully for many as future guild members.” Among the students exhibiting work this year is Maggie Philyaw, a clay artist who discovered ceramics after retiring from a long career in nursing. “I found a supportive community of inspiring artists and a connection to the beauty of clay,” she says. For the show, she’s created a series of “simple yet elegant forms that are useful and bring joy to people’s everyday lives.” The exhibition opens on May 10 and runs through late August.
Haywood Community College Professional Crafts Program Graduate Show: May 10-August 20
Folk Art Center / Milepost 382, Blue Ridge Parkway / southernhighlandguild.org