New Members of the Southern Highland Craft Guild

In the 1890s, Presbyterian missionary Frances Louisa Goodrich settled in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Her hope was to “bring material help to the poorer among these neighbors without hampering them or injuring their self-respect.” And that she did. After receiving a 40-year-old coverlet woven in the Double Bowknot pattern from a kind neighbor, Goodrich facilitated a weaving revolution, rallying women from hills and hollers to make textiles that were later sold as mail-order products. Thanks to her commitment to saving the heritage of Appalachian craft, combined with the efforts of women like Olive Dame Campbell (founder of the John C. Campbell Folk School) and Mary Martin Sloop (founder of Crossnore School), the Southern Highland Craft Guild was officially chartered in 1930. In the decades since, the Guild has grown to represent more than 800 artisans — Asheville glass artist Jenna Ashcraft included. Recently inducted into the organization, Ashcraft will present her sleek, geometric forms during a new member show at the Folk Art Center. “It’s very affirming to know that [my work] meets the standards of such a prestigious organization,” says Ashcraft. The exhibition will include more than 20 craftspeople, from fiber sculptor Heidi Bleacher (aka the “Felt Fairy”) to Canton metalsmith Becky Smith.