Blue Ridge National Heritage Area: How Western North Carolina is Crafting a Comeback
Director Angie Chandler and Craft Trails Coordinator Robin Johnston discuss the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area's role in revitalizing WNC through craft.

Art and crafts are emerging as vital engines for recovery in the wake of Hurricane Helene's devastation in Western North Carolina. Join host Louise Glickman as she chats with Angie Chandler, executive director of the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area, and Robin Johnston, the Crafts Trails coordinator, to explore how small towns and artists are working to revive their communities through creative endeavors.
Their discussion delves into the rich history of crafts in the region, highlighting the unique cultural narratives tied to its land and people. The conversation underscores the importance of connecting artists with audiences and fostering a resilient arts economy to ensure the survival of these traditions. This episode of the ArtsvilleUSA podcast serves as a profound reminder of the resilience of Western North Carolina's artists and their significant contributions to the local economy. It highlights the role of craft as a means of expression and an essential economic driver, showcasing the historical context of craft in the region—from its Cherokee roots to the modern-day crafts movement.
Listeners will find inspiration in stories of community solidarity as artists and organizations unite to aid recovery efforts, fostering a spirit of hope and collaboration amid challenges. Our conversation with the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area emphasizes the importance of preserving the region's rich cultural heritage while inviting audiences to explore and support North Carolina's arts scene.
Quotes From This Episode
"It's like a three-legged stool. It's preservation, product, and promotion. And all three of those are synergistic in a circle if you will. And in order to keep heritage alive and keep craft alive, you have to have product, and you have to have promotion, and it has to be consistent and ongoing. And you can never let up." — Angie Chandler, BRNHA executive director
"That's what also makes Western North Carolina so distinctive and unique, is that not only does each artist have a story, but each town has its own story." — Angie Chandler, BRNHA executive director
"You've got to go to Cherokee and visit the artists there that are actually making baskets and using bamboo and other materials for that. [There are] some award-winning artists in that area. — Angie Chandler, BRNHA executive director
"Spruce Pine, the Ceelo area in Yancy county, in Burnsville, Marshall, the River Arts District, Biltmore Village—all these places are such centers for craft and so important." — Robin Johnston, BRNHA Craft Trails coordinator.
“I think It's a cruel reality, but it seems like a lot of the arts communities throughout Western North Carolina artists wanted to be near water. And it was these rivers that rose 27 feet." — Louise Glickman, ArtsvillUSA founder
About the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area
The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area is a nonprofit organization that preserves, cultivates, and promotes the natural and cultural heritage of 25 Western North Carolina counties and the Qualla Boundary to benefit current and future generations.
About Angie Chandler
Angie Chandler has served as director of the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Partnership for 15 years. She began her career as a newspaper and radio journalist and then spent more than 10 years in the Chamber of Commerce field, serving in positions related to marketing, communications, and governmental affairs in Mobile, Alabama, and Asheville. Working for 10 years as the North Carolina Arboretum’s Director of Public Programs from 2006-2009, Angie also served as President of the Blue Ridge Parkway Association. The Association is the marketing partner of the Blue Ridge Parkway. As Board President, Angie helped to organize the Parkway’s important 75th Anniversary Celebration. Chandler, an Alabama native, has family roots in Western North Carolina, spanning seven generations. Angie is a graduate of Auburn University with a degree in journalism and history. She is a graduate of the North Carolina Rural Economic Development Institute and attended Southeast Tourism Marketing College and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Organizational Management.
About Robin Johnston
Robin Johnston has been the Blue Ridge Craft Trails Coordinator at BRNHA since June 2020. She has over ten years of experience working in arts and nonprofit administration roles. She holds an MFA in textiles from California College of the Arts and a BFA in craft/fiber from The University of the Arts. She has taught weaving at California College of the Arts, University of California, Davis, and Penland School of Craft. From 2011-2014, Robin was a resident artist at Penland School of Craft and has maintained strong ties to the craft community there. In 2015, she worked with the Fiber Arts Crew as a visiting artist at Warren Wilson College. Robin has been instrumental in researching, contacting, and communicating with craft artists for this project, as well as keeping data organized and collaborating on ways to further support the BRCT artists.
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