Appalachian Artists Make Their Mark at American Craft Made Baltimore

​At American Craft Made Baltimore 2026, artists from Western North Carolina set up their booths side by side, unpacking ceramics, textiles, and woodwork that carried the colors and textures of the mountains with them. This year, ArtsvilleUSA partners Craft Your Commerce and Blue Ridge National Heritage Area both made the trip, their tables crowded with the work of makers who call WNC home. Other artists from the region set up their own booths or made the pilgrimage as attendees, pausing to greet old friends or to run a hand over a familiar glaze.

Conveniently, a direct flight from Asheville (AVL) to Baltimore (BWI) can be found for under $100, making this craft pilgrimage accessible to artists and art lovers alike and strengthening the bridge between WNC’s craft community and a national audience. Scroll through the photos below to meet the artists and explore the incredible work they brought to Baltimore.

Craft Your Commerce Booth

Craft Your Commerce, a program from Mountain BizWorks, equips WNC’s artists and makers with business skills, connections, and resources. At this year’s Craft Made Baltimore, jeweler Laura Wood, featured in ArtsvilleUSA’s Reawakening exhibition, mentored the artists at the Craft Your Commerce booth.

Angelique Tassistro

Angelique Tassitro’s playful ceramics made a splash at Craft Made Baltimore, where she debuted a new collection and soaked in the show’s “electric” energy. “Getting to this point has been a dream and a mountain of hard work,” she says. “But seeing this new collection under the lights makes it all worth it. The level of craft in this building is absolutely amazing.”

Catch Angelique’s work in the ArtsvilleUSA-curated exhibition Liminal Light.

Anna Bryant

Anna Bryant, an Asheville printmaker, arrived at this year’s show with a portfolio of monoprints that seem to shift and settle as you look at them. Her work traces a quiet conversation between human design and the natural world. “The evolving imagery from one pull to the next documents change over time and the ongoing exchange between engineered and ecological systems.”

Night Owl Iron Works

Jordan and Rachel Jackson of Night Owl Iron Works displayed their signature small-batch metal and leather goods in Baltimore. Their work speaks to a devotion to material, function, and thoughtful design, each piece carrying the weight of tradition. “We’re stoked to be a part of a collection that’s brought together eight artists,” they say, “united by a shared devotion to material integrity, storytelling through form, and the enduring power of craft.”

Ross Pottery

Meg and Jamie Ross’s vintage-inspired pottery filled their booth with nostalgia and warmth. Their gratitude for the community is palpable, as they find fresh inspiration among fellow artists: “A huge thanks to Jamie Karolich [of Craft Your Commerce] and Laura Wood for leading our group and providing the most incredible support, inspiration, and new ways of looking at our craft,” they say. “We are able to showcase our newest collection alongside fellow artists.”

Read more about how this creative power couple works together to produce their bright and charming ceramics.

Stephanie McCune

Stephanie McCune’s table glimmered with handblown glass in ocean blue and sunset purple hues. For her, Craft Made Baltimore marks a first: the leap into a large-scale show, surrounded by the hum of fellow makers. “I am so honored to be a part of this cohort,” she says, “and so excited to experience my first large-scale craft show.”

Toryn Black Designs

​Woodworker Toryn Davis Black brought months of meticulous work to Craft Made Baltimore, showcasing mid-century modern furniture and homeware. Committed to sustainability, Toryn uses local Appalachian hardwoods alongside ethically sourced international woods. “I am deeply honored and honestly still a little stunned to be part of this,” she says, proud to exhibit alongside fellow WNC artists.

Blue Ridge National Heritage Booth

Blue Ridge National Heritage Area, a nonprofit rooted in the traditions of Western North Carolina, gathered a group of artists whose work carries the region’s stories forward.

Ann Hord Heatherly

Ann Hord Heatherly arrived from Out in Jupiter Farm with her signature dolls, crafted from natural fibers, hand-dyed fabrics, and angora sheared from her own goats. Her characters, with their bright eyes and soft hair, offered Baltimore a glimpse of tradition reimagined through Ann’s lens. See more of Ann’s work in our Weaverville travelogue.

Kwadwo Som-Pimpong

Furniture maker Kwadwo Som-Pimpong, working under the name Crafted Glory, set out his sculptural tables and chairs, each one a meeting point between Scandinavian lines and his West African roots. His meticulously crafted pieces carry a quiet energy that transcends contemporary trends and bridges continents, right on the showroom floor.

Melinda Lawton

Hendersonville jeweler Melinda Lawton’s antique-inspired designs gleamed under the lights at Craft Made Baltimore. Using bold color combinations and the finest gems, she offered visitors a small taste of Blue Ridge tradition: timeless, carefully made, and meant to last.

Other WNC Artists at American Craft Made Baltimore

From sculptural jewelry and supple handbags to avant-garde metalwork, these Western North Carolina artists added fresh textures, colors, and shapes to the show’s mix.

Pride and Archive (Summer Merritt)

Summer Merritt, previously featured in our Weaverville travelogue, showcased her new 800 Series jewelry: wearable sculptures carved from wood, each a burst of color and shape. For her, this first show was less about the spotlight and more about joining a community of makers, swapping stories and inspiration across the tables.

Feel Handbags

Erin Kaleel, the designer behind Feel Handbags, unveiled her collection of soft, supple bags, stitched in Asheville from Italian leather and finished with bits of precious metal. Her work is rooted in natural harmony and a kind of quiet luxury, the kind that feels good in the hand and lasts for years.

Red Metal (Rachel David)

Rachel David, working under the name Red Metal, brought her forged metalwork to Baltimore, objects that blur the line between sculpture and furniture. Her art is grounded in social and environmental justice, inviting visitors to see how art, craft, and community come together in steel and fire.

Catch Rachel David’s work in the ArtsvilleUSA-coordinated exhibition, A Tale of Two Cities.

All images published with permission of Craft Your Commerce and Blue Ridge National Heritage Area; featured image: Craft Your Commerce.