March 2026 Roundup: This Woman’s Work

​Women have always been the backbone of Western North Carolina’s creative legacy, building things that outlast trends and outlive their makers. Look at the John C. Campbell Folk School. Since 1925, it’s been a place shaped by women like Olive Dame Campbell and Marguerite Butler, who took inspiration from Danish folk schools and rooted it here, in the mountains, through craft and community. Their fingerprints are still everywhere.

These stories are more than beautiful or inspiring. They are economic. Every exhibition, show, and studio visit is a thread in the fabric of Western North Carolina’s craft economy. This year’s theme, Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future, is a call to action. When you support artists, you help build resilience and strengthen the creative ecosystem that keeps this region alive.

This month, five artists from our winter show talk about where they draw the line between form and function, how they decide what’s beautiful, what’s useful, and what’s both. You’ll also meet Gertrude Graham Smith, a Penland-area ceramicist who’s spent thirty years coaxing magic from a soda kiln, and catch Western North Carolina artists making waves at American Craft Made Baltimore.

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Form Vs. Function: Where Do Craft Artists Draw the Line?

Architects will tell you form follows function. In the world of craft, it’s not so clear. Is it enough for something to be beautiful, or does it need to pull its weight? How far can you push the look before it stops being useful?

We asked five artists from our winter show, Liminal Light: Winter’s Vigil, where they draw the line between what pleases the eye and what gets the job done.

Read their answers here.

Appalachian Artists Make Their Mark at American Craft Made Baltimore

This year, Western North Carolina artists brought a piece of the Blue Ridge to American Craft Made Baltimore. The East Coast’s biggest juried art fair was full of vintage-inspired pottery, handmade dolls, and mid-century modern furniture built with care for the land.

ArtsvilleUSA partners Craft Your Commerce and the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area made the trip too, their tables packed with work from makers who call these mountains home. Other local artists, like Rachel David and Summer Merritt, set up booths or just came to walk the floor, stopping to greet old friends or run a hand over a familiar glaze.

See photos from American Craft Made Baltimore here.

Out of Darkness: How an Artist’s Menorah Brought Light After the Storm

Gertrude Graham Smith—Gay, if you know her—has a knack for conjuring light, both literal and otherwise. Her hands gravitate toward candelabra, menorahs, candlesticks: objects that feel plucked from a fairy tale, equal parts old-world heirloom and Disney daydream. Lately, she’s dialed up the drama, crafting candleholders that could just as easily preside over a Shabbat table as waltz through a ballroom, all baroque curves and playful excess.

Take her “Candelabrum, Amber and Turquoise” or the “Dancing Candlesticks,” both on view in our winter show, Liminal Light. They don’t just sit pretty. They spiral and twirl, as if caught mid-revel, impish and a little mischievous. You get the sense they might serve you custard and light the table while you lick the spoon.

Read our full interview with Gay Smith here.

News + Notes From Asheville and Beyond

​Here’s where we share quick craft bites for busy hands and hungry minds. This month, step inside immersive installations, meet a 100-foot fabric snake, and wander the Asheville Maker Faire. If you want to pick up a new skill, there are fresh e-learning courses waiting for you, too.

Exhibitions

BORN: Step into BORN, a photo and sound installation by Neeta Kepchar, on view at UNCA’s Tucker Cooke Gallery from March 30 to April 3. The show is a celebration of new life, brought to you by an artist whose background in photography shapes every detail. More information is available here.

Liminal Light: Winter’s Vigil Online Exhibition: ArtsvilleUSA’s newest online show gathers 11 Western North Carolina craft artists, each chasing the stubborn glow that refuses to fade in the coldest months. The exhibition is open online for as long as you need a little warmth. See Liminal Light here.

Patchesss: 100-Foot Fabric Snake Exhibition: Meet Patchesss—a 100-foot-long, community-stitched serpent currently winding its way through the ArtsvilleUSA gallery at the Ferguson Family YMCA in Candler. Born from a recent ReMix It fundraiser, Patchesss is both a celebration of creative reuse and a ribbon-cutting for Asheville’s first center dedicated to giving materials a second life. On view through March and April.

We Still Make Things: 100 Years of Craft: The Folk Art Center is marking a century of hands-on learning at the John C. Campbell Folk School with an exhibition that gathers work from both students and teachers, proof that the urge to make is alive and well. On view through April 29. More info here.

Events

Asheville Maker Faire: Maker Faire returns on April 18, 2026, filling the Mission Health / A-B Tech Conference Center with hands-on workshops, live demos, and interactive exhibits. Whether you’re a maker, an artist, or just want to see what’s possible, there’s something here for every age and skill level. More info here.

Opportunities + Resources

E-Learning Courses: Craft Your Commerce just launched four new self-paced courses for creatives: pricing, photography, web presence, and grant writing. If you’re looking to sharpen your skills or tackle a new challenge, now’s a good time: use code WELCOME15 for 15% off any course through April 15. Access E-Learning here.

Special Thanks to Our Partners

All images published with permission of the artist(s); featured photo: John C Campbell Folk School Fain Archives.