Photo | Windy Hills Patina Big Box Clock, Desmond Suarez
The Bascom: A Center for the Visual Arts and the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area will present Connecting to Place: Blue Ridge Craft Trails Invitational 2026, a juried group exhibition featuring 20 craft artists from across Western North Carolina, on view in the Thompson Gallery from May 16 through July 25, 2026. Curated by M. Anna Fariello, the exhibition celebrates the Blue Ridge Craft Trails and the living traditions of handcraft that define the region’s creative identity.
The Blue Ridge Craft Trails, a program of the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area, identifies and showcases studio craft makers across the mountains of Western North Carolina. For this invitational, Fariello has selected artists working across a wide range of mediums, including ceramics, glass, wood, metals, fiber, printmaking, and Cherokee traditional arts, whose work reflects the materials, landscape, and cultural heritage of the Blue Ridge. Participating artists hail from communities throughout the region, including Franklin, Waynesville, Dillsboro, Bryson City, Cullowhee, Canton, Cherokee, Maggie Valley, and Brasstown.
Photo | Royalty, Karen H. Hovis
Fariello is among the foremost scholars of American craft and Appalachian material culture. A former Smithsonian Renwick Fellow and Fulbright Scholar, she has curated more than 40 exhibitions focused on American craft, directed more than 30 grants, and authored numerous books, including an early history of the John C. Campbell Folk School and a series of works on Cherokee craft traditions. She has worked closely with the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area to develop and expand the Blue Ridge Craft Trails since the project’s inception.
“Craft in Western North Carolina is inseparable from the land and the people who have worked it for generations. As a member of the Blue Ridge Craft Trails, The Bascom is proud to bring this exhibition to the Thompson Gallery — and to be part of a network that keeps that tradition visible and thriving,” said Billy Love, Executive Director of The Bascom.
“Western North Carolina is one of the most vibrant craft economies in the United States, blending Cherokee craft traditions, Appalachian heritage, and contemporary craft innovation,” stated Angie Chandler, Executive Director of the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area. “We are excited to partner with The Bascom to bring this exhibition to the public to spotlight our region’s exquisite craft heritage, which in turn, sustains and supports artists, small businesses, and communities.”
Photo | Cremation Urn, Laurey Faye Dean
EXHIBITION DETAILS
Connecting to Place: Blue Ridge Craft Trails Invitational 2026
Gallery: Thompson Gallery, The Bascom
Dates: May 16 – July 25, 2026
Reception: Thursday, June 11, 2026, 5:00 p.m.
Admission: Free and open to the public
Location: The Bascom: A Center for the Visual Arts, 323 Franklin Road, Highlands, NC 28741
Info: TheBascom.org | 828.526.4949
PARTICIPATING ARTISTS
Teresa Bouchonnet | Myron Carter | Susan Coe | Laurey Faye Dean | Brad Dodson | Gayle R. Haynie | Karen H. Hovis | Carol Lynn Johnson | Ilene Kay | Mike McKinney | Paul Hornbuckle | Janlyn Messina | Davy Arch | Caden Painter | Terance Painter | Paul Pieringer | William S. Rogers | Desmond Suarez | Gayle Barker Woody | Joe Frank McKee
The Bascom is located at 323 Franklin Road in Highlands, North Carolina. Galleries and The Bascom Shop are open Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. A public reception will be held Thursday, June 11 at 5:00 p.m. Admission is always free. For more information, visit TheBascom.org or call 828.526.4949.
About The Bascom
The Bascom creates visual art experiences that inspire and empower individuals and communities through seeing, thinking, and doing. Since 1985, The Bascom has served the Highlands–Cashiers Plateau as a place where people come together through the visual arts — offering free exhibitions, hands-on education, and year-round programs that welcome more than 20,000 visitors annually.
About the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area
The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area, a nonprofit organization, celebrates and promotes the distinctive natural and cultural heritage of Western North Carolina. It works with artists, performers, and organizations in 25 counties and the Qualla Boundary. The Blue Ridge Craft Trails, a program of the Heritage Area, connects visitors with studio craft makers and craft organizations across the region. For more information, visit blueridgeheritage.com.
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