Along the Scuppernong River, a school of fine craft teaches creatives of all levels that it’s never too late to pursue the arts.
The Southern Highland Craft Guild’s Appalachian Revival
Handmade goods are a living, breathing tradition in our mountain communities. For almost a century, the Southern Highland Craft Guild has preserved trades like weaving, carving, metalworking, and more.
Elliott Daingerfield: Painter of the Hills
A world-renowned North Carolina artist found success in the Northeast, but his inspiration came from the time he spent in Blowing Rock.
5 Appalachian Art Galleries
Art galleries — beautiful and intriguing backdrops to the works they display and sell — are tucked among hills and valleys throughout western North Carolina.
Literary Landscape
A writer eager to explore the world feels the pull of his family homeplace in the pages of mountain authors’ words.
6 Modern Mountain Reads
Sure, you’ve read the masterpieces that put western North Carolina on the literary map — Cold Mountain; Look Homeward, Angel — but make room on your bookshelf for some newer recommendations from mountain booksellers.
Birds of the Wood
After decades of caring for animals in western North Carolina, an expert woodworker crafts heritage carvings that look ready to take flight.
In His Element
For artist Kent Paulette, creativity arrives when he’s surrounded by nature, knee-deep in a creek.
Our State Book Club Presents: Ron Rash
Before becoming an award-winning author, Ron Rash tended the cemetery near his family’s Watauga County farm. His latest novel, inspired by that burial ground, explores the relationship between the living and the dead, and how those who’ve gone are never forgotten.