On the opening day of the 70th Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands the media and public are invited to celebrate fine craft with the support from this year’s inaugural sponsors. Presented by Asheville Color and Imaging and Asheville Citizen-Times, this well-known biannual event welcomes nearly 18k visitors each year. The media event will be held at 11:30am on July 21 on the downstairs arena floor of the US Cellular Center. It will feature highlights of the Craft Fair’s newest element, interior design vignettes and include sponsor recognition.
The interior design vignette showcase is made possible with support from sponsors in the design and building community. A collaboration between Guild makers, architects, builders, and interior designers, these three vignettes showcase craft in the context of furnishing one’s home. Since January 2017, these teams have been meeting regularly to execute real-life rooms that accentuate handmade pieces for both form and function. The following rooms feature sponsors that contributed sincere efforts and creativity to this Design Vignette showcase:
“Rustic Elegance” / Living Room
featuring Anne Sherrill of Rusticks and Platt Architecture, PA with member Matt Tommey
“Transitional” / Dining Room
featuring Laura Sullivan of ID.ology and Livingstone Design + Build with member Brian Boggs
“Contemporary” / Bedroom
featuring Traci Kearns of Alchemy Design Studio and Samsel Architects with member Barbara Zaretsky
“Discerning home owners often enjoy incorporating the warmth and relationship of fine craft within their homes and the Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands has been an important resource for those home owners as they search for special pieces to bring their beautiful spaces to life,” says Matt Tommey, one of the lead makers who is well-known for his sculptural, woven basketry.
Following the discussion, the daily fiber fashion show, “15 Minutes of Fashion,” will begin at 1:00pm with the collaborative efforts of Local Cloth, a regional fiber and farm network. Bringing the craft to life is one of the primary visions of the anniversary edition of the Craft Fair. Models will don fiber wearables made by exhibitors to add more exposure to the garments, and allow visitors to see the piece in true form.
The Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands is presented by the following sponsors:
Asheville Color and Imaging is a full service print company that offers a wide array of solutions with specialties in architectural drawings and documents, banners, business cards, signage, brochures, car wraps, dye sublimation metal prints, and print & cut vinyl stickers, laminating and scanning services. ACI is also known for their “Living In Color” series that highlights different members of Asheville’s business scene and their efforts to build community. For the Craft Fair, they have generously donated their time and efforts to publishing the event’s program, along with other print materials.
Asheville Citizen-Times has been a leading newspaper for the Asheville area since 1870, and continues to share the voices of the community. They believe in helping communities solve issues, set visions, and being a force of positive change. For the Craft Fair, they continue to assist in marketing and promotion of the event to honor the makers and their stories.
The Southern Highland Craft Guild also recognizes the following additional sponsors for their support in bringing this 70th anniversary event to the public: The Asheville Convention and Visitors Bureau, The Laurel of Asheville, Our State Magazine, Smoky Mountain Living, WNC Magazine, and WLOS-TV. Each of these entities promotes our region and is dedicated to helping preserve the histories and culture of craft.
Admission to the Craft Fair is $8, General, $12 for a Weekend Pass, and Children under 12, Free. The Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands is open July 21-23, 10am to 6pm on Friday and Saturday, and until 5pm on Sunday. For more information visit, www.craftguild.org/craftfairsh or call (828) 298-7928.
The Southern Highland Craft Guild is a non-profit, educational organization established in 1930 to cultivate the crafts and makers of the Southern Highlands for the purpose of shared resources, education, marketing and conservation.