John Cram & the Village Art and Craft Fair
Thirty new artists will round out the nearly 120 total at the 43rd annual Village Art and Craft Fair, held August first and second at the grounds of the Cathedral of All Souls in Biltmore Village.
John Cram, founder of the Fair, has weathered the good and the bad in the Asheville arts scene over the last four decades.
“When we first started it was very small, there were 30 people on the craft fair grounds. Every year, more and more people wanted to get into the craft fair, and soon it got kind of crazy. We had as many as 160 vendors at one time,” he said.
Now, the Fair has reached a sweet spot of space and variety.
“There’s a mixture of two- and three-dimensional objects, more than 20 potters, 25 jewelers, and everything else filled in from A to Z. Some people don’t quite fit into a category, but it’s quite a variety,” said Cram. “People should come to the Fair because they love it, they love the consistency, and the quality of the art is great.”
As for Asheville, the Fair draws exhibitors mainly from the southeast, and 30 from western North Carolina, but artists will be traveling from 16 different states to what is becoming an art mecca.
“The River Arts District is exploding and going really, really well, and Biltmore Village is picking up. It’s got some artification going on, because we’ve had a lot of commercial stuff move into the Village. The Folk Art Center also has a branch in the Village, which I think is great,” said Cram.
Cram says the low point of the fair was when it rained all day on Saturday years ago, but the only thing that can be done about that is hope for clear weather.
“We had one year where there was a 90 percent threat of rain. It rained in west Asheville and downtown, the south, the east, and Biltmore Forest, but it didn’t rain in the Village. We lucked out. We had some protection there going on,” said Cram, who later found out a local priest had offered up prayers to stave off the rain. “That was pretty incredible.”
One of the differences between the Fair and the now defunct Belle Chere Festival, says Cram, is that the Village Art and Craft Fair brings outside business into Biltmore Village, rather than roadblocking it from the outside. It’s a trait that he says ensures longevity for the Fair.
“The rest of the Village has one of their best days in business. The wallets don’t stay at the fair, they wander around the Village. It’s an event that completely enhances business,” he said.
New Morning Gallery
7 Boston Way, Asheville, NC 28803
828-274-2831, newmorning@bellsouth.net
www.newmorninggallerync.com