Julie Bagamary
Having spent most of my life in the breathtaking mountains of Western North Carolina, I find immense inspiration and motivation for creating my distinct textile mixed-media art pieces. My artwork primarily utilized luxurious batik and hand-dyed fabrics which serve as the foundation for my creations. Through intricate improvisational piercing, my pieces truly come alive. I […]
Kenneth Dambrosio
My passion for wood art started in a wood shop class in the early sixties, taking a route from Eastchester, NY, to North Kingstown, RI, to Tarpon Springs, FL, and finally, Waynesville, NC, along the way, learning wood carving(Oberammergau, Germany) teaching (RISDA, School of Visual Arts, NYC) and started the Ocean Wood-Turning Club. (AAW) “Understanding the […]
Fritzie Wise
I retired from Haywood County after 30 years where I taught general music in grades K-8 at Bethel Elementary and Middle Schools and was the Choral Director at Tuscola High School. Upon my retirement I discovered colored pencil classes at the Teresa Pennington Gallery where it became my passion and joy! Colored pencil is the […]
Randy Rayl
The inspiration of my work comes from ideas within me and images that surround my environment. Forming different concepts and changing the world around me, motivates my creativity. I graduated from Indiana State University with an area art major and went on to Indiana University Southeast to receive my master’s degree in art education. I […]
Jacob Hoke
I was born in 2001 and raised in the mountains outside of Boone in Watauga County. I earned a diploma and certifications in Welding from Wilkes Community College and then got an inspiring job as a welder at a blacksmith’s shop in Zionville, NC, helping to make exotic laminated steels with layers of copper, brass, […]
Lori Axelrod
Becca Irvin
Becca Irvin was born and raised in west Tennessee. Having always been interested in art, Becca chose to pursue a degree in art at East Tennessee State University. Her senior year she helped lead a team to build a soda fired kiln. She went on to receive a full scholarship to study ceramics in Tuscany, […]
Aaron R. Morrell
As a native of the Southern Appalachians, it’s the grit, the weather, the rawness of nature and the strength of the folks who inhabit it that inspires my work. Since I was a child, I’ve always had a passion for storytelling, nostalgia and the romance of days gone by. It’s because of those stories, either […]
Pink Schingen
I am from the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, however, I was raised in the mountains of SE West Virginia. I went to college in Tampa FL from 2008-2012 and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in professional digital photography. In 2018, my husband and I relocated to Waynesville for his job, and Oh! What a beautiful place […]
AC Bell
A.C. Bell is a North Carolina potter, originally from Chicago, IL. She studied biology in college and spent time working in a veterinary clinic and pursuing a master’s degree in sustainable urban development before discovering pottery in an evening class at a local Chicago neighborhood art center. She fell in love and began taking classes […]
Lori A. Reed
I am a contemporary artist with traditional roots. I enjoy all artwork, but have circled back to my roots in traditional Cherokee Arts. I have discovered a love for making baskets as I continue to learn about the history and the arts and crafts of my people. My grandmother was a basket maker and she […]
Thomas Cantwell
Thomas “Zan” Cantwell is an American artist born in 1952 in Constable, New York, and raised in central Pennsylvania. He currently resides in Canton, North Carolina, where he continues to pursue his passion for painting, fly fishing, and writing. In the early 80s, Cantwell majored in Fine Art at Harrisburg Area Community College, where he […]
Amanda Cook
I am inspired by the beauty of nature and painting flowers feels like meditation. I love capturing the vibrant colors and perfect imperfection of every leaf and petal. The inability to fully control watercolor allows me to be present and constantly in awe of the magic it can create. After graduating with a BFA in […]
Jeffrey Palmer
I’ve always sought creative outlets and upon retiring at the onset of the pandemic, I quickly opted to pursue a long-time goal of learning more about pottery. I have always possessed a respect for the diversity of expression that clay allows and wanted to take advantage of the amazing resources available here in western North […]
Annette Centofanti
I call the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina my forever home. I am originally from Western New York via many years in south Florida. I am inspired by color, textures, nature, facial expressions of human and animal muses. My favorite mediums are clay and mixed media paintings. Clay is an amazing medium to create […]
Bethany Cullen
Haywood County has been home to my family for many generations. Being born and raised in Waynesville I was blessed to be able to be a product of the Central Elementary, Waynesville Middle School and Tuscola High School Art Departments where I had the best Art teachers I could ever have. I currently hold an […]
Janet Steinke
Janet moved to Waynesville a few years back from Michigan. A quilter for over 25 years, Janet has led a 475-member quilt guild in Grand Rapids, Michigan and helped establish a new quilt guild in Holland, Michigan. She became interested in the HCAC Quilt Trails Program both as a previous engineer and project management professional, […]
Kathy DeOrnellas
Tonya Harwood
I have lived in WNC for over 25 years. This place has my heart, and is why I continually paint the breathtaking landscapes all around us. When in my studio, I am always trying to recapture beauty, using photos taken while out in nature as reference; colorful reflections off of the lake, sunset from the […]
Patricia Sweet
John Highsmith
I grew up in Asheville, did a residency in Baltimore for a year and realized that I wanted to live in the mountains of Western North Carolina. I’ve been taking photos for almost 50 years and scuba diving for over 25 years. I put them together in 2007 taking underwater photos in the ocean and […]
Lisa Conard
My husband and I live here in the Bethel area of Canton. I grew up in Asheville but spent many special moments with my grandparents here in Canton through the years. I draw inspiration from nature, other creators and makers. From early on I collected the pottery made by others and when finally having […]
Amanda Kay Anders
My greatest strength as an artist is a love of learning and willingness to incorporate new ideas and techniques into my art. I can adapt my art for many different audiences, including commercial and illustrative design, sequential art, or fine art. I love to incorporate hints of each into my different styles as well, including […]
Rose Hardesty
Bio: Rose Hardesty is a visual artist who was born in Ventura, CA, and is currently living and working in Asheville, NC. She creates functional and sculptural wood fired ceramic pieces inspired by the natural world and informed by imagination. Her work seeks to marry seemingly disparate elements of the art and craft world, blurring […]
John Gilbert
John Gilbert has a solid background in graphic design and painting. He has experimented with the major media – oils, pastels, pen and ink and watercolor – and finds watercolor his favorite. A graduate of The Florida State University with a BA in Fine Arts, Gilbert presents his work in galleries, in juried shows and […]
Nory Lopez
As a native Floridian, I was given the opportunity to paint my surroundings. I would paint using acrylics or oil depending on what the painting would be. I moved to Waynesville in January and find myself blessed at all the painting opportunities I see. Although portraiture of old classic Hollywood is my forte I am looking […]
Jo Martiel Wallace
Originally from South Georgia, I spent 32 years in South Florida before relocating to Haywood county. For someone who is inspired by nature, it is a wonderfully refreshing start to a new journey. Painting was a medium I played around with off and on over the years, with little satisfaction in what I was creating. […]
Laurey Faye Dean
My pots are purposefully pretty, lyrical & narrative, visual poems to the southern Appalachians. The motifs reflect the plants, animals & landscapes of these mountains. I am inspired by Mark Trail comics, Palissey, (the French Potter of the 1500s), and historic American Art Pottery. My training includes a BFA from UGA, an AA from HCC, […]
Ugly Boy Flutes, Bob Child
Yes, it’s an unusual name for such a beautiful and spiritual instrument, but I am here thanks to “The Original Ugly Boy” which was, truth be told, ugly. But it played, bold and loud, and my excitement level was electrified as I began honing my craft since that day in July, 2002. Mine is a […]
Bob Child Photography
I’ve had a passion for photography for well over 40 years, and absolutely love living in Haywood County. That passion combined with my love of every facet of nature, inspires me to find the “extraordinary” in the “ordinary”. Maybe it’s a fleeting moment where I took but a single frame…or maybe it’s looking in close […]
Samantha Nelson
My name is Samantha Nelson and I work mainly with acrylic paints. I draw most of my inspiration from the natural views that surround my home in Maggie Valley. My desire is that my paintings instigate an emotional response based on color and personal experience. How you feel in the moment, affects how you interpret […]
Haidee Wilson
“ The secret to a good painting is falling in love.” Art is a way expressing the joy and love of my Canadian French heritage, my roots. It has given me a deep sense of belonging. Through my own self-exploration, it tells a story of connectivity as a woman. Catalysts to these creative expressions […]
Christine Schlageter
Art has always been in my background, and I enjoyed drawing since early childhood. Trained in professional portrait photography I moved to this country from Germany in 1971 to the Asheville area. I am self-taught and specialize in acrylics on canvas. Some of my favorite subjects are animals and florals but also machinery and architecture.I […]
Jason Pierson
Originally from Michigan, I have lived in Western North Carolina for nearly 20 years. I am inspired by the strong tradition of Southern craft, blending traditional quilt blocks and piecing techniques with a modern, confident, graphic style. A major focus of my work is on sustainable materials and practices. I use exclusively organic cotton (fabric […]
Betty Lee Guyer
I was raised in South Florida and did not start painting until 1984 while living in western North Carolina. I am primarily self-taught and I love to paint with oils. My inspiration comes from anything that touches my heart and makes me feel that I just have to paint it. I recently started using acrylics […]
Thomas Payne
Originally from Ohio, with a stop in Northern Kentucky throughout my working career in commercial printing. Relocated to the mountains of Western North Carolina ten years ago embarking on a new adventure. The mountains and wildlife of the Smoky Mountain region allow a never-ending inspiration to showcase my talent through visual art. I have always […]
Anne Crook
I have always been a maker and get excited about whatever I am creating. It is usually quilting, dying fabric, or eco printing. I am always drawn to natural materials. My quilts often have leaves, trees, or are landscapes. The last several years I have been eco-printing. I love trying different techniques, the chemistry, and […]
Dori Settles
Dori Settles was born in southeastern Wisconsin and raised her family in eastern Nebraska where she worked as a sign language interpreter for several years before discovering the medium of glass. Settles moved to North Carolina with her husband and two dogs in 2021, after discovering a glass studio nestled in the forest near Penland. […]
Alice Herring
Alice Herring is a North Carolina native, albeit eastern North Carolina. She moved to Waynesville after her retirement in 2013. She enjoys nature through gardening, hiking, walking, and bird watching. Glances of the majestic mountains, roaring streams, clear lakes, blue and cloudy skies, and the rich artistic community in Western North Carolina inspire her art […]
Wanda Ann Kinnaman
The open spaces and quiet places of nature best describe the inspiration behind my encaustic mixed media work that seeks to make connections between humankind and the environment through the exploration of spaces and places. My creativity is motivated to seek and reflect upon the discoveries of solitude and healing I find in my journeys. […]
Char Avrunin
“He guides my brush as well as my life.”Char Avrunin is an award-winning artist who follows her Creator in developing oil portraits on canvas and flame painting on copper. Working out of Waynesville, NC, her work can be found in corporate and private collections. Char has a Masters in Educational Communications, 5-year Bachelors in Visual […]
Amanda Taylor
Amanda Taylor was born and raised close to the Canadian Rockies in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Her love of the outdoors, and photography, inspires her to create unique interpretations in kilnformed glass. “My work explores the expressive possibilities of glass through variation in color, texture, light, and atmosphere. By drawing inspiration from nature, I use my glass work […]
Karen Stockwell
As a quilter, years ago I began embellishing my smaller works with beads and ephemera. That led to making bead embroidered jewelry, where beads and stones are sewn on by hand. The colors and textures of textiles and stones intrigue me. Inspiration is found all around, in nature, in music, in the play of sunlight […]
Laura Parker
As a lifelong artist I’ve worked in a variety of media but for several years have focused on painting in oil, for its softness and malleability, and gouache, for its opacity and portability. I’m especially drawn to capturing a moment, feeling or the likenesses of places and individuals I’ve encountered in my travels. My recent […]
Nancy Gamon
Fabric is arranged in dyeing pans and covered with a layer of ice cubes. Fiber reactive powdered dye is sprinkled on top. As the ice melted, soft tendrils of color seep into the fabric, creating one-of-a-kind surprising designs.
Carol Roden
My fascination with glass began decades ago with my grandmother’s cookie tin full of marbles, and it continues today as I use heat to fuse and shape various forms of glass into beautiful and functional objects! The unique properties and color intensity of glass give me the creative opportunity to indulge the constant inspiration of […]
Donna M. Mankus
My purpose as an artist is to capture the essence of what I see and translate that into something that the viewer can also experience. My paintings represent not only actual landscapes but also unique experiences. When I paint there are no distractions. I am in a state of intense concentration on the present. This […]
Steven Coffey
