Jamie Sparks
Jamie Sparks is a metals and textile artist living in Asheville, NC. She is an AAS candidate in the Professional Crafts Jewelry Program at Haywood Community College. She is a member of Haywood Professional Craft Studios. Jamie is an instructor in multiple mediums at The John C Campbell Folk School, Olive’s Porch and Local Cloth and […]
Myron Carter
Born and raised in eastern North Carolina, a lot of my influences came from the fringes of suburban, rural, and coastal life. I started drawing at an early age, but I got my first degree in theatre arts education. I spent most of my life teaching theatre arts, visual arts, and English. Before retiring, […]
Terri Leslie
Meet Terri Leslie a nature and animal lover who combines her passion for art and nature to bring you radiant works in the medium of pastel. Terri paints landscapes, wildlife, and pet portraits. “I am drawn to the play of light and shadow in my subjects with the goal of conveying emotion between the subject […]
Alicja Katarzyna Vivona
I was born in Poland and moved to the US when I was very young. I grew up in Chicago, lived in Utah for 3 years, and moved to Waynesville with my husband in 2022. I create my art with a vision of sustainability and practicality. I believe in the art of noticing and finding […]
Lisa Conard
Janice Alexander
My husband and I, along with our three dogs and a parrot, moved to Clyde last summer from the Wilmington area, where we had lived for over 30 years. It was a great decision—we love it here. I grew up in the Charlotte area and have always made things since I was a young child. […]
Rachel Adams
Originally a third-culture kid from Buenos Aires, Argentina, Rachel has called western North Carolina home since 1995. She began learning embroidery online during the pandemic and has developed a self-taught style incorporating painted cloth, embroidery, and found objects. She takes inspiration from close-up images of things that strike her eye and has a maximalist approach […]
Kelly Owens
I have lived all over the world due to my father’s military service career. I was born in San Fransisco, raised in Florida, and spent many happy summers in Montana immersed in the grandeur of nature. Before recently relocating to Waynesville, to be closer to my children, I called Key West home for the past […]
Aliyah Chastain
My name is Aliyah Chastain. I live on a farm in Western North Carolina. I am a mostly self-taught artist and work in charcoal, graphite, colored pencil, and PanPastel. Art is my passion and I have been honing my skills since the age of 11. Graphite is the medium I started in and is still […]
Laura Lau Klein
Artist Statement: Our adornments are intertwined with their materials. As a jewelry artist, I merge recycled metals, repurposed wood, and responsibly harvested plants with fabrication and casting. By combining carefully considered materials and traditional jewelry techniques, I create adornments that speak to how intertwined we are with our surroundings. Connection brings awe and wonder into […]
Linda Gilchrist
I am a fairly new artist, having begun working in watercolor after retiring from a 37-year healthcare career in 2022. Painting was something I always wanted to do but was delayed during all those years raising and supporting myself and child as a single parent. I am self-taught, primarily through YouTube tutorials, online classes, and […]
Maria Davis
My feelings and emotions guide my choice of subject, color, and form. My works are often not planned out; they are created in the moment. While inspired by the beauty and serendipity of nature, I have adopted an abstract expressionist style. I paint what I feel, rather than what I see. My favorite medium is […]
Kenneth Czarnomski
My artistic endeavors started in 1967, in Michigan, as I was pursuing my education in architecture. I continued my fine arts studies while experimenting with whatever art supplies were available. Since then, I have had the opportunity to hike all over the world, returning to these mountains that I love in 2002 when I moved […]
Kristen Freeze
I am a North Carolina native and have lived in WNC for over fifteen years. I draw my inspiration from animals, landscapes, and travel. I feel most at home in the outdoors and love to capture the beauty of life through nature photography. I named my business CamelliaBird Photography to represent the legacy of camellia […]
Greg Vaeth
My background stems from not only being an illustration major at Syracuse University but also living and working in the graphic world of T-shirts for over 30 years. My work tends to be influenced by the “straightforwardness” of the art and graphics I have been exposed to in my profession over the years, often limited […]
Leo Woods
I began my relationship with sculpting at 9 years old. The kids down the block were building a dragon world of battles, complex relationships, tidy villages, and epic journeys across the wilds of our suburban backyards in Houston, Texas. Joining them, in my young brain, was a privilege worthy of highest priority. Eventually, the kids […]
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
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 […]
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 […]
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
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]