Some of our small towns Map From the Old Fort Charrette

Economic Development & Community: Past Projects

Barn Quilts Projects

Many states across Appalachia have combined their efforts to promote rural tourism by painting colorful replicas of traditional quilt patterns. These painted quilts are displayed on rustic barns, and businesses throughout the region. HandMade in America realized that Barn Quilts could also be used to promotes tourism in Western North Carolina and worked with three of the region’s arts councils to develop trails in Ashe, Madison, Mitchell and Yancey counties. Today, barn quilts can be seen throughout these counties, and others, throughout the region.

Contact/More info: Betty Hurst, HandMade in America, bhurst@handmadeinamerica.org

Madison County Partnership

The goals of the Madison County Partnership revolve around improving the livelihoods of farmers, craftspeople, and other small businesses. The plan called for projects that promoted existing assets and strong leadership for sustainable economic development. Some of these projects included workshops, speaker series, website development, farm tours and the creation of a local business directory.

Contact/More info: Betty Hurst, HandMade in America, bhurst@handmadeinamerica.org

Home of the Perfect Christmas Tree

The Home of the Perfect Christmas Tree project proved that a community can use cultural assets and history to develop an entrepreneurial approach to economic development. This project, based in Mitchell County, focused on the development and marketing of locally produced products to provide added support to the county’s cultural tourism industry. The project still exists today, with a store located in downtown Spruce Pine, NC, and continues to identify business development opportunities and to market new products created by Mitchell County craft artists.

  • Funders & Partners
  • The Appalachian Regional Commission
  • NC Department of Commerce
  • The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area
  • Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation
  • The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina
  • Golden LEAF Foundation
  • The NC Rural Economic Development Center
  • the Mitchell County Development Foundation
  • Gloria Houston
  • Author of The Home of the Perfect Christmas Tree

Contact/More info: Shirly Hise, www.homeoftheperfectchristmastree.org

The EnergyXchange

The EnergyXchange project demonstrates an innovative and appropriate energy reuse for the Yancey-Mitchell landfill.

Located in Burnsville, the project developed a craft incubator space and greenhouse to cultivate endangered flora while utilizing the landfill gas. We established the EnergyXChange Incubator to support entrepreneurs in starting, managing, and operating new businesses in crafts (primarily glass and clay) and horticulture. The site includes fully equipped studios for glass and clay, a visitor’s center, a hydroponics center, three greenhouses for the horticulture component, and a public craft gallery.

  • Funders & Partners
  • Golden Leaf Foundation
  • Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation
  • SE Regional Biomass Energy Program
  • Carolina Power and Light Foundation
  • Cannon Foundation
  • Community Foundation of Western North Carolina
  • Beattie Foundation; Marion Stedman Covington Foundation
  • Wal-Mart Foundation; Mountain Air Residents Community Fund
  • W.T. Grant Foundation
  • Blue Ridge Resource Conservation and Development Council
  • Mayland Community College
  • Avery County
  • Mitchell County
  • Yancey County
  • NC Cooperative Extension Service
  • NC Division of Energy
  • NC Technological Development Authority
  • NC Department of Commerce
  • US EPA Division of Pollution Prevention
  • US EPA Landfill Methane Outreach Program
  • USDA Rural Development
  • Appalachian Regional Commission
  • US Forest Service

Contact/More info: www.energyxchange.org

HandMade House

The HandMade House at the Ramble represents a unique partnership between HandMade in America and Biltmore Farms, Inc., one of the region’s most respected real estate development firms. The project created a showplace residence that demonstrates the value of integrating the ideas of builders and artists. Over 100 artists from Western North Carolina worked with architects, landscapers, and construction crews to create a model of collaboration that can be replicated throughout the nation.

Contact/More info: Donna Abranches, HandMade House at the Ramble

The Finely Crafted Affordable Home

The goal of this project was to use an arts-based set of strategies to transform the West End/Clingman neighborhood to a strong, vibrant, and engaged community. To create such change, HandMade in America focused on three broad objectives using the arts. We supported the development of new economies in the neighborhood based on the work of local craft artists, recognized and celebrated its unique spirit and history, and revitalized public spaces.

Contact/More info: Betty Hurst, bhurst@handmadeinamerica.org

The Handcrafted Home Renaissance at Mountain Air

The community of Mountain Air, located in Burnsville, NC, hosted the 2007 Handcrafted Home Renaissance, an exposition of handcrafted architectural elements. The expo stemmed from the Handcrafted Architectural Elements Sourcebook. More than fifty craft artists displayed their works in craft booths and in four home furnishing showroom vignettes.

Contact/More info: Jenny Moore, dabranches@handmadeinamerica.org

Center for Craft, Creativity and Design

The Center for Craft, Creativity and Design, now integrated as a part of the University of North Carolina System, was established by HandMade in America in partnership with the University of North Carolina at Asheville, Appalachian State University and Western Carolina University. The purpose of the Center, located in Henderson County, is to incorporate the subject of craft with an emphasis on creativity and design as a valued part of university curricula.

Contact/More info: Stephanie Moore, Executive Director smoore@craftcreativitydesign.org

HandMade Getaways

HandMade Getaways provided travel packages that included overnight accommodations at local Inns or B&B’s, and a craft or agritourism experience in Western North Carolina. The Getaways were meant to serve as small, intimate experiences with many of the packages taking visitors to studios and farms that are not normally be open to visitors. Although this program is not longer active, you may visit our HandMade Trip Planner online to customize your next visit to our region.

  • Funders & Partners
  • Golden LEAF Foundation
  • Local restaurants
  • Bed and breakfasts
  • Craft artists
  • Farms
  • Other business

Guidebooks

To help with this HandMade in America’s tourism efforts, we developed trail and tour guides through initiatives that focus on bonding visitors with craft, people, and place.
The Craft Heritage Trails Guidebook is the definitive guide to art and craft in the mountains of North Carolina. In it you will find open-studios, galleries, craft-related bed & breakfasts, inns and restaurants as well as historic sites throughout the region.
The Farms, Gardens and Countryside Trails Guidebook features gardens, farms, orchards, vineyards, pick-your-own operations, farmer’s markets, restaurants serving local produce, bed and breakfasts with garden areas, and heritage sites. Publications Page

  • Funders & Partners
  • The first edition was funded by a variety of state and local grants
  • The second and third editions were funded by book sales and the North Carolina Community Development Initiative, and various businesses and artists and community members of Western North Carolina

Contact/More info: HandMade in America staff info@handmadeinamerica.org

Economic Impact Study

The report, Economic Impact of the Professional Craft Industry in Western North Carolina, was first undertaken in 1995. That survey reported the economic impact of craft across the region to be $122 million.

The 2008 study focused on the 25 counties comprising Western North Carolina, and measured the total annual economic impact of;

  • craft artists ($86.2 million)
  • craft consumers ($31.5 million)
  • craft retail galleries ($57.7 million)
  • craft schools ($11.8 million)
  • craft non-profit organizations ($4.4 million)
  • craft suppliers and publishers ($15 million)

These findings conclude that the region is well-established as a leading center for craft production and education within the United States and, as such, is both a significant growth industry and a draw for tourists, one of our region’s main sources of revenue.

Contact/More info: HandMade in America info@handmadeinamerica.org