Capitalizing on Appalachia’s Arts & Crafts Traditions
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Lynn Jenkins of Valle Crucis, NC demonstrates throwing a pot at the Folk Art Center in Asheville. Photo: Dale Neal, Source: Blue Ridge National Heritage Area website.
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Traditional arts – like pottery, quilts, music and more-- are part of Appalachia’s culture. They are also important to the Region’s economy. In western North Carolina alone, the craft industry generates a $206 million regional economic impact annually. The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area (BRNHA), based in Asheville, North Carolina, is currently hosting a series of listening sessions as part of their ARC-supported effort to develop a network of "craft trails" to promote and brand the area’s arts industry. In addition to the listening sessions, BRNHA will conduct market research and site documentation, as well as develop a web portal and brochure for an initial 75 sites across the 25-county region. Meanwhile, in northern Appalachia, The Tioga County Council on the Arts in New York celebrated the launch of their own Arts and Agriculture Trail, a county-wide, self-guided tour through the area’s finest art studios and farmland. Also developed through support from ARC, the trail will cultivate the growth of the indigenous craft and agritourism industries, connecting businesses to consumers by offering increased visibility to independent, often geographically-isolated artisans in Tioga County. It’s expected to improve 160 small businesses in the county through expanded market access.
Investments like these are part of ARC’s strategic plan to leverage the Region’s natural and cultural assets. Together, they will connect, promote, and increase revenues for independent artists and crafts workers. They will also lead to economic growth for related industries, including food service, hospitality, retail, and outdoor recreation.
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Independent spirit marks entrepreneurship, Charleston Gazette-Mail, Charleston, West Virginia
SPARK Academy awarded ADECA grant, The News Courier, Athens, Alabama
Washington County gets $1.8M grant to extend Halfway Boulevard, Herald-Mail Media, Hagerstown, Maryland
Greenville's Feed & Seed breaks ground, Greenville News, Greenville, South Carolina
Job Renewal in Appalachia, Wall Street Journal
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