The landscapes and communities of Western North Carolina have long shaped how artists here work — what materials they reach for, what traditions they carry forward, what they make new.
"Connecting to Place: Blue Ridge Craft Trails Invitational 2026" opens in Thompson Gallery May 16, bringing together twenty regional artists whose work reflects that deep connection to place, material knowledge, and hand skill. The exhibition runs through July 25, with a public reception on June 11 at 5 pm.
Free and open to the public.
323 Franklin Road, Highlands, NC | TheBascom.org
#TheBascom #HighlandsNC #WesternNorthCarolina #BlueRidgeCraftTrails #HighlandsCashiersNC #SupportLocalArtists
A heads-up for visitors next week.
The Will Henry Stevens Bridge will be closed the week of May 18th while a new roof is installed. The Bascom is open during regular hours and accessible via Oak Street. We look forward to seeing you.
#TheBascom #HighlandsNC @visithighlandsnc@visitcashiersnc
If you want to try your hand at a new creative practice this summer, the studio schedule has a range of mediums to explore, with wood carving, still life drawing, monoprinting, bark basketry, and wet-carved concrete among them. Christine Smith leads a full-day power-carving workshop focused on the Red-Tailed Hawk feather, covering three-dimensional carving techniques, surface detailing, and transparent acrylic finishes. Steve Reagan brings still life drawing back to basics across a three-day session in June. Summer Blooms Monoprints with gelli-plate and press printing arrives June 27. Andrew Lee's bark-to-basket workshop in late July offers one of the only opportunities in the region to work with freshly peeled poplar bark while the season allows it. And in the final days of July, Elder Jones of Sandpudding Studio guides a three-day wet-carved concrete workshop, taking participants from material mixing through carving, trimming, and a finished piece.
The Class Edit: May at The Bascom
May and June bring a full stretch of workshops to campus, from John Guernsey's three-day oil and acrylic painting intensive to David Shevlino's alla prima portrait painting, Christine Smith's three-dimensional wood-carving workshop, watercolor sessions at two levels, and a Summer Blooms monoprinting class in June. The 16th Annual Dazzling Dahlia Festival is also introducing a new category this year: photography. Photographers of any age or experience level are invited to submit one work for the juried show.
From Tuber to Trophy: A Dahlia Growers' Talk
Saturday, May 30 | 11 a.m. – noon | The Bascom | Free
Seasoned growers Peggy Boruchow Arnette and Libby Eustis lead a conversation on what it takes to bring a dahlia from planting to peak bloom. The talk covers soil preparation, staking, and the daily details that make the difference — practical guidance for first-time growers and experienced ones alike. Attendees are invited to come with questions.
The talk is free and open to all. The Single Bloom Competition takes place September 10–12 as part of The Bascom's Dazzling Dahlia Festival. TheBascom.org
M. Anna Fariello has spent her career documenting the craft traditions of Appalachia — as a Smithsonian Renwick Fellow, a Fulbright Scholar, and the curator of more than 40 exhibitions focused on American craft. For Connecting to Place: Blue Ridge Craft Trails Invitational 2026, she has selected 20 artists from across Western North Carolina whose work reflects the materials, landscapes, and living traditions of the Blue Ridge.
The exhibition opens in Thompson Gallery May 16 and runs through July 25. Public reception June 11 at 5 pm. Free and open to all.
323 Franklin Road, Highlands, NC | TheBascom.org
#TheBascom #HighlandsNC #WesternNorthCarolina #BlueRidgeCraftTrails #HighlandsCashiersNC #SupportLocalArtists
"I Sing Behind the Plow: A Century of Teaching Craft & Traditional Culture at the John C. Campbell Folk School" opens in Bunzl Gallery May 9, bringing together fifty objects that span blacksmithing, weaving, woodcarving, basketry, pottery, and more — each one connected to an instructor who passed a skill, and a story, to the next generation.
The exhibition runs through August 8, with a public reception on June 11 at 5 pm. | Free and open to the public.
323 Franklin Road, Highlands, NC | TheBascom.org
#TheBascom #HighlandsNC #WesternNorthCarolina #JohnCCampbellFolkSchool #HighlandsCashiersNC
May brings a full range of painting workshops to The Bascom, from portrait painting in oils with Nicholas Thorp and alla prima technique with David Shavlino and perceptual color study with Ben Hamburger. John Guernsey's Look-Think-Paint approach offers a different kind of seeing, and Steve Reagan leads a still life drawing class designed for anyone looking to strengthen foundational skills. For those working in other mediums, Christine Smith's feather carving workshop and sessions with Caryn Raming round out the month. On May 30, a talk — From Tube to Trophy — takes a closer look at the materials and process behind it all. The Summer Exhibition Reception follows on June 11 at 5 pm.
