Dogwood Vase

Hilton Pottery Clara Maude Cobb Hilton and E. Auburn Hilton Catawba County, NC 1885–1969 Catawba County, NC Catawba County, NC 1878–1948 Catawba County, NC Dogwood vase, circa 1940 Glazed brown pottery Museum purchase, 2018.23.03

Exhibition Title: Intersections in American Art
Label Date: 11/2019
Type: Object Label
Written by: Whitney Richardson

Craft Schools & Guilds The Craft Revival of Western North Carolina began in earnest in the 1890s (as seen in the Betty S. Calkins Gallery) with the influx of tourism to the area, but it was after the Great Depression began in 1929 that schools and guilds began to train and organize individual makers into cooperatives which brought them financial independence and stability. Organizations like Allanstand Cottage Industries, Biltmore Industries, Brasstown Carvers, Crossnore School, John C. Campbell Folk School, Penland School of Handicrafts, and The Southern Highland Craft Guild offered marketing and selling assistance to local makers. Their success relied greatly on two principles: that the Craft Revival brought national attention and appreciation to the historic crafts of the Appalachian region and that they were teaching a trade that made its worker a living wage. This is likely why many of these organizations still exist today.

Exhibition Title: Intersections in American Art
Label Date: 11/2019
Type: Extended Chat