Fiber Artist Peggy Eckel from Warp7wvr in Leicester during filming for the Blue Ridge Craft Trails
Blue Ridge Craft Trails Spotlight Buncombe County Artist Communities
Grassroots Arts Program Grants Support Fresh Publicity Efforts
These trails build on Western North Carolina’s rich history of craft that goes back thousands of years. “The goal is to increase income for traditional and contemporary artisans, enhance cultural tourism, and improve local economies,” explained Angie Chandler, Executive Director of BRNHA. “We are building on Western North Carolina’s history as a leading center for craft production and education in the United States.”
Today, a visit to the BRNHA website shows the evolution of the Blue Ridge Craft Trails and resources for locals and visitors alike. “Travelers can now access itineraries to get tips on how to round out their experiences with nearby foods, breweries, music, outdoor activities, scenic views, and places to stay,” Chandler shared. The most recent phase of the program has included training sessions and networking events for craft artists, plus partner and visitor newsletters highlighting craft events and opportunities for visitors and artists.
Many counties have participated in marketing partnerships, which include funding for professional videos and images for use on the BRCT website, media coverage and social media campaigns, a customized e-newsletter, and a press release. For the last two years, BRNHA has received funding for these community marketing efforts from ArtsAVL’s Grassroots Arts Program (GAP) grant.
GAP provides programmatic and operating support for nonprofit arts organizations in Buncombe County. ArtsAVL has been administering GAP funds to area arts organizations for over 40 years. This support is made possible by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, with matching support from Buncombe County Government. BRNHA received funds to support their Blue Ridge Craft Trails work in Black Mountain and Leicester in 2022-23 and Weaverville in 2023-24.
The most recent GAP-funded Weaverville Craft Artists project created optimized, closed-captioned video, images, itinerary, and social media campaigns to amplify the Blue Ridge Craft Trails experience in Weaverville. On that trail, potters Rob and Beth Mangum own and operate Mangum Pottery – continuing a creative tradition started by Rob’s parents over forty years ago. Mangum Pottery was featured in last year’s video for the trail of nine creative stops in the area. Beth Mangum, who is also a recent addition to the ArtsAVL Board of Directors, said one of the benefits of the Weaverville video is making these creative stops less intimidating to visitors: “By showing us in our studios, it shows how easy and approachable we are and gives folks a window into our creative community.”
Black Mountain Center for the Arts is a stop on the Black Mountain BRCT. Executive Director Lori Cozzi said the BRCT “definitely brings awareness to visitors about our town and lets folks know we have an art scene here despite our small size.” She shared that one of the biggest struggles – as with most small nonprofits – is funding. “We love that we are able to provide a wide variety of arts experiences to a diverse audience. From plays and concerts, to workshops, classes, special events.etc. BMCA provides accessible programming in all the arts,” she said. “We also work hard to get the word out about all the things we do here and sometimes struggle to fill spots in classes or sell out shows, so effective, affordable marketing is a big challenge.”
This is one thing BRCT hopes to help support for studios, nonprofits, and other arts itinerary stops alike. BRNHA’s Chandler shared, “By promoting the videos across social media and sharing stories in our newsletters and on our website, we draw in an audience outside those artists’ communities…With Blue Ridge Craft Trails, we can help others discover people and places outside of their day-to-day lives, and artists in more rural areas get a chance to shine.”
Magnum spoke about how this project was an extension of the importance of staying connected with shifts in technology around marketing. “Being nimble with these tools isn’t easy,” she said. “But it’s important to do it to stay relevant and grow with your creative work.” These co-marketing efforts also provide valuable promotional tools for local creatives that may not have the resources to produce something similar on their own.
Now that the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area has created itineraries for Leicester, Black Mountain, and Weaverville, they’re aiming to provide similar itineraries for other towns and counties in their 25-county footprint. “It’s essential, however, that we continue to boost areas previously promoted, including rotating information about craft sites throughout the region,” said Chandler. This will include reaching out to communities to promote events, and maintaining the itineraries, destinations, and artists’ profiles. “The project continues to provide visitors with a unique experience of seeing an artist at work in their studio and helps them understand the value of the handmade object.”
ArtsAVL’s next Grassroots Arts Program funding cycle opens August 15, 2024. To view 2024-25 grant guidelines and resources, click here.