2008 Asheville Visitor Guide - Any Way You Like It - (Page 12) Black Mountain artistic expression If you appreciate items made by hand rather than by machine, you’ve come to the right place. Western North Carolina has long been revered as the birthplace of traditional and contemporary crafts. “Over 4,000 craftspeople live and work in Western North Carolina,” Becky Anderson says. “Consider combining your Asheville vacation with visits to the private studios, shops and galleries of craftspeople. There’s a cluster of them located in Black Mountain, like a string of pearls, ranging from pottery and ironwork to jewelers and wooden musical instruments.” Asheville’s River District and Historic Biltmore Village are other hubs for regional crafts. a real charmer Tucked away in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, just 20 minutes from downtown Asheville, the town of Black Mountain defines the words quaint and charming. The people are friendly, the shopping extraordinary, the restaurants excellent and the locally brewed beer at the Town Pump Tavern is nice and cold. You don’t have to be here very long before you find your pace slowing – seems like there’s plenty of time for sharing an ice-cream cone on one of the many benches or chatting with local residents and merchants. In fact, it would be unusual to spend time here and not engage in conversation with an artisan who made the necklace you’ve admired or who baked the treats your dog is enjoying. Can’t get enough of Black Mountain in a day? Call (800) 669-2301 or visit exploreblackmountain.com for more information. becky anderson As founder of HandMade in America, Becky Anderson travels the country as a consultant for crafts-related cultural and economic development projects. FOR MORE handmadeinamerica.org ashevilledowntowngalleries.org riverdistrictartists.com 12 http://www.exploreasheville.com/what-to-do/activity-details/index.aspx?guid=7b306ba3-0523-4ec8-8aa5-a3485253abc9 http://www.exploreasheville.com/what-to-do/activity-details/index.aspx?guid=7b306ba3-0523-4ec8-8aa5-a3485253abc9 http://handmadeinamerica.org http://ashevilledowntowngalleries.org http://riverdistrictartists.com
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