Shaping Craft Heritage Trails in Western North Carolina: Handmade in America

The Setting
The mountains of western North Carolina, besides providing breathtaking scenery, are home to equally breathtaking displays of artistic talent. Artists and craftspersons work in every media: pottery, blown glass, woodworking, weaving and more – some following traditions handed down for generations and some recently relocated here for the inspiration the area provides. But could these artists and craftpersons help improve the area’s severely distressed economy?

What Happened Next
Handmade in America, a nonprofit formed in 1993, designed the concept of a heritage trail which guided visitors to the studios of the artists and craftspeople. The organizations many action steps included:

• Researched the profile of heritage travelers in the region
• Received a three-year organizational development grant and engaged hundreds of citizens in the planning process
• Developed a system of trails and published a guidebook, The Craft Heritage Trails of Western North Carolina
• Developed selection criteria for inclusion on the trails, focusing on high quality
• Provided training to increase business entrepreneurial thinking

Results

• More than 500 sites are included in the guidebook.• Several editions of the guidebook have been printed, with new listings added each time.
• Response cards shows that 94 percent of trail visitors purchase crafts.
• 78 percent of businesses on the trail report increased sales.
• New trails have been created including trails focused on tours of gardens and the countryside.
• Handmade in America has become a national model for innovative cultural heritage tourism development.

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