Weaverville, North Carolina: Chasing Small-Town Charm

As summer winds down and fall moves in, we’re chasing slow days (and falling leaves) in charming small towns. This month, we visit Weaverville, NC, a quaint destination town just north of Asheville’s bustling River Arts District.

Two beloved art fairs crest the horizon this fall. First, the 17th Annual Art in Autumn Festival unfolds in the center of Weaverville on Sept. 21, 2024. Up next, Weaverville Art Safari Studio Tour (Nov. 2 - 3, 2024) returns as the premiere pilgrimage for both area locals and visiting leaf-peepers—the tour is precisely timed for holiday gift-buying at its finest. Don’t miss Main Street’s Miya Gallery, Magnum Pottery, and the always-popular Well Bred Bakery, all within walking distance of each other.

We recommend visiting Miya Gallery to see jewelry artist Mary Timmer, who forges and fabricates her pearl-encrusted pieces from the gallery’s anterior studio space. “[Miya Gallery] is a must-see when visiting this area,” says Mary, who recommends an afternoon in Weaverville for travelers weary of Asheville’s crowded River Arts District: “Weaverville has become a destination spot, too.” Learn more about Mary and her work in this month’s Q+Art interview.

While you could make the trek to Weaversville solo, consider the benefits of having a trusty (and knowledgeable) guide by your side. ArtsvilleUSA partner Sherry Masters of Art Connections offers customized tours to groups or individuals who want to experience the unique arts scene in and around Asheville. Sherry creates an intimate experience with a curated selection of artists and a customized itinerary where visitors meet their favorite artists and hear the backstories behind their work.

To get you started, we’re offering a snapshot into the work of five Weaverville artists: paper-weaver Patti Quinn Hill, seed bead artist Wendy Ellsworth, ceramicist Catharine Brown; doll-maker Anne Hord-Heatherley, and wood jewelry designer Summer Merritt. Design your trip here, or email Sherry for advice here.

Patti Quinn Hill

Paper-weaver Patti Quinn Hill is always in motion: working, cracking jokes, creating with incredible preciseness. “Basketmaking is meditative, relaxing, and has a rhythm,” says the Weaverville artist, whose brightly colored vessels are world-renowned. Using a pasta cutter to create precise strips, Patti slices through heavy cotton archival paper before weaving her painted baskets. The resulting work suggests something original and fresh, contemporary pieces influenced by Shaker, Nantucket, and Native American influences.

Learn more about Patti Quinn Hill here.

Wendy Ellsworth

Seed-beader Wendy Ellsworth transforms the meditative process of beading into spiritual affirmation. Honoring foundational concepts like rhythm, color, and form, Wendy creates free-form sculptures that unfold as a dialog between herself and the materials. An art school grad, Wendy began beading in a Rocky Mountain cabin without running water or electricity. By the flickering light of kerosene lamps, she brought colorful mandala-esque designs to life, often lacing them into leather handbags. Today, the nationally recognized artist has branched out to beading branches, nature-inspired jewelry, and even humanoid sculptures as high as three feet. Wendy’s book, The Creative Spirit: Finding Your Sacred Center Through the Art of Beadwork, published by SkyLight Paths, explores beading as a spiritual journey of self-discovery.

Learn more about Wendy Ellsworth here.

Catharine Brown

There’s nothing traditional about Catharine Brown’s functional and non-functional work. Inspired by geology, archaeology, mythology, and horticulture, Catharine’s twisted ceramic forms approach an otherworldly dimension. Ikebana containers, lanterns based on the human form but reflective of landscapes inside and out, vessels that appear as mountains or Earth strata, and abstract wall pieces emerge organically. Most of Catharine’s pieces inspire a closer look and even beg to be touched with their moveable parts. Granular minerals create patterns on the porcelain surfaces, while a combination of glazes and stains add color and sheen.

Learn more about Catharine Brown here.

Ann Hord-Heatherley

Doll-maker Ann Hord-Heatherley “walks the walk” on her goat farm in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Here, Anne creates clay and fiber figurines that reflect her interest in the secret lives of 20th-century women. Anne’s family now includes her partner, a menagerie of dogs (a mini Bernedoodle and two maxi white playmates), three cats, eleven goats, and fourteen hens. It’s the goats, whose soft hair flows from Anne’s figurines, that give her dolls an air of authenticity; in the 1800s, doll manufacturers often used goat hair wigs for a more naturalistic appearance. Sculptural in form and collectible over generations, these dolls pay tribute to the strength of women whose contributions to family and community have endured in the Blue Ridge Mountains through the centuries.

Learn more about Ann Hord-Heatherley here.

Summer Merritt

Summer Merritt is one to watch. Her studio, Pride and Archive, showcases the jeweler's evocative wooden jewelry, which seemingly floats without wire or chain. Architectural pieces with clean lines, sleek surfaces, and diamond-sharp edges exude a modern aesthetic. An experienced designer, Summer meticulously shapes her wood by hand to achieve a smooth, high-polished finish, intuitively responding to the wood grain. The end product challenges the perception of wood jewelry as a DIY accessory and showcases its potential as a high-end, artisanal form of wearable art.

Summer and her husband, Mason Cooley, also a woodworker, welcome visitors to their home and studio, designed to reflect their love of contemporary architecture and sculpture.

Learn more about Summer Merritt here.

Louise Glickman’s travelogue series invites ArtsvilleUSA readers to explore art worldwide. Book a private tour with ArtsvilleUSA partner Art Connections to discover top craft artists throughout Asheville and surrounding counties. For more on this story, follow us on Instagram.