at the Omni Grove Park Inn ~ Asheville, North Carolina
This website is still being updated for information on the 2026 National Arts and Crafts Conference.
Please stay tuned for more information.
Arts and Crafts Conference Raises Funds for Hurricane and Fire Victims Relief
Arriving in Asheville just five months after Hurricane Helene devastated much of the surrounding area, attendees at the 38th National Arts and Crafts Conference showed their support for relief agencies still battling to return thousands of people to whatever their “new normal” will be.
Through their spirited bidding at the silent auction organized by the non-profit Arts and Crafts Research Fund, Arts and Crafts collectors raised $5,000 for hurricane relief, as well as another $5,000 for the Pasadena Community Foundation assisting victims of the recent California fires.
In addition, collectors provided another $2,820 for area relief organizations by purchasing special conference posters designed and hand-printed by Andre Chaves.
Individual hurricane relief donations made during the course of the three-day February conference totaled $7,200. That amount was matched by Leigh Ann Hamon and Bruce Johnson, founder of the Arts and Crafts Research Fund.
The total relief amount raised by Arts and Crafts collectors amounted to $27,220.
One of the Asheville recipients of the funds was the Covenant Community Church, which has transformed their property into The Village, which is comprised of nearly 30 donated campers and recreational vehicles. Funds have been used to provide electrical, water, and sewer hook-ups, as well as food and clothing, for displaced families.
“We want to give families that dignity to have their own private space,” Pastor Sam Burleson explained. “We want this to be a true place of healing and not a place where they just experience more chaos, because we’ve all experienced too much.”
The Village is here for the long haul, Burleson added, as he is prepared to house residents for up to two years.
In California, the Pasadena Community Foundation has been serving the communities of Altadena, Pasadena, and Sierra Madre for over 70 years. As an umbrella organization, they have worked closely with both civic and nonprofit leaders during good times and bad to meet the changing needs of their community. PCF launched the Eaton Fire Relief and Recovery Fund on January 8, 2025, to provide flexible support to local nonprofit and community organizations as they respond to the Eaton Fire, and support the needs of Altadena, Pasadena, and Sierra Madre residents.
The non-profit Arts and Crafts Research Fund remains available as a funnel to transfer additional donations to vetted organizations in both Asheville and Pasadena. Donations made to the ACRF can be mailed to Bruce Johnson, 25 Upper Brush Creek Road, Fletcher, NC 28732. Tax deduction letters will be promptly mailed to every donor.
The National Arts and Crafts Conference and Shows schedule will be updated in the fall. Please be on the lookout for an email blast for our first speaker announcements.
Watch a virtual tour of our National Arts & Crafts Antiques Shows and Contemporary Shows.
A Slideshow of the National Arts and Crafts Conference and Shows
Never been to the Grove Park Inn?
The historic Grove Park Inn, now owned by Omni, is a perfect Arts & Crafts destination. Its interiors a tribute to the Arts and Crafts era of design, this Asheville historic hotel attracted the affluent and middle class of the early 20th Century with its reputation as a house of healing and comfort amidst the Blue Ridge Mountains. This tradition continues today as its one of a kind subterranean spa, its gorgeous sunset terrace views, and comforting natural interiors attracts visitors from all over, including many U.S. Presidents.
See the videos above for special virtual tours of the shows. Bruce is your guide (along with our trusty cameraman Bill) as he walks through the 8th floor of the Vanderbilt Wing, presenting the 2022 Antiques and Contemporary Craftsfirms Shows.
If you’d like to hear a special presentation by Bruce on the Antiques of the Grove Park Inn, watch this video below.
The Antiques of
The Grove Park Inn
by National Arts & Crafts Conference Founder Bruce Johnson
A special session offered as part of Arts & Crafts In August
Meanwhile, please add yourself to our free weekly newsletter at www.ArtsAndCraftsCollector.com, for we also make major conference announcements there as well.
Many thanks!
Bruce Johnson, Director Emeritus
Kate Nixon, Director of the National Arts and Crafts Conference
Office phone: (828) 628-1915