Conference Schedule
Wednesday, February 14th, 2024
Pipe & Drape and Table Setup
8:00am – 8:00pm
This is an early arrival day for many of the exhibitors and attendees. If you have never had the opportunity to explore funky downtown Asheville, tour the famous 1895 Biltmore House and Estate, taste our award-winning craft breweries, drive the winding Blue Ridge Parkway, walk our Arts and Crafts neighborhoods, or soak in the world-class Omni Grove Park Inn Spa, you should consider coming early and making this a real vacation.
The Omni Grove Park Inn is again extending a special Arts and Crafts Conference discounted rate of $189.00 per night for unlimited nights before and after the Friday and Saturday nights Weekend Conference Package, so take advantage of this once-a-year opportunity to stay at the country’s most famous Arts and Crafts resort hotel. See our registration page for details.
Thursday, February 15th
Exhibitor First Setup Session
8:00am – 7:00pm
With three shows’ worth of exhibitors — including antiques dealers, contemporary craftsfirms, magazines, non-profits, historic sites, and book publishers — it takes nearly two days to get every truck and van unloaded and every booth filled to the brim with the best the Arts and Crafts movement has to offer. But by 1:00pm on Friday, they will all be ready for you.
Pre-Conference Workshops
Session One: Thursday, February 17th from 2:00pm to 5:00pm
Session Two: Friday, February 18th from 8:00am to 11:00am
Each year we offer a series of 2-part, hands-on workshops for those of you who have arrived early. These are limited in size and the classes fill up quickly. Pre-Conference Workshops are not included in the Conference Events Pass registration fee and require a separate sign up process.
PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOP REGISTRATION NOW OPEN
- White Line Printmaking: A New Take on Printmaking by John C. Campbell Folk School instructor Gay Bryant – $225.00 per student
- Creating a Hand-Hammered Cylinder Vase with Master Roycroft Renaissance Artisan Ron VanOstrand – $225.00 per student
- Coppersmithing: Arts & Crafts Style with Master Roycroft Renaissance Artisan Frank Glapa – $225.00 per student
- Arts & Crafts Embroidery with Master Roycroft Renaissance Artisan Natalie Richards – $225.00 per student
Please call the office of the National Arts and Crafts Conference at (828) 628-1915 to sign up for the workshop of your choice. Have the names of the registrants and a credit card ready.
It’s the return of the Craftsman Reception!
Thursday, February 15th
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
The Skyline Room at the Grove Park Inn (Sammons Wing)
Celebrating its 35th year, The Craftsman Reception, held by the Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms on the Thursday evening before the conference, is the place to be for catching up with old and new friends while enjoying small plates, wine and beer and seeing a special presentation on the newest updates on Craftsman Farms, Gustav Stickley’s own utopia.
Friday, February 16th
Exhibitor Final Setup Session
8:00am – 1:00pm
While you are enjoying breakfast, attending a hands-on workshop, exploring Asheville, or sitting in on a Small Group Discussion, our exhibitors will be putting the finishing touches on their booths in anticipation of the 1:00pm opening.
PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOP
Session #2 8:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Walking Tours of the Historic Grove Park Inn
Hourly Friday: 9:00am – 4:00pm
Join a GPI historian for an informative 45-minute walking tour that will take you to places you might not have found on your own, and will provide you with fascintaing stories about the famous — and infamous — guests, from Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald to presidents from FDR to Obama. A tour not to be missed!
Walking Tours of the Historic Biltmore Industries
Friday 10:00 – 11:00am
(Repeats on Saturday and Sunday.)
No, not the 1895 Biltmore House, but the 1905 Biltmore Industries, which George and Edith Vanderbilt supported. Founded in 1905, Biltmore Industries was one of the longest lasting Arts and Crafts cottage industries, making and carving furniture, bowls, bookends, trays, picture frames, and much more. In 1917 the workshops were moved onto the grounds of the Grove Park Inn, where the Arts and Crafts buildings have been restored as a museum, gallery, cafe, and artisan studios. Step back in time on one of these daily one-hour tours.
Small Group Discussions: Session #1
Friday 11:00am – Noon
One of the most popular aspects of the conference are our daily Small Group Discussions. Here you will have a chance to select a topic to sit down and discuss with other attendees. No advance registration is necessary. These discussions are lead by volunteer attendees. Come ready to listen and to ask questions.
All Three Selling Shows Open
Friday 1:00 – 6:00pm
This will be your first opportunity to see and add to your collection some of the finest antiques and new works in the Arts and Crafts style. Our exhibitors save their best pieces for this weekend, so take advantage of this once-a-year opportunity. A live list of exhibitors is included here.
Silent Auction: First Session
Friday 1:00 – 6:00pm
Known as the largest and finest Arts and Crafts silent auction, this two-day event serves as a fund-raiser for the non-profit Arts and Crafts Research Fund. The ACRF funds research trips and expenses associated with new studies on the movement and its revival. Have something to donate for a tax deduction? Contact us using this form.
Educational Displays
Open during show hours
“Peters & Reed Pottery featuring the collection of Linda Brouwer Carrigan”
A display case by the American Art Pottery Association
“From Hillside to Smithfield… From Folk to Fine Art”
A display case sponsored by Uncommon Artifacts LLC
Arts and Crafts Demonstrations
2:00 – 6:00pm
(Repeat on Saturday and Sunday.)
“The Ebonizing Process”
by David Van Epps
Several of the Arts & Crafts masters incorporated inlaid decoration in their furniture production presumably to bolster sales. In 1915 Charles Limbert introduced his “Ebon-Oak” line; pieces of his normal line trimmed with simple but elegant rectilinear inlays. The name notwithstanding, the “ebony” inlays are not ebony, but ebonized black walnut. In these sessions the process of ebonizing other woods to look like ebony will be demonstrated.
David has been a collector and builder of Arts & Crafts style furniture for more than 50 years researching the history, construction techniques and design elements of the period with special emphasis on his particular passion, the “Holland Dutch Arts & Crafts” furniture of Charles Limbert. There will be time for your questions and informal discussion at each session.
“’Transforming visual ideas into art:’
Nawal Motawi’s design thinking process”
by Nawal Motawi of Motawi Tileworks
Nawal Motawi will show and discuss her thinking process as she creates an art tile design, including how she uses Elements and Principles of Design as taught by her first art teacher.
She will also talk about the aesthetic choices she makes about installation projects.
Conference Book Club Discussion
Friday 4:30pm – 5:30pm
Led by Pat Bartinique
The Leavenworth Case
by Anna Katharine Green
Before Charles Rohlfs made his living as a furniture maker, his wife author Anna Katharine Green enjoyed her own success and for good reason: she was a very good writer, inspiring future authors Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie. Published in 1878, The Leavenworth Case tells the gripping story of a death in New York City society with twists, turns, a possible lady killer, and the introduction of the first American series detective — Ebenezer Gryce. The Leavenworth Case was an instant bestseller and is considered Green’s best book – the first full length detective story ever written by a woman and the story was turned into a play with her husband Charles starring as Harwell! This story of love, greed, sacrifice, and betrayal has nearly been forgotten, but we are bringing it back into the spotlight as our first mystery book selection.
Peter Copeland of Turn of the Century Edition has been kind enough to extend a 25% discount on the book! Click the link below to buy it.
Click here to buy the book at a discounted price from Turn of the Century Editions!
FRIDAY SEMINARS
The Heritage Ballroom, Sammons Wing of the Grove Park Inn
OPENING NIGHT
8:00 – 8:10pm
Opening Remarks by Conference Director Kate Nixon
8:10 – 9:00pm
“Hist-Ohr-y: The Last Chapter of George Ohr and a New Beginning”
by David Rago
9:00 – 9:50pm
“Stickley’s Craftsman Homes and the People Who Built Them”
by Ray Stubblebine
Saturday, February 17th
SATURDAY SEMINARS
The Heritage Ballroom, Sammons Wing of the Grove Park Inn
9:00am – 10:00am
“Partners in Beauty:
The Boys, The Art, and The Joy of Cathedral Oaks”
by Dr. Richard Mohr
10:00am – 11:00am
“Masterpieces of Simple Design:
The Furniture of the Two Red Roses Collection”
by Andrea Morgan, Director of Collections at the Museum of the American Arts & Crafts Movement
Arts and Crafts Demonstrations
Saturday during show hours
(Repeats on Sunday.)
“The Ebonizing Process”
by David Van Epps
“’Transforming visual ideas into art:’ Nawal Motawi’s design thinking process”
by Nawal Motawi of Motawi Tileworks
The Arts & Crafts Historic House Tour
A Fundraiser for the Preservation Society of Asheville & Buncombe County
2024 Theme: The Historic Montford Neighborhood
Saturday 1:00 – 5:00pm
last bus will leave at 3:30
(Repeats on Sunday.)
This year, the Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe County is pleased to offer four or more unique historic homes for the Historic Home Tour. The homes on the tour are located in the historic Montford Neighborhood. Planning for the Montford Neighborhood we know today began in 1889 as Asheville’s first electric streetcar suburb by the Asheville Loan, Construction and Improvement Company. Development proceeded slowly until business tycoon George W. Pack took over the enterprise. The sprawling and irregularly shaped residential neighborhood grew to include a collection of houses representing a variety of architectural styles from the early twentieth century, which are included on this tour.
Silent Auction: Second and Final Session
Saturday 12:00pm – 6:00pm
Known as the largest and finest Arts and Crafts silent auction, this two-day event serves as a fund-raiser for the non-profit Arts and Crafts Research Fund. Have something to donate for a tax deduction? Contact us using the form below.
Saturday 2:00pm – 3:00pm
Book Club Discussion
Led by Pat Bartinique
The Personal Librarian
by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray
In her twenties, Belle da Costa Greene is hired by J. P. Morgan to curate a collection of rare manuscripts, books, and artwork for his newly built Pierpont Morgan Library. Belle becomes a fixture in New York City society and one of the most powerful people in the art and book world, known for her impeccable taste and shrewd negotiating for critical works as she helps create a world-class collection.
But Belle has a secret, one she must protect at all costs. She was born not Belle da Costa Greene but Belle Marion Greener. She is the daughter of Richard Greener, the first Black graduate of Harvard and a well-known advocate for equality. Belle’s complexion isn’t dark because of her alleged Portuguese heritage that lets her pass as white—her complexion is dark because she is African American.
The Personal Librarian tells the story of an extraordinary woman, famous for her intellect, style, and wit, and shares the lengths she must go to—for the protection of her family and her legacy—to preserve her carefully crafted white identity in the racist world in which she lives.
Buy this book at your local bookstore or wherever you purchase books.
Saturday, Feb. 17th 3:00pm – 4:00pm
“A New Approach to the Art of A&C”
with Mike McCue
A lot has been said and published that is confusing about Art during the A&C. To cut through the gibberish, join Mike McCue for a behind-the-scenes program and view rare and unique artworks from the Museum’s Collection. McCue’s approach to the “A” in Arts & Crafts will help you understand what actually was happening during that fascinating era in America.
Walking Tours of the Historic Biltmore Industries
Saturday 3:00pm – 4:00pm
(Repeats Sunday.)
Founded in 1905 and supported by George and Edith Vanderbilt, Biltmore Industries was one of the longest lasting Arts and Crafts cottage industries, making and carving furniture, bowls, bookends, trays, picture frames, and more. In 1917, the workshops were moved onto the grounds of the Grove Park Inn, where the Arts and Crafts buildings have been restored as a museum, gallery, cafe, and artisan studios. Step back in time on one of these daily one-hour tours.
Small Group Discussions: Session #2
Saturday 4:30pm – 5:30pm
One of the most popular aspects of the conference are our daily Small Group Discussions. Here you will have a chance to select a topic to sit down and discuss with other attendees. No advance registration is necessary. These discussions are lead by volunteer attendees. Come ready to listen and to ask questions.
Saturday Night Movie
8:00pm – 9:30pm
“Tom Killion’s Journey to Hokusai”
with a special pre-movie presentation by Patti Bourgeois
“Hokusai’s Oeuvre”
by Patti Bourgeois of Japanese Woodblock Prints Gallery
Patti Bourgeois will discuss Hokusai’s ‘Manga (first coined by Hokusai to describe his sketches) because he began sketching at an early age and his ‘oeuvre’ clearly developed from his manga sketches, which consumed his days and nights most all of his life…he was always striving to be a great artist…stating near the end of his life ‘…if heaven would grant me ten more years, I shall become a real painter.’
Tom Killion in Kyoto, Japan.
Tom Killion practices the hand carved woodblock printmaking process while filmmaker Chikaru Motomura films him.
“Tom Killion’s Journey to Hokusai”
Journey to Hokusai is a feature-length documentary that follows the creative journey of woodblock print artist Tom Killion, a California landscape printer following the steps of Japanese artist Hokusai in making his landscape art inspired by the Golden State. After using a printing press, Tom travels to Kyoto, Japan to learn the traditional method of printing by hand with watercolor ink by Kenji Takenaka, a fifth-generation master printer. Tom discovers the history of printmaking and follows in the footprints of a master to where he spent his final days, connecting the two artists in two different eras.
Free admission provided by the non-profit Arts & Crafts Research Fund.
Sunday, February 18th
SUNDAY SEMINARS
9:00am – 10:00am
“The Butterfly Effect:
Adelaide Alsop Robineau’s Empowering Effects on the World of Ceramics and Beyond”
by Garth Johnson
10:00am – 11:00am
“Homespun Heroines: Eleanor Vance, Charlotte Yale, and the Biltmore Industries Legacy”
by Conference Founder Bruce Johnson
All Three Selling Shows Open For Final Day
Sunday 11:00om – 4:00pm
Our annual Arts & Crafts Shows will have its final day on Sunday from 11am to 4pm. Once again, don’t miss this opportunity to see and add to your collection some of the finest antiques and new works in the Arts and Crafts style. Our exhibitors save their best pieces for this weekend, so take advantage of this once-a-year opportunity.
Arts and Crafts Demonstrations
Sunday 11:00am – 4:00pm
Small Group Discussions: Session #3
Sunday 12:30pm – 1:30pm
One of the most popular aspects of the conference are our daily Small Group Discussions. Here you will have a chance to select a topic to sit down and discuss with other attendees. No advance registration is necessary. These discussions are lead by volunteer attendees.
Historic House Tour
A Fundraiser for the Preservation Society of Asheville & Buncombe County
Saturday 1:00 – 5:00pm
last bus will leave at 3:30
Walking Tours of the Historic Biltmore Industries
Sunday 1:00pm – 2:00pm
No, not the 1895 Biltmore House, but the 1905 Biltmore Industries on the grounds of the Grove Park Inn, which George and Edith Vanderbilt supported. Founded in 1905, Biltmore Industries was one of the longest lasting Arts and Crafts cottage industries, making and carving furniture, bowls, bookends, trays, picture frames, and much more. In 1917 the workshops were moved onto the grounds of the Grove Park Inn, where the Arts and Crafts buildings have been restored as a museum, gallery, cafe, and artisan studios. Step back in time on one of these daily one-hour tours.
Close of the National Arts and Crafts Conference & Shows
We will promptly close at 4:00 PM
Sign up for the February 2023 conference if you have a favorite room! You can make reservations over the phone or with the Grove Park Inn staff while you’re here! In the meantime, our shows will immediately close at 4:00pm and exhibitors will begin the long process of teardown, so it’s important that all customers vacate the halls by 4:00 pm. We thank you for your understanding in this matter.