Conference Schedule
The following schedule contains information pertinent to not only conference attendees, but the following groups of people: Exhibitors, Pre-Conference Workshop attendees, members of the general public shopping the shows, and those attending the special fundraiser events not including the registration fee (i.e. The Craftsman Reception, the Historic Home Tours, and the Asheville Art Museum event.)
If you have any questions about the schedule, please contact the office of the National Arts and Crafts Conference at (828) 628-1915.
If you’d like to view the updated conference brochure including the agenda, click the button below.
Color key for conference categories
Wednesday, February 15th, 2023
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 $179.00 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 16th
Exhibitor First Setup Session
8:00am – 7:00pm
With more than 115 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 the opening of the show.
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 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. To sign up, please call the office of the National Arts and Crafts Conference at (828) 628-1915.
PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOP REGISTRATION NOW OPEN
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.
PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS
Session #1 of 2
Thursday, February 16th
2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Arts & Crafts Embroidery
with Natalie Richards
Coppersmithing: Arts & Crafts Style
with Frank Glapa
Block Print Making Workshop
with Laura Wilder
The Return of the Craftsman Reception
Come see the return of the Craftsman Reception, the annual event hosted by the Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms. Meet, greet, and mingle with Arts and Crafts friends old and new!
Thursday, February 16th
6:00 pm – 8:00pm at the Grove Park Inn’s Skyline room
Click here to register for the Craftsman Reception at the Stickley Museum’s website
Friday, February 17th
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
Small Art Metal Project
with Ron VanOstrand
(One session only on Friday from 8:00am – 11:00am)
Arts & Crafts Embroidery
with Natalie Richards
Coppersmithing: Arts & Crafts Style
with Frank Glapa
Block Print Making Workshop
with Laura Wilder
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.
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.
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.
Details coming soon…
Educational Displays
Open during the Arts and Crafts Shows
Vase by Dorothy England Laughead
“The Women of Weller Pottery”
A display case by the American Art Pottery Association
The orb and cross symbol along with double Rs that represents Roycroft artisans.
“The Evolution of Roycroft”
by the Roycrofters-At-Large Association
Arts and Crafts Demonstrations
2:00 – 6:00pm
“The Lamps of Limbert: For the First Time — Electric!”
The turn of the twentieth century was not only the beginning of the popular interest in Arts & Crafts furniture but also the beginning of the domestic use of electricity in the United States. Because electricity in a home was still largely a curiosity for much of the Arts Crafts period many of the lamps offered were oil lamps, however, Charles Limbert and others did produce some electric lamps of wood. Many of the lamps in his line were hammered copper. David Van Epps returns to the conference to teach attendees about the construction and style of the wooden lamps Limbert made. Each session will include an opportunity for questions and informal discussion.
Photo courtesy of the Hog Hill pottery website.
“Cuerda Seca: Linear Arts and Crafts Ceramic Techniques, Motifs, and Patterns”
with John Post of Hog Hill Pottery
Cuerda Seca is a Spanish term for “dry cord”. This technique features drawings that incorperate dry outlines. The corresponding areas are filled with different colors of glaze. Used by a number of American art pottery firms, the Cuerda Seca technique can be found on several of your favorite vases and ceramic works and yet can be a versatile motif and pattern for the current pottery artist to use on more modern pieces. John Post of Hog Hill Pottery will demonstrate to showgoers and attendees the basics of this technique and how it can be used today.
Friday 4:30pm – 5:30pm
Book Club Discussion
Led by Pat Bartinique
Ragtime
by E.L. Doctorow
This book, published in 1975, takes place in between the turn of the century and the first World War. In 1906 New Rochelle, NY, a car driven by escape artist Harry Houdini swerves into a telephone pole outside the house of a well-to-do American family. Houdini’s incident triggers a series of events that include both fantasy and real-life characters: Henry Ford, Emma Goldman, J.P. Morgan, Evelyn Nesbit, Sigmund Freud, and Emiliano Zapata interact with author E.L. Doctorow’s affluent fictional family of characters. Another character includes a musician from Harlem whose insistence on justice drives him to revolutionary actions amidst the soundtrack of the music of the era: Ragtime.
FRIDAY SEMINARS
OPENING NIGHT
Opening Remarks by Director Kate Nixon
“A confusion which at times is annoying”:
Gustav Stickley and His Imitators
by Dr. Jonathan Clancy
8:10 PM
The Heritage Ballroom
Sammons Wing
“The Arts and Crafts Movement and Modernism in the Gilded Age”
by Ulysses Dietz
9:00 PM
The Heritage Ballroom
Sammons Wing
Saturday, February 18th
SATURDAY SEMINARS
“The Arts and Crafts Movement: Examining the Paper Trail”
by Andre Chaves
9:00 AM
The Heritage Ballroom
Sammons Wing
“A Window In Time:
The Unique Style of Arts and Crafts Textiles”
by Dianne Ayres
10:00 AM
The Heritage Ballroom
Sammons Wing
Arts & Crafts Shows Open
Saturday 12:00 – 6:00pm
Home to 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
Saturday 12:00pm – 6:00pm
(Repeats on Sunday.)
“The Lamps of Limbert: For the First Time — Electric!”
“Cuerda Seca: Linear Arts and Crafts Ceramic Techniques, Motifs, and Patterns”
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.
Historic House Tour
A Fundraiser for the Preservation Society of Asheville & Buncombe County
SAT, FEB 18 1:00-5:00 PM
SUN, FEB 19 1:00-5:00 PM
Tickets are $35.00 each
The Preservation Society of Asheville is pleased to offer a number of unique historic homes for this year’s Arts & Crafts Conference house tour. All proceeds go to the Preservation Society to fund their efforts to protect and preserve Asheville and Buncombe County’s architectural heritage. All of the homes are located in the National Register listed Grove Park, a neighborhood featuring multiple homes that are examples of design principles and construction practices of the early 20th century, including those of the Arts & Crafts movement.
Please see your conference packet you received in the mail for the registration sheet OR call (828) 254-2343
Saturday 2:00pm – 3:00pm
Book Club Discussion
Led by Pat Bartinique
The Octopus: A Story of California
by Frank Norris
Inspired by The Mussel Slough Tragedy, an 1880 dispute over land titles between California settlers and the Southern Pacific Railroad, Frank Norris’ 1901 novel, The Octopus: A California Story, is the first part in his unfinished trilogy, The Epic of Wheat. In this socially and politically charged book, the wheat farmers of California’s San Joaquin Valley in 1880 are forced to defend their way of life and their livelihoods when the Pacific and Southwestern Railroad companies attempt to take possession of the farmers’ lands. The influence of big business is leveraged against the interests of the common man in our second choice for a book club discussion. A novel rich in symbolism and exploring themes of environmental and social justice, The Octopus will reveal an authentic picture of early 20th century California.
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.
Details coming soon…
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.
Behind the Scenes:
Douglas D. Ellington & Richard Sharp Smith
Saturday, Feb. 18th 3:30–5:00pm
The Asheville Art Museum’s architectural drawing collection has more than 4,900 drawings and approximately 2,000 other records and ephemera. Vital componets of the collection include drawings, sketches, watercolors, and more by Asheville’s two most prominant architects: Douglas D. Ellington and Richard Sharp Smith.
Join Museum staff for a Behind The Scenes presentation of works from the architectural drawings Collection and learn more about the ongoing project to keep these important historical documents safe, preserved, and accessible to the public.
Registration is required at ashevilleart.org or call 828.253.3227 x124.
Saturday Night Movie
Unity Temple: Frank Lloyd
Wright’s Modern Masterpiece
8:00pm – 9:30pm
The Heritage Ballroom
This documentary, narrated by actor Brad Pitt, reveals the story of Wright’s first public commission in the early 1900s and the painstaking efforts to restore the 100-year old building back to its original state.
FREE admission for attendees and the general public provided by the non-profit Arts & Crafts Research Fund.
Sunday, February 19th
SUNDAY SEMINARS
“The Prairie School Goes West”
by Allen Hazard
9:00 AM
The Heritage Ballroom
Sammons Wing
“Why William Morris Today?
Art, Craft, and Pursuit of Happiness in the 21st Century”
by Yoshiko Yamamoto
10:00 AM
The Heritage Ballroom
Sammons Wing
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
“The Lamps of Limbert: For the First Time — Electric!”
“Cuerda Seca: Linear Arts and Crafts Ceramic Techniques, Motifs, and Patterns”
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.
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.
Historic House Tour
A Fundraiser for the Preservation Society of Asheville & Buncombe County
The Preservation Society of Asheville is pleased to offer a number of unique historic homes for this year’s Arts & Crafts Conference house tour. All proceeds go to the Preservation Society to fund their efforts to protect and preserve Asheville and Buncombe County’s architectural heritage. All of the homes are located in the National Register listed Grove Park, a neighborhood featuring multiple homes that are examples of design principles and construction practices of the early 20th century, including those of the Arts & Crafts movement.
Details coming soon…
A few members of our diligent and amazing crew standing by the entrance/exit of the Antiques Show ballroom at the Grove Park Inn.
Close of the National Arts and Crafts Conference & Shows
We will promptly close at 4:00 PM
Sign up for the February 2024 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.
