About the Directory

Welcome to the Traditional Artist Directory of the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area. In this directory, you can learn about people in the North Carolina mountains who are master practitioners of many of the region's folk traditions. You will find information about musicians, craftspeople, storytellers, dancers, and other artists. You can browse photographs of traditional artists and their work, listen to samples of music and storytelling, and find contact information.

The directory was created to serve three primary purposes:

(1) to provide a resource for event planners and educators who want to include traditional artists in their programs,

(2) to be an educational resource for those wanting to learn more about the region.

(3) to assist traditional artists who are interested in participating in public programs.

In providing descriptive information about artists and regional traditions, the directory introduces readers to the depth and breadth of traditional culture in the North Carolina mountains. It also offers information about services artists can provide, including performances, workshops, and craft demonstrations.

Selection of Artists

Artists are included in the Traditional Artist Directory based on their artistic excellence, authenticity, and significance as practitioners of their respective traditions. In the first phase of the directory's development, a team of researchers from the North Carolina Folklife Institute spent more than a year gathering information and recommendations throughout the region. They held community meetings, interviewed artists, collected work samples, and wrote nominations. All nominations were reviewed by a group of panelists who had expertise in the region's folk culture. Panelists included presenters, scholars, folklorists, and traditional artists. The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area then created this online directory in order to present the selected artists as outstanding representatives of the traditional arts in Western North Carolina.

An Ongoing Project

The artists in this directory are representative of many in the North Carolina mountains. The Traditional Artist Directory will expand to honor additional artists in the future. Research for a second round of artist nominations will begin in the fall of 2007.

Additional Resources

Cherokee Artist Directory
An online directory of artists who are members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Most are willing to travel and present programs on some aspect of traditional Cherokee culture.

HandMade in America Craft Registry
An online directory of artists, galleries, craft resources (schools, organizations, suppliers), and craft events in Western North Carolina.

North Carolina Arts Directory
The North Carolina Arts Council's Arts Directory is an online resource containing information on North Carolina's artists, local arts councils, public art collection, and poet laureate.

North Carolina Touring Artists Directory
The North Carolina Arts Council's online and printed directory of nearly 200 North Carolina literary, performing, and visual artists and arts groups who are available to perform or share their art through the state.

Photo at top of page by Donna Absher. Band: R.G. Absher and Extra Measure. Band members (left to right): Jeff Pardue (fiddle), Randy Gambill (guitar), Billy Gee (bass), R.G. Absher (banjo), and Wes Tuttle (mandolin).