Meet Your Makers: Creativity Thrives in Wilkes County, North Carolina

Meet Your Makers: Creativity Thrives in Wilkes County, North Carolina

“Artists and art supporters made the arts strong in this county.” – Margaret Martine

 

People who work with their hands have always called Appalachia home. They not only worked the land to feed their families; they fed their creative spirit working with the materials at hand. Whether wood felled from forests, clay dug from riverbanks, fibers sheared from sheep, these artists made do with what they could harvest, glean, or gather. For inspiration, they looked to the mountains and their dazzling diversity of plants, animals, and birds.

 

Is it any wonder so many makers call Wilkes County home? With hands on the potter’s wheel, loom, or paintbrush, they make their mark on a new era of creativity. Modern or traditional, imagination thrives in the hills and hollows, on Main Street and mountaintops.

 

“Artists and art supporters made the arts strong in this county,” says artist and fifth generation Wilkes resident Margaret Martine.

 

Take a journey through our galleries, museums, and artists’ studios. You’ll be delighted with what you find.

 

A Focal Point for Fine Art

Begin your explorations in the heart of Wilkes County. Downtown North Wilkesboro represents the old and new aspects of our artistic personality.

 

“Wilkes Art Gallery is the epicenter that brings together local artists to experience, teach, and learn art!” says painter Christie Younger, whose studio is nearby. Housed in a former post office built in 1925, the Gallery’s 10,000 square-foot building holds 3,500 square-feet of exhibit space. “The gallery is something you would expect to see in New York City.  Everything is handled professionally, and the shows are exhibited beautifully,” says Margaret Martine. The front gallery showcases local art; other rooms feature changing exhibits of modern and time-honored art forms, as well as classrooms. “We make the arts accessible to the people of Wilkes County and we’re a good resource for visitors seeking certain types of art or artists,” says Executive Director Ashley Blevins Barton. Don’t miss the gift shop – it’s a thoughtfully curated collection of work by regional artisans. Wilkes Art Gallery, 913 C Street, North Wilkesboro. www.wilkesartgallery.org, 336-667-2841

 

A short stroll away, Talia Espresso serves food with a side of panache in a European style bistro. Enjoy breakfast or lunch in this community coffee house surrounded by the colorful creations of local and regional makers. Talia Espresso, 809 Main Street, North Wilkesboro, www.taliaespresso.com, 336-838-0111

 

Step into Taupe Gallery on 10^th Street, and you’re greeted by the affable owner Jim Lyall and about 75 of North Carolina’s finest talents. Lyall, a Wilkes County native, draws on more than 25 years of graphic and interior design experience to curate his gallery.  Taupe originated from his need to satisfy a discerning interior design clientele. “At the time, I couldn’t find anything but mass-produced art,” Lyall says. Along with co-owner Steve Key, Lyall scoured western North Carolina for artists. Their search led them to studios in small towns, rural landscapes, and city lofts. Taupe Gallery became a place to share their finds. “They live and breathe art and they bring a visually fun, colorful experience to 10^th Street,” says Christie Younger.

 

There’s a style for every taste at Taupe – from bold abstract canvases to whimsical clay sculptures. Viewed from any angle, you’ll find something to admire. Taupe Gallery, 305 10^th Street, North Wilkesboro. www.taupegallery.com 336-990-0148

 

Taupe artist and native North Carolinian Christie Younger works in a 19^th century building nearby. Her nature-themed paintings reveal her background in science and botany studies. Younger’s work appears in galleries throughout the U.S. and in international collections. Her paintings were also featured on HGTV’s Love it or List It.  

 

Wilkes County informs her work in various ways. “I’m fortunate to live where there is room to roam through pastures of wildflowers and old growth woods, beside old barns, up mountains, and along creeks. Walking on land that belonged to my children’s great-great grandparents is inspiring.” While Younger’s highly textural technique is contemporary, she feels her art “creates a deep sense of belonging and nostalgia.”  www.christieyounger.com, 919-621-5303.
 

Before leaving North Wilkesboro, stop by Wilkes County Hardware, a local fixture since the 1940s. You’ll be pleasantly surprised to find handmade goat’s milk soap and locally harvested honey among the nuts, bolts, and chicken feed. It’s easy to appreciate the loving care that goes into creating these items, especially the lustrous wooden bowls hand turned by Keegan Watson. And all of it is easily tucked into a suitcase for gifting when you get home. Wilkes County Hardware, 324 10^th Street, North Wilkesboro. www.wilkescountyhardware.com, 336-838-4632.

 

Gaining Perspective on the Past

To see more of our raw and refined talent, cross the Yadkin River into downtown Wilkesboro. Pause a moment at 101 Main Street and the corner of South Bridge Street. The “Where the Mountains Begin” mural depicts music legend Doc Watson. The Grammy-award winning guitarist spent a great deal of time here. He was a major influence in the “ABC’s” of Wilkes’ musical heritage: Americana, Bluegrass, and Country.

 

Cross the street for a self-guided tour of Wilkes Heritage Museum, located in an impressive 1902 courthouse. “The Museum showcases quilts, pottery, sketches, and paintings by local artisans and craftspeople of yesterday and today,” says Director Jennifer Furr.  She is excited about a new collection of Native American artifacts that will soon enhance existing displays.  “The Early History Room is dedicated to Native American history. We have pottery pieces, projectile points, pipes, and other artifacts.” To see later examples of handwork, visit the Pottery Room. It showcases highly collectible kiln-fired earthenware and stoneware made by the Kennedy family from the early 19^th century to the late 1960s. The Kennedys gathered clay from the bottomlands along the Yadkin and Roaring Rivers. The Industry Room speaks to the heritage and workmanship of North Carolina’s proud manufacturing past. Be sure to visit the Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame and musical instrument exhibit to learn about musical “makers” of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Wilkes Heritage Museum, 100 East Main Street, Wilkesboro. www.wilkesheritagemuseum.com, 336-667-3171.

If you have energy to spare after touring this “mini-Smithsonian”, walk up hilly West Cowles Street to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. (Or make the four-minute drive.) The 19^th century building echoes England’s religious and architectural culture. Step inside to contemplate frescoes depicting moments in the life of St. Paul. Created by North Carolinian Ben Long, the frescoes follow an ancient Italian painting technique Long studied in Italy. His rich hues and powerful images bring the biblical stories to life. View the frescoes on a self-guided tour, Monday through Friday, 8-4, or schedule a docent-led tour by calling 336-667-4231. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church,  200 West Cowles Street, Wilkesboro. www.stpaulwilkesboro.org, 336-667-4231.

Creative Horizons

There’s creativity and originality in our historic downtowns, but don’t miss the rural vistas and mountain views outside of town. Make your way south along Highway 18 to Boomer and Brey Quality Crafts. Betsy Brey spent three decades honing her Appalachian basket making skills before combining bark peeling with basket making. Brey works with cedar, hickory, hemlock, yellow poplar, white oak, and reeds gathered mostly from her property. She also teaches soap making workshops. Brey Quality Crafts, 830 Glenn Carlton Road, Boomer.336-921-2424. Open by appointment. Please call ahead.

 

Drive north again on Boomer Road to Highway 268, then head west to Ferguson and Whippoorwill Village and Academy. The Village’s historic cabins and 1870s family homeplace (and Airbnb) sit peacefully in a pastoral setting. It is owned by Margaret and Dick Martine. Their small Smoke House Gallery showcases painters, sculptors, printmakers, mosaic, and mixed media artists. “I love celebrating other peoples’ talents,” says Margaret Martine. In honor of National Poetry Month every April, she hosts a poetry competition. Former North Carolina Poet Laureate James Larkin, who once attended classes in the Village’s one-room schoolhouse, was a previous speaker. Other events throughout the year highlight blacksmithing, music, hearth cooking, and local crafts. “At our festivals, a board member dresses in period clothing, paints outside, and encourages visitors to add their own touches to a separate painting,” Margaret Martine says. Whippoorwill Village and Academy, 11928 Highway 268 West, Ferguson. www.whippoorwillacademy.com, 336-973-3237, [email protected]. The Village is open the third Saturday of each month, April-October, except Veteran’s Day.

 

From Ferguson, travel east along Highway 268, toward Highway 421 and Wilkesboro. Take Highway 421 west to Highway 16. Head north to Miller’s Creek where Susan Roath painstakingly assembles one-of-a-kind stained-glass designs on her 25-acre property. Realistic and abstract glassworks sparkle throughout her home and studio. “Every window in my house has stained-glass. I keep projects going all the time.” Roath’s early years influenced her passion for art. “As a child, I spent Saturdays with my grandmother in Wilkesboro. I watched her sew and repair things. If you wanted something, you made it. Today, I collect things from the woods to make a basket or stones from the river to incorporate into stained-glass designs.”

 

Location also influences her artistic pursuits. “Wilkes County has weavers, potters, blacksmiths, chair makers, and other artists from all walks of life. My home and my heart are here. My studio is my happy place.” Susan Roath Glassworks, Miller’s Creek, 336-452-1762, [email protected]. Open by appointment only. Please call ahead.

Miller’s Creek is home to another remarkable maker. Lyle Wheeler creates handmade ladderback chairs and spinning wheels using traditional tools and native Appalachian hardwoods. “When Appalachian farmers weren’t farming, they were makers,” Wheeler says. Wheeler learned his craft from venerable wood carver and dulcimer maker Edd Presnell. “Edd was an old-time craftsman, a mountain man who told me things I didn’t even know I needed to know.” Wheeler also draws inspiration from Shaker furniture designs.

 

He purchases logs from local sawmills to fashion the hand-turned chair legs. “I might look at 200 to 300 logs to buy the best material I can. When I look at a log, I’m seeing a chair at the end. When I pick up a tool, I know exactly how I’m going to use it.”

 

Woodworking is in Wheeler’s blood. “My family had a wagon business in the 1920s.” Like his ancestors, Wheeler “puts wood and metal together”. He started blacksmithing about 25 years ago, making architectural hinges, latches, and coat racks.

 

A self-described “working artist”, Wheeler’s studio is open only by appointment for serious commission inquiries. Wheeler’s Chairs, Miller’s Creek, 336-838-2284.

 

At this point in your driving tour, you realize Wilkes is a land of wide-open spaces. Your next stop on the northeastern side of the county is worth the drive for the scenery alone. Sunset Fiberworks nestles comfortably into 300 acres of the picturesque Yadkin Valley near Traphill. The fiber artist is Mary Freas, a jovial woman who spins and weaves works of art in a studio overlooking the Brushy Mountains. Freas’ exquisitely woven shawls, scarves, and linens elevate the Appalachian custom while remaining loyal to its roots. “There’s a sense of connection with the past and satisfaction in providing for yourself. Appalachians were isolated for so long, they had to learn to do for themselves,” Freas says. This isolation preserved folkways that are fast disappearing in other parts of the U.S.

 

Freas says she “married into weaving.” Lucy Morgan, her husband’s aunt, founded North Carolina’s famed Penland School of Craft. Morgan’s loom sits inside Mary Freas’ “Loom House”. An artist in his own right, John Freas built their log house on the same site of his ancestral home, lost to a fire years ago. The blacksmith and beekeeper also crafted a stone fireplace from rocks gathered at a stream on his land, which has been in his family for over 200 years.

 

Would-be weavers can enroll in weekend and week-long workshops taught by Mary Freas and stay in the upstairs guest room. Should the whim to weave strike you at midnight or mid-day, you can settle in at a loom and lose yourself in the ancient craft. “There’s a comfort in the rhythm of weaving. It reflects the rhythm of life,” Mary Freas says. Sunset Fiberworks, Traphill. For more information on spinning and weaving workshops, email [email protected] or call 336-957-2753.

 

Artists’ studios are open by appointment only. Always call before visiting.

 

Additional Resources:

 

Learn more about makers at Blue Ridge Craft Trail.

 

Explore visual and performing arts across the state with the North Carolina Arts Council blog and podcast.

 

Pick up a Barn Quilt Trail map at Wilkes County Tourism, 203 West Main Street, Wilkesboro, or find a map online at explorewilkesboro.com. 336-838-3951, [email protected]

 

Get maps and travel literature at the Northwest North Carolina Visitor Center, 2121 US-421, Wilkesboro.

 

By Nancy Moreland

 

#          #          #