History

The Town of Tryon has been home to many residents with artistic abilities and talents. In the 1950's various individuals worked unofficially to offer space in their homes to work on handicrafts or fine arts.

In the winter of 1959 Tryon was hit by a blizzard the likes of which local residents had never experienced in our area before. One local resident, Grace Hall, who had been trapped in her home for three weeks because of the snow, wrote to the local paper, the Tryon Daily Bulletin, to express the need for a local crafts center to instruct and encourage “leisure time” talents for area residents so that, heaven forbid another blizzard, they would have something to do with their time.

This simple letter seemed to engage the community with the idea of a crafts center and letters were written and published for weeks in the local paper promoting this same idea. Finally, in April of 1960, area residents were informed of a meeting in the old Oak Hall Hotel to discuss this very idea and to gauge the community's interest. In addition to compiling an inventory of local talents, in April 1960 some 200 area residents pledged a $1.00 membership fee in support of this fledgling organization which would later be known as Tryon Crafts, Inc.

The various groups of folks who had met in local homes were pulled together to form the beginnings of an arts and crafts coop selling work and teaching classes and featuring guest artist and artisans. A series of articles about this new arts and crafts group appeared in the Asheville Citizen-Times. There was tremendous interest by local residents and businessmen in recapturing Tryon's history as an artist's colony.

Tryon Crafts founding members were made up of influential citizens in the area like architect Carter Brown and Tryon philanthropist Mrs. Violet L. E. Parish-Watson. After operating in the location of The Book Shelf in the old Preston Building, Tryon Crafts took residence in the new Tryon Fine Arts Center in 1969. In 1986, the Tryon Fine Arts Center acquired the building known as Cate-Hall Weaving cottage. The annex known as the Arts Pallet was donated to the center around the same time and pottery and lapidary were added to the curriculum.

In 2004 the organization changed its name to Tryon Arts & Crafts to accurately reflect the group's broad mission. In the summer of 2006 the organization purchased and began renovation of part of the Tryon Middle School. The relocation to this facility, 373 Harmon Field Road, was completed September 2006. The new gallery showcases local and regional art and quality handcrafted products are available in our gift shop. Our facility now houses professional studios in fiber arts, pottery, silver/ jewelry, woodworking, lapidary, and multimedia, along with blacksmithing in our new forge.

Board Members and Staff

Current Officers are Larry Vickery, President, George Matthews, Vice President; Ruby Drew, Secretary; Jerry Pospisil, Treasurer.

Other board members include Jim Mellberg, Kristy Morrow, Cindy Riddle, Rick Viehman, Julie McIntyre, Teresa Settles, Christine Mariotti, Pat Lorenz, and Joe Cooper.. Each officer/board member serves on at least one of the TAC committees. Feel free to share your comments or concerns with any board member.

Staff: Laura Linz, Executive Director, and Diana Jackson, Administrator

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