This morning I announced the results of a new study, the “Economic Impact of the Professional Craft Industry in Western North Carolina.” This report shows that craft has an overall economic contribution of $206.5 million to 25 western North Carolina counties, up from $122 million in 1995. This is impressive for any business model.
The study underscores the pivotal economic benefits of craft, often overlooked as we marvel at the creativity of a basket or weaving, a necklace, or piece of glass that is so beautiful it defies description. Other study findings include:
• There are 130 galleries in Western North Carolina that each do more than $500,000 in annual gross sales each year.
• The greatest concentration of craft education centers in the country is in Western North Carolina.
• The number of artisans in the region has increased 198 percent since 1995.
The “Economic Impact of the Professional Craft Industry in Western North Carolina” is another potent tool that we at the Department of Cultural Resources, and our colleagues who also work in economic development, can use when we talk about the importance of the creative industry in North Carolina. It’s true – craft not only feeds the heart, but it feeds families all across the mountains.
The study was commissioned by Handmade In America, the UNC Center for Craft Creativity and Design, Blue Ridge National Heritage Area, Haywood Community College, Penland School of Crafts, and the University of North Carolina at Asheville. The full report can be viewed at www.craftcreativitydesign.org.
One of the things that makes North Carolina so attractive to people from all walks of life is that authentic cultural experiences abound – from watching a potter work her wheel… to hearing a jam session of mountain music… to exploring a literary trail. We have a rich culture, one that reaches from the Atlantic to the Blue Ridge and, thanks to craft, around the world.