A large and very important part of the history of the Great Smoky Mountains is the arts and crafts community. Founded from necessity and maintained by a passion for the craft and visitor demand, the arts and crafts community plays a vital role in the life, success, and culture of the area. Since its inception years ago, the community of handcrafters has greatly expanded, and now there are dozens of shops dedicated to the intricate work that the artists do. You really can’t make a trip to the Great Smoky Mountains without taking a piece of handmade work with you, so here are just a few of the many places you can browse and buy some amazing pieces of art:
POTTERY
Alewine Pottery – 623 Glades Road; Founded in 1983, this functional pottery is made with a strong emphasis on color and leaf impressions. (www.alewinepottery.net)
Buie Pottery – 1360 E. Pkwy Suite 1; Visitors can watch as Buie handcrafts functional and fun pottery for any taste. (www.buiepottery.com)
Smoky Mountain Pottery – 849 Glades Road Suite A1A; Pottery, candles, wood, soap and prints are all available at this Smoky Mountain Arts and Crafts Community shop.
WOODWORKS
Byrnes Woodcrafters – 1402 E. Pkwy Suite 5; This is the place for all things wood! Customers can take home handcrafted cedar and pine chests, carousels, ornaments, key rings, redwood signs, calendars and much more.
Creekside Rustic Furniture – 1456 E. Pkwy; Handcrafted, rustic furniture is made on-site daily by a local craftsman. This is also the home of the Build-A-Bench.
Mountain Woodcarvers and Workshop – 631 Pkwy Suite B1; Woodcarving tools, birdhouses, fireplace mantels and frames are just a few of the many things made and sold at this local shop. Shelia’s Yankee Candles and Boyd Bears are also featured here.
Ownby’s Woodcraft – 704 Glades Road; The Ownby family has been handcrafting amazing wood products since the 1800s. They have wood fruit, stools, rockers, birdhouses, baskets, old-time games and much more.
JEWELRY AND CANDLES
Gemstone – 337 Glades Road Suite 2; Gemstone has a generous selection of 14k and sterling jewelry and gemstones. They also offer jewelry repair, stone setting and watch batteries.
Gabriel’s Horn – 680 Glades Road Suite 8; Here, visitors will find unique pearl and natural stone beaded jewelry, designed and made by Dottie Pickett. They also offer Raku ceramics, original paintings and art quilts.
Deb’s Soy Candles and More– 600 Glades Road Suite 7; Amazing hand-poured soy candles are available here, as well as baskets and apple crafts.
Lorelei Candles– 331 Glades Road; Guests can enjoy watching candles being hand poured by local craftspeople. Traditional and novelty candles are for sale and all guaranteed to travel without melting!