Appalachian Women Entrepreneurs

Appalachian Women Entrepreneurs(AWE) connects Western North Carolina women with one another, with resources(including training and technical assistance)and with markets – for the purpose of creating new and expanded craft-based businesses. AWE is helping women build businesses that provide income and opportunity while delivering valuable goods and services to the local community. The program will be informed by a variety of sources such as global fair trade models and online marketplaces. It includes peer-to-peer learning so that successful artists can share their industry knowledge with emerging artists.
Click here to see more details about AWE

Handmade Curated Exhibits

HIA provides exhibition opportunities for craft artists. Exhibitions create opportunities for craft artists to put professional practices into action while exposing them to a new audience and helping build their artist resumes. HIA hosts quarterly exhibitions at its offices in downtown Asheville, the Beverly-Hanks Real Estate office in South Asheville, the Buncombe County Deeds Office, the I-26 Visitor’s Center at MM 101 and other locations in WNC.
Click here to see more about current and past HandMade curated Exhibits

Craft Labs

HandMade teaches monthly Craft Lab classes on a variety of topics at its offices in Buncombe County, but in 2012 HIA partnered with Blue Ridge National Heritage Area and various WNC arts councils to present these classes in other counties in the region. Artists have expressed frustration that small business courses do not give them the right tools for their specific business. Sample budgets, business plans, marketing materials and more will be reconfigured to reflect the needs of real craft artists in the present economy and current business climate.
Click here to see more details about Craft-Labs