The heart of Shenendoah gives Virginia artists an outlet

By Jan Shepherd,

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Globe Correspondent, 05/26/02

WAYNESBORO, Va. - If Thomas Jefferson were alive today, he undoubtedly would be a patron of the Artisans Center of Virginia. The nation's third president was, after all, a craftsmen, gardener, and builder who appreciated finery, and whose own talent as a designer is reflected in goblets, tumblers, furniture, and curtains created for his famous Charlottesville home Monticello. He would not need to travel far because the Artisans Center is about 30 miles from there.

During a winter wedding trip to Blacksburg, Va., I discovered the gallery after picking up a brochure at a roadside state visitors center. Because the crafts center had Sunday hours, I stopped on the return trip to Boston. An easy detour, the site is in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley - 90 miles from Richmond, 120 from Washington - and only five miles from the region's popular and beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive. For this traveler, nothing beats finding a gallery specializing in contemporary blown glass, pottery, jewelry, furniture, leather, and fiber in an unfamiliar part of the country.

The nonprofit Artisans Center opened its 5,000-square-foot gallery two years ago, converting a former restaurant into a striking space for art. The original Artisans Center of Virginia was formed in 1997 and became the official state craft organization in 1999.

Wonderful natural light streams in and enhances the blown glass at the two large walls of windows. The gallery's spaciousness allows customers to move around without fear of knocking over irreplaceable glass or pottery. Simple open shelving lets the colorful objects stand out. The wide spectrum of crafts is impressive with functional and decorative pottery, basketry, furniture, wood sculpture, clocks, silver and polymer jewelry, quilts, and wall art. The gallery could be nicknamed the Wish Store because of the many objects I wished I could buy.

The gallery carries the work of 150 craftspeople who applied for acceptance. Much of the work is contemporary styling with original interpretations of familar objects using sleek lines, bold colors, and unusual combinations of materials. The contemporary spirit was a pleasant surprise since Virginia can be as tradition-bound as New England.

In a telephone interview, executive director Michael Dowell said: "I love the contemporary work, but I include as many modes of craft as possible. What we want to encourage is the quality of workmanship. We have a quarterly jury system that is rigorous. It begins with a slide jury and then another jury actually looks at the objects. We make the jurying an education system for the artisan by pointing out concerns about the workmanship, and encourage them to apply again if they're rejected."

The gallery maintains a database of about 4,000 artisans who live and work in Virginia who receive periodic invitations to apply to the jury system.

Furniture designer Tim Stewart of Charlottesville has been an exhibitor and member of the center since he was accepted in the first jurying group. He uses sweeping, curving lines for handcrafted quilt racks, clothes valets, tables, tools, lamps, jewelry cabinets, and clocks.

A native Californian, Stewart moved here with his wife, a Virginian. Whether he's making custom work or gallery pieces, he uses domestic woods such as curly maple and cherry and frequently incorporates exotic woods, such as Australian lacewood.

"Contemporary styles are difficult to sell in Virginia, so my best customers are on the East and West coasts. But the Artisans Center is the best outlet for my work in the state," Stewart said, adding that he hopes to improve his bottom line in Virginia. That tradition-bound mentality has worked against him. "I'm still trying to figure out what sells."

Stewart's curves and beautiful finishes make his work easily recognizable, but the furniture and accessories are labeled with his name and location, as are all the objects, along with care information and artists' bios if they're available.

"Of the 150 artists we carry, they cover the entire state," Dowell said. "I'm proud that we're as inclusive as possible."