We hear a lot about the struggles of artists since Hurricane Helene. Matt Peiken stopped by the closing day of the 2026 Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands to check the economic pulses of a random handful of Western North Carolina makers.
Featured crafters in this report are Douglas and Daniel Canivet of Inspirata Vita, emerging weaver Sarah Cortvriend, ceramic artist Melanie Risch, metalworks jeweler Julie Merrill and furniture maker Alex Gray.