Appalachian Spring Porch Sale starts March 13

The Appalachian Arts Craft Center in Norris, TN is open year 'round, but semi-annual porch sales draw visitors from all over the East Tennessee area.

NORRIS, TN -- The Appalachian Arts Craft Center in Norris will hold its semi-annual Spring Porch Sale starting Thursday, March 13. The event will run for about two weeks. The Porch Sale, held each Spring and Fall, features marked down stock, seconds, student crafts, and non-juried work by members of the Craft Center. Baked goods will also be available for purchase.

Appalachian Arts began as the Community Craft Center in 1970 in the back room of an old grocery store. It was founded by Grace Foster and Sara Shepard Starr, who had been hired by the federally funded Anderson County Community Action Commission to “to enrich the souls and pocketbooks of low-income people in Anderson County”. In addition to the support received from this branch of Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty, the Center received early assistance from Good Neighbors of Norris, The Tennessee Arts Commission and John Rice Irwin of the Museum of Appalachia. Weaving, quilting, and pottery classes were begun, and a shop was opened. Looms, potters’ wheels, a kiln, quilting frames, and other equipment were obtained. A jury process was developed to ensure high standards of quality.

Today, local people and visitors still gather to share creative ideas and talents, keeping the traditional crafts alive as well as pursuing more contemporary work. The Center has grown to become a highly recognized educational facility and, in 1987, they built a new building across the street from the original country store. There is a shop upstairs and studio space downstairs, and they’ve changed our name. Now called Appalachian Arts Craft Center, the language of their mission statement has also changed with the times. They now “promote the Appalachian Artist through education and sales.”

The Center, a Non-profit 501(c)3, is located in Norris, TN, 16 miles from Knoxville. Take I-75 North to exit 122. Turn right onto Highway 61 and go east about a mile. They are located on the right, across from the Museum of Appalachia. Hours are 10am-6pm Mon-Sat and from 1pm-5pm on Sundays. For more information, please visit www.appalachianarts.net.

Published March 11, 2014