Four WNC organizations are among the first to receive funding through a new $10 million initiative from global art online marketplace Etsy and Asheville-based Center for Craft. The three-year Craft Catalyst Initiative is designed to strengthen local craft economies by investing in organizations helping artists build sustainable careers.

Haywood Community College Professional Crafts Programs, the North Carolina Glass Center, Qualla Arts & Crafts Mutual, and Toe River Arts will each receive $100,000 in unrestricted grants in the program's first round, which distributes $2 million total across 20 organizations in five national craft hubs, including the Bay Area, Eastern Kentucky, Philadelphia, and Santa Fe.

Governor Stein spoke about the importance of supporting WNC's creative industry in Helene recovery. | Photo by AVLtoday

Governor Josh Stein attended the launch event, celebrating the investment as a boost for the region's creative economy to bounce back post-Helene.

Chelsea Mozen, Etsy's Head of Impact & Sustainability and an Asheville resident, said the company's investment was informed in part by its support of the RAD Resilience planning process after the storm. "It was a powerful reminder that creative communities are not built by accident," Mozen said. "They are sustained by relationships, by trusted organizations, and by people who keep showing up for one another."

The four Asheville-area recipients will also join a yearlong cohort with the other awarded organizations, working together to strengthen long-term connections across the country's craft communities.

There are even more exciting developments on the horizon for the Center for Craft, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. In 2028, it will open the Center for Craft Community Library and Archives, combining its own collection with works from the American Craft Council to create the country's largest resource on American craft.