Joe Bruneau

Weaving his love for the Appalachian Mountains into each basket, Joe uses the bittersweet vine, grapevine, wisteria and honeysuckle for his inspiration.

He hand dyes the reed and collects the vine to create each basket's own character. With 25 years of experience, his talent of basket weaving is a study in both color and art.

The Gallery carries his melon and potato baskets in a wide variety o colors and textures. Another favorite is the tiny mini melon baskets.

Stuart Nye

Beginning in 1933 Stuart Nye jewelry became known for the dogwood flower used in pins, earrings and pendants. The jewelry is made entirely by hand - the old fashioned way - using simple homemade tools. Jewelry of finer quality is not available at any price.



A member of the Southern Highlands Handicrafts Guild, the company is still operating and creating hand wrought jewelry in sterling silver, copper or brass.

The Gallery carries a variety of designs including the backward loop earrings. Women love these and say they have never had more comfortable earrings.

Jill Wagoner

Jill creates the patterns on her silk ties and scarves using marbling, a time honored art form thought to have originated in Japan more than one thousand years ago.

First hundreds of drops of paint are floated on the surface of a tray of water. Next, a series of combs are pulled through the water, moving the floating paint into intricate patterns. Finally, a sheet of silk is gently laid on the water, instantly absorbing the unique design. Just like fingerprints, no two marbling prints can ever be the same.

Jill's works are especially prized for their exquisite patterns and superior color compositions.

Sallie Bissell

Though Sallie is the author of four suspense novels set in the North Carolina mountains, she was so intrigued by the history of Grove Park Inn that she wrote this small volume entitled Grove Park Inn, A brief history of Asheville's Most historic Inn.

Full of historical facts, anecdotes and personal details, the booklet is sure to intrigue all who have visited the Grove Park. She has since returned from her brief foray into non-fiction and is busy at work on her next mystery.

Sonja Voss

Sonja Voss, originally from Berlin, Germany, is a self taught jeweler who specializes in mixed metal and lampwork glass fabrication.

For more than 20 years, Sonja has been making lampwork glass. She owned and operated three high end jewelry and clothing stores in Berlin. She has lived, traveled and sold her work extensively in Europe. Being trained by master lampwork glassblowers in Murano, Italy, she was asked to return and teach classes herself. By being the first jeweler to bring back glass beadmaking techniques to Germany, she contributed significantly to the lampwork glass movement in her own country.

For the last 10 years, Sonja has explored old world metalsmithing and fabrication. By employing sandblasing and oxidation on sterling silver and copper, she has created a uniquely contemporary line of jewelry with accents of 18k gold and cultured pearls.

Her jewelry encompasses rings, earrings using lampwork glass beads, plus unique copper geometric shapes and forms in necklaces, earrings and rings. Now an Asheville resident, Sonja's work can be seen at the Gallery of the Mountains.

Rachel Wilder

Since she was a child, Rachel has been fascinated with nature and creating things from small objects. The combination of thees two things is the basis of her jewelry.

Her first exposure to metal work was in high school where she studied metalsmithing and jewelry. Her formal training in metals came from her years at South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities. She followed this with a BFA in sculpture from University of the Arts in Philadelphia and worked under two jewelry artists.

Nature and travel takes many forms in her jewelry - leaves, snowflakes, flowers and tree branches and her travels inspired a new line of quatrefoil pendants and earrings.

Her process involves forming wire, cutting out shapes from sheet metal, soldering, hammering and polishing. To compliment her metal designs, she often includes gemstones or pearls.

Her jewelry is light, sparking and very unique. The Gallery carries her necklaces, earrings and bracelets.

David Koleshis

David creates distinctive furniture and accessories for the home. His use of neutral and muted colors speaks to his desire for the work to blend into the existing rooms of a home. Keeping an eye on trends, David creates pieces that will fit with changing decor. The work blends the use of natural wood with a technique he developed, which is similar to faux finishing.

The design elements that most clearly distinguish his work are the ribbed painted finish and the bird perched atop many of his pieces. The ribbed mirrors have a notch at the top in which the bird is perched. The mirrors, boxes, lamps and frames are finely crafted and will add style and sophistication to the home or office.

He began working with wood early in his life, taking art and wood working classes. But working with wood for a living only came after losing his job as an electronics cable inspector to foreign competition. As part of a retaining program, he was able to go back to school. David chose a professional craft program at Worcester Center for Crafts in Massachusetts where he trained as a furniture designer and builder.This hands on program with knowledgeable instructors enabled David to develop the skills need to create high quality home accessories and furniture.

Gabriel Kline

Born and raised in the hills of Pennsylvania, Gabriel Kline studied pottery in Australia, the Caribbean and Maine before settling in the nationally recognized crafts community of Asheville, NC. You will see him all over Asheville, teaching at the prestigious Odyssey center, walking his 95 pound rescued dog Django or cruising in his custom van "Ludwig Van Beethoven".

Each piece of pottery is handmade by Gabriel from top to bottom. He calls his style "Appalachian Asian" with a nod to the more Asian influence. He loves the blend and it has been well received.

The clay is half porcelain and half white stoneware body and is high fired. The clay body and glaze is lead free. It is microwave and dishwasher safe.

Gabriel explains, "Pleas enjoy my pottery for many years to come...and when you use this cool spearmint colored pottery, think of cool green Asheville. Now that should make you have a great day."