The Artisans
Master woodworkers, carvers, and sculptors rooted in the Appalachian craft tradition — transforming Hurricane Helene–salvaged timber into lasting public art.
Crafted Glory
Master Woodworker
Kwadwo brings deep expertise in traditional and contemporary woodworking to every piece he creates. His commissions for Echoes of the Forest include the Biltmore Forest Town Hall mantel — a centerpiece carved from Helene-salvaged black walnut — and the YMI Cultural Center bench, crafted from an oak log that fell in Swannanoa during Helene and washed downstream to Bee Tree Hardwoods.
Whetstone Woodworks
Chainsaw Carving
Mike is a chainsaw carving artist whose large-scale sculptural work brings character and story to public spaces. His Echoes pieces include Soccer Cub at Cane Creek Park, Mountain Man, and Shelly — each carved from storm-salvaged timber with a level of detail and personality that draws people in.
Appalachian Joinery
Fine Joinery & Woodworking
Chester's work honors traditional Appalachian joinery techniques — precise, intentional, built to last generations. He is among the artisans involved in the collaboration forming at Beacon Park in Swannanoa.
Bowls · Spoons · Utensils · Small Sculpture
Paul carves bowls, spoons, utensils, and small sculptures that blend organic forms with traditional functional design. A former curator and director of the Wharton Esherick Museum in Pennsylvania, Paul brings deep art-historical perspective to his craft. His studio is in Celo, NC, and his work is displayed at Foundation Woodworks Gallery in Asheville and Toe River Arts Galleries in Burnsville and Spruce Pine. Published in Fine Woodworking and part of the Blue Ridge Craft Trails.
Idlewild Furniture Co.
Fine Woodworking
Robert returned to Western North Carolina after a decade of woodworking in Colorado, bringing his skills back to the Appalachian craft tradition his family has practiced for generations. Based in Flat Rock, NC, Robert is among the artisans involved in the collaboration forming at Beacon Park.
Reed Creek Creatives
Woodworking
Tony's craft focuses on functional art pieces that bring the warmth and texture of Appalachian timber into everyday life. His work for Echoes of the Forest includes handcrafted charcuterie boards and serving pieces — craftsmanship you can hold in your hands.
Crafted Glory · Intern
Woodworking
Daniel is learning the craft under the mentorship of Kwadwo Som-Pimpong at Crafted Glory — representing the next generation of Appalachian woodworkers carrying the tradition forward.
Sculptor
Mickey is a sculptor whose work draws from the forms and textures found in the natural world. His contributions to Echoes of the Forest explore the intersection of fine art and the raw beauty of storm-salvaged timber.
Fine Woodworker
Riley is a fine woodworker whose precision and attention to detail elevate every piece. His craftsmanship represents the quiet excellence of the Appalachian woodworking tradition.
Woodworking
Mark created the NC Arboretum bench — one of the earliest Echoes installations and a piece that sits at the intersection of craft and public service, welcoming visitors to one of Western North Carolina's most treasured spaces.
Spoon + Hook
Wooden Wares & Spooncarving
Anneliesse is the founder of Spoon + Hook, creating handcrafted wooden wares rooted in a love for vintage, minimalism, nature, and fine craft. Inspired by family heirlooms and the tradition of storytelling through objects, her work transforms simple forms — a wooden spoon, a kitchen tool — into pieces worth cherishing. She believes handcraft can reconnect us to something purposeful and deeply fulfilling.
Green River Woods
Lumber Sales, Custom Furniture & Woodwork
Matt has been woodworking in Asheville for 20 years, with roots in Vermont and Alaska and a background in framing, trim, and custom cabinetry. He founded Green River Woods in 2008, designing and building custom furniture from logs milled on-site — material that would otherwise be mulched or lost to mass production. GRW has grown into Asheville's largest supplier of 100% local kiln-dried hardwood lumber and live edge slabs. Matt sourced the Helene-felled white oak used to craft the barrels for the Echoes of the Forest Oak Aged Brown Ale with Burial Beer Co.
KERR Woodworking
Custom Furniture
Founded in 2021 by Bryan Kerr, KERR Woodworking creates custom furniture pieces built to stand the test of time — both stylistically and structurally. Their focus is on producing more mindfully, embracing the slow movement, and connecting people with the natural world through beautiful, organic, and well-built pieces that will last a lifetime.
Annie's Woodturning
Woodturning
Annie is a woodturner specializing in miniature replica antiques in 1:12 scale. Her most recent work involves milling local wood to create dioramas in miniature. She also turns full size objects and has provided Helene-ravaged trees a second life as a way of helping in the recovery. She welcomes opportunities to demonstrate and teach woodturning. Her classes can be found at John C. Campbell Folk School and UNC Asheville's STEAM Studio.
Woodturning
Jim's woodworking journey began in the mid '70s, when a lathe became his first power tool purchase. A graduate of Haywood Community College's Production Crafts program, he has built everything from custom furniture to mahogany theremin cases for Moog Music. A longtime pen turner, he crafts kitless bespoke pens and casts his own blanks, and he currently works at the Klingspor woodworking store in Fletcher, NC.
Furniture Maker and Wood Artist
Jacque Allen makes functional furniture that lets the aesthetic character of the wood guide the design process. She studied painting, sculpture, and photography at Columbia College and Eastern Kentucky University, then turned to furniture design and studio furniture construction at Penland School of Crafts, Arrowmont School of Art and Crafts, and John C. Campbell Folk School, going on to graduate from Haywood Community College's Professional Crafts Program for Wood.
She has taught furniture design and construction at Penland School of Crafts, John C. Campbell Folk School, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, UNCA STEAM Studio, and the Ocean Reef Art League, and currently teaches private classes at her studio in Asheville, NC. She also held a three-month fellowship at The Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Rockport, Maine, where she studied woodturning.
Her work has been featured in 500 Cabinets, 500 Chairs, and 500 Tables (Lark Books); "Faculty Selects," juried by educational faculty, in Furniture Studio: The Meaning of Craft, the annual journal of The Furniture Society; the Design Resource Book and Website by HandMade in America, Asheville, NC; Woodcraft Magazine (Vol. 2, No. 11), Gallery Selection, "Mockintosh Chair"; and Mountain Life Magazine's August feature article, "Penland Area Woodworkers."
Orange Claw Hammer Woodworks
Hand-Tool Furniture
Matt is originally from Texas and moved to Asheville in 2024, just a month before Helene hit. Mostly self-taught, he works primarily with hand tools and focuses on vernacular and folk-inspired furniture pieces.
Echoes of the Forest is always looking for skilled artisans to join our growing roster. If you work with wood and want to be part of something that matters — we'd love to hear from you.
Get in Touch