Open Studios

What is the Open Studios Project?

The Open Studios Project is one of CCAC's core programs. Open Studios members are a higher tier of CCAC membership - working artists who maintain studio space at our facility and sell their work directly to the public. For most of them, it's the only dedicated studio and public-facing space available to them in Cherokee County.

Open Studios members report combined weekly sales averaging $2,100, representing approximately $109,000 in direct annual economic activity for Cherokee County residents. On an average week, around 250 visitors engage with the space and the artists in it.

Why It Matters

Affordable, public-facing studio space is hard to find in rural Cherokee County. Open Studios keeps working artists economically connected to their community and brings visitors into the county's creative corridor year-round.

Meet the Artists

The Open Studios currently hosts seven booths:

Room 1

  • Booth 1: Kristin Wilder (jewelry)

    • Kristin Wilder is a jeweler, metalsmith, and educator with over thirty years of hands-on studio practice and extensive experience teaching students of all ages. She has taught at the John C. Campbell Folk School, Cherokee County Arts Council, Spruill Center for the Arts, and youth programs like Next Gem Academy, leading classes in metalsmithing, jewelry design, and creative problem-solving. Kristin’s teaching philosophy centers on accessibility, community, and hands-on learning, helping students gain confidence while exploring traditional metalsmithing techniques and contemporary design approaches.

  • Booth 2: Mountain Potters Network – a collective of functional and decorative ceramicists

    • The Mountain Potters Network is proud to showcase the work of four local potters, each bringing a distinct voice to clay shaped by the spirit of our mountain community. Though they share a love for craftsmanship and the tactile beauty of handmade pottery, their styles and techniques vary in fascinating ways — from whimsical, story-telling forms and expressive surface designs to finely thrown functional ware, richly textured glazes, and nature-inspired sculptural pieces. Together, their work reflects both tradition and innovation, highlighting the versatility of clay as an art form. This display offers visitors a chance to experience how one material, shaped by four creative minds, can result in such wonderfully diverse and personal expressions.

  • Booth 3: Teri Jones – painter working across acrylic, watercolor, collage, and more

    • Teri Jones is a mixed-media artist and educator based in Murphy, North Carolina. A professional artist since 1998, she creates expressive paintings that explore color, texture, and layered surfaces. Jones maintains a working studio at the Cherokee County Arts Council in Murphy, where visitors can view her evolving work and connect with her creative process. She also teaches workshops regionally, including at the John C. Campbell Folk School, inspiring others to explore creativity and personal expression through art.

Room 2

  • Booth 4: The Baerreis Family – art boxes, puzzle boxes, jewelry, fused glass, sculptural layered wood art

    • Phil and Martha Baerreis have been making a living with their woodworking since 1972. Everything they make is their original design, and nothing is stained (they do the boxes, kitchenware, hair forks, barrettes, etc). Elisabeth makes the jewelry, suncatchers, mobiles, and hair baubles. She does a combination of beadwork, fused glass, and wirework. She also paints. Nathan has been a photographer for the last 36 years, and creates the woodmusings from his original sketches using a laser, dremel and X-Acto knife - the pieces on the wall are one of a kind but the magnets and ornaments are repeated designs.

  • Booth 5: Brasstown Woodturners Guild – rotating artists creating turned wood items & more

  • Booth 6: Cindy Owen Adams– mixed media artist creating leather, textile, and wearable art

    • “I have always enjoyed learning new techniques then stretching the boundaries. So when I transitioned from fiber artist to leather craftsman, it was just a matter of time before the two worlds would become intertwined.”

  • Booth 7: Milena Celic – iconography and folk art using traditional techniques