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The Southern Highland Craft Guild�s Director Emeritus Robert W. Gray passed away peacefully at St. Joseph�s Hospital Thursday evening. He was ninety-one years old. He is best known in the Asheville area as the Executive Director of the Southern Highland Craft Guild who conceptualized and brought to fruition the building of the Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway twenty-seven years ago. The profile of his many accomplishments details the life of a man of vision and determination who inspired, influenced and mentored subsequent generations in their creative and professional pursuits.
Born in Tallahassee, Florida in 1916, Mr. Gray received a degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Florida in 1943. He served as a Technical Sergeant in the US Marine Corps 1942-46, and then went on to complete a second degree from the School for American Craftsmen in 1949. It was during this time that Gray began to assert himself as a leader in the field of craft. He quickly rose from the position of Shop Manager to Program Coordinator at Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts. Within two years, he was Director at Worcester Center for Crafts. He held this title for ten years before moving to the mountains of Western North Carolina. In 1961, Gray became Director of the Southern Highland Craft Guild. His leadership enabled the organization to experience its greatest period of growth. Gray was key in creating the Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway, through the development of partnerships with entities such as the Appalachian Regional Commission, the state of North Carolina, and the National Park Service. Today this center attracts over 250,000 visitors annually and markets the works of over 300 regional artists. A respected consultant and mentor, Gray generously shared his expertise and insight with individual artists as well as local, state, and national organizations. He worked with Handmade in America, Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual, the Asheville Civic Arts Council, and the North Carolina Arts Council. On a national level, he worked with the American Crafts Council; Handweavers Guild of America; the United States Department of Education, Agriculture and State; Aid to Artisans; and the National Endowment for the Arts. Executive Director for the Southern Highland Craft Guild from 1961-1980, and later was given the lifetime title of Director Emeritus. He received the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from the organization in 1985.
Robert Gray dedicated himself to promoting the culture and craft tradition of Western North Carolina since he arrived here forty-six years ago. In 1998, for his pivotal role in making Western North Carolina a nationally and internationally renowned center for crafts, Robert Gray was presented with the highest honor the state bestows, the North Carolina Award in Fine Arts. That same year, the Southern Highland Craft Guild honored him by christening their research library as the Robert W. Gray Library Collection. In an interview to the Asheville Citizen-Times, Mr. Gray stressed that any recognitions he accumulated must be shared with his wife, Verdelle. � �If I hadn�t married Verdelle, I never would have gotten involved in the crafts world,� says Bob. �This has been a partnership from the start. So when someone says I got the Folk Art Center established here, I correct them, saying we,� he looks toward Verdelle, seated nearby, �we got it established here.� � Mr. Gray considered the creation of the Folk Art Center his crowning accomplishment. A tireless advocate for the crafts movement, Gray was instrumental in promoting this traditional and evolving art form. Even in retirement, he and his wife Verdelle continued to work with the Guild and other organizations, promoting Western North Carolina and Appalachian crafts. A gathering in honor of the life of Robert W. Gray and all his accomplishments will be held at the Folk Art Center, Milepost 382 Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville, NC on Saturday, August 18th from 4:00-5:00pm. All are welcome. (Images provided by CraftGuild.org.)
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In addition to his work at the Guild, he established a strong record for promoting tourism in the community at large. In the mid 70�s he served as an advisor to the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce and as President of the Asheville Tourism Association. His many honors include being named an American Craft Council Honorary Fellow, and the Distinguished Service Award from the Asheville Tourism Association.
