NORTH CAROLINA LIVING TREASURES

From Grandfather Mountain to the North Carolina Coast, artists living their legacy have been honored since 1986 with the North Carolina Living Treasures designation by the Museum of World Cultures. The initiative celebrates the value of artists and their talents, art, and their contribution to education and society. The biannual honor has recognized boatwrights,potters, luthiers, marqueters, blacksmiths, gunsmiths, weavers and glass artisans, to name a few. These artists and craftsmen have demonstrated their talents honed over decades of study and work.

The North Carolina Living Treasures Award is made possible by an endowment from Martin Meyerson, M.D., in memory of his mother Dorothy Meyerson.

The following is a list of previous North Carolina Living Treasures. For more information about a recipient, click on their linked name below.

Julian Guthrie (1987 Recipient), a boatwright from Harker’s Island, NC, has the distinction of being the first artist named a “North Carolina Living Treasure.” In 1930, at the age of twelve, Guthrie built his first sail skiff for his uncle from raw materials found in the maritime forest. Guthrie was owner/operator of a boatbuilding shop, the Hi-Tide, for 35 years. Before his 1985 retirement, he expanded his designs to include trawlers and yachts. His traditional Harker’s Island spritsail was exhibited at the 1987 Marine Expo at the U.S.S. North Carolina. Guthrie is also the creator of the “Red Snapper,” a commercial fishermen’s workboat with enough insulated capacity to remain in continuous operation for a full week. (to list)

Thayer Francis (1988 Recipient), of Spruce Pine, NC, received the Living Treasure award for his marquetry. From his shop, the Thayer House of Marquetry, Francis produced works of art ranging in size from 10”x11” to 26”x20”, with designs including flowers, landscapes such as Grandfather Mountain and Mt. Pisgah, and reproductions of famous paintings. His piece “Tennessee Walking Horse” was displayed at a folk art show at the Smithsonian Institution, and he was named the 1980 Craftsman of the Year at the Village of Yesteryear at the N.C. State Fair. (to list)

Sid Oakley (1989 Recipient) and his wife Pat started Cedar Creek Pottery and Gallery in 1968. Over the past 40 years, this former tobacco farm has grown to a large enterprise with more than ten buildings. Oakley has received awards from his Alma Matter, Campbell University and his work is in the permanent collections of many major museums and popular among private collectors. Sid is both a painter and potter, but is most well known for his glazing techniques. (to list)

Bea Hensley (1990 Recipient) is a master of the blacksmithing demonstration. He has been mastering the art of decorative ironwork for decades. He successfully made the transition from utilitarian to decorative ironwork in the first half of the twentieth century and creates wrought iron wall sconces, railings, fireplace accessories, railings, and chandeliers. He and his son, Mike operate a traditional forge in Spruce Pine, NC and give traveling blacksmithing demonstrations. Bea Hensley is also noted for his hammer music or language, which is made by quickly striking hammers on an anvil. Once common among blacksmiths, the language communicates detailed forging methods and instructions. He received an NC Folk Heritage Award in 1993 and the National Heritage Fellowship Award from the National Endowment of the Arts in 1995.
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Robert and Ruth Rigaus (1991 Recipients) , Greensboro-based husband and wife team of musical instrument builders, are the first married couple to be selected for the Living Treasure award. From their shop, The Stringworks, the Rigauds create unique, hand-crafted guitars, mandolins, banjos, Irish harps, psalteries, violins, and dulcimers. Robert Rigaud attended the Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery in Phoenix, AZ. A member of the Guild of American Luthiers, the Carolina Craftsmen, and the Piedmont Handcrafters, Rigaud has exhibited instruments in numerous festivals and shows and his work has appeared in national magazines. Ruth Ann Rigaud, in addition to designing and building guitars, is a certified activities consultant and works in social services for the elderly.(to list)

Harvey K. Littleton (1993 Recipient)Originally a ceramicist, Harvey K. Littleton began working with glass in the early 1960's. He has been called the founding father of the Studio Glass movement and has earned many awards and honors such as the North Carolina Governor's Award for the Arts, a Lifetime Achievement Award from The Glass Art Society and the James Renwick Alliance Award as Master of the Glass Medium. Harvey, whose skill has been honed through hard work, which he encourages, says there are many "discoveries" in his work but no "secrets." His work can be found in museums around the world. (to list)

Sidney G. Luck (1994 Recipient) received the North Carolina Living Treasure award for his pottery. Owner of the Luck’s Ware pottery shop in Seagrove, NC, Luck is continuing in the tradition established by his grandfather and his father, who began teaching him pottery techniques when Luck was ten years old. A native of Asheboro, NC, Luck holds a BS degree from North Carolina State University, and served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1963-1977. In 1990, Luck left his high school teaching job to devote himself full-time to turning pottery. His artwork is exhibited in private collections and shows throughout the United States.(to list)

Arval J. Woody (1995 Recipient) knows tradition. He is a fifth-generation woodworker and began making chairs after World War II. His chairs are created without nails or clue. The mortises for the chairs are cut with a machine manufactured in 1893 and the chairs are not finished without a hand-rubbed polish. Woody sells his labor-intensive works of art in Woody's Chair Shop, in Spruce Pine, North Carolina. (to list)

Billie Ruth Sudduth (1997 Recipient) is a basket-maker from Bakersville, NC who enjoys sharing her craft with others. A former school psychologist, Suddeth teaches basket-making to math students to further their understanding of mathematical concepts as addition, ratios, fractions, measurement and angles and Fibonacci Numbers. Suddeth has also taught basket-making at the Penland School of Crafts. Her work has been shown at the Smithsonian Institution's Renwick Gallery, the Museum of Decorative Art in Copenhagen, Denmark, and in Wilmington at the exhibit "The Nature Sequence - Baskets of Billie Ruth Sudduth." Suddeth was given an award of merit at the 1997 Smithsonian Craft Show and considers the teaching of basket-making to be an interdisciplinary endeavor. (to list)

Ben Owen (2004 Recipient) is the owner/operator of Ben Owen Pottery in Seagrove, NC, founded in 1959 by his grandfather, master potter Ben Owen, Sr. After apprenticing with his grandfather from 1977 to 1983, Ben III received an assistantship in 1987 to study business and teach pottery at Pfeiffer University. He graduated from East Carolina University with a BFA in ceramics in 1993, and has taught pottery and kiln building workshops at the Penland School of Arts and Crafts, the Hambidge Center, John C. Campbell Folk Art School, and Arrowmont School. Ben III has appeared on Good Morning America and been featured in Smithsonian and Travel Holiday Magazine. His work has been on exhibit in many galleries in North Carolina and the surrounding states, and he has served on the board of directors of the North Carolina Pottery Center.(to list)

Hiroshi Sueyoshi (2006 Recipient) , a native of Tokyo, arrived in the United States in 1971 to help build Humble Mill Pottery in Asheboro, NC. After additional study in Virginia he returned to North Carolina in 1974 to work as a production potter in Seagrove at Seagrove Pottery. Sueyoshi has taught at the Sampson Technical Institute in Sampson County, Wilson Technical Institute in Wilson County and Cape Fear Community College in New Hanover County. He primarily works with porcelain using the Japanese techniques of neriage and nerikomi. Sueyoshi has exhibited his work and won numerous awards in exhibitions across the United States. His work is in private, corporate, and institutional collections including the Renwick Gallery. Sueyoshi is a graduate of Tokyo Aeronautical College and the Ochanomizu Design School in Tokyo. (to list)

Cynthia Bringle (2009 Recipient) , is recognized by potters as among the finest potters and respected teachers in ceramics, and her influence on her field and other potters stretches around the world. Born in 1939 in Memphis, Tenn., she is considered one of the leading people working in her field. She studied both painting and pottery at the Memphis Academy of Art, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts (BFA). She later received her master’s degree (MFA) from Alfred University in New York. Bringle lives in Penland, N.C. and conducts workshops and classes at the Penland School of Crafts, near her home and studio. She also teaches courses and conducts seminars at Arrowmont, Haystack and other institutions. Her work is included in private and public collections around the world, including the Mint Museum of Craft & Design, Charlotte, N.C.; the Burlington Art Centre, Ontario, Canada; the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Ga.; and the states of North Carolina and Tennessee. Her work has been featured in exhibitions and sales exhibits in Japan, Canada, Italy and in states throughout the U.S. (to list)

Norman Schulman (2009 Recipient) , is a master ceramist, coming from a career of more than 50 years of practicing, teaching and leading in his field. He has had more than 30 invitational and solo exhibits and more than 50 group exhibits. Throughout his career as a ceramic artist, he has taught and mentored many potters who have, themselves, become distinguished in the field. Schulman was born in New York City in 1924. He remained in the city and received a diploma from Parsons School of Design before attending New York University, where he earned a bachelor’s (BS) in Art. He received his master in fine arts (MFA) in ceramics from Alfred University, where he held teaching and research fellowships. With that degree in 1958, he changed from design work for an aircraft company to his lifelong career in ceramics, which, in addition to his studio work, included professor and head of ceramics and glass at Rhode Island School of Design and head of Ceramics at Ohio State University. His works are included in many public collections, including the Smithsonian, American Craft Museum, Museum of Art and Design (NY), Mint Museum, Cameron Art Museum and Schein-Joseph International Museum. His works are also included in private collections throughout the U.S. and other countries. An exhibit organized by the Asheville Museum of Art is touring now. (to list)

Richard Ritter (2011 recipient) lives and works in Bakersville, N.C. In 1993 he was one of 70 artists whose work was selected for “The White House Collection of Craft,” a traveling exhibition organized by the Smithsonian Institution. His work is included in many permanent collections including the Asheville Art Museum (Asheville, N.C.) the High Museum of Art (Atlanta, GA) and the Mint Museum of Art (Charlotte, N.C.). http://www.ritterglass.com/ (to list)

Mark Peiser (2011 recipient) lives and works in Penland, N.C. He is a founder of the Glass Art Society, of which he is now a honorary member. He has been involved with the Studio Glass Movement since 1967, and his work is included in many public and private collections worldwide. Mark received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass in 2004, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Glass Art Society in 2010. http://www.markpeiser.com/ (to list)

Penland School of Crafts (2011 special recognition) is a national center for craft education dedicated to helping people live creative lives. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, Penland offers one, two and eight week workshops in books and paper,  clay, drawing, glass, iron, metals, photography, printmaking and letterpress, textiles, and wood. The school also offers artists’ residencies, community collaboration programs, a gallery and information center. http://www.penland.org/ (to list)