In the early days of Appalachian settlement, isolation from industrial centers meant that handmade tools and objects were essential for daily life. These crafts prioritized function and durability over decoration—objects made to be used, not necessarily admired.
During the Arts and Crafts Movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a national fascination with handmade traditions emerged. Appalachian communities, perceived as untouched by industrialization, were seen as living links to America’s colonial past. This romanticized view created a new market for handicraft—one that valued aesthetics as much as utility.
As a result, two distinct paths of making developed in the region: one remained rooted in utilitarian needs, while the other adapted to outsider expectations, producing objects that looked “traditional” but were designed to appeal to buyers beyond the mountains.
By the late 20th century, the boundary between craft and art began to blur. Craft was no longer just a skill—it became a foundational skill set for fine art practices.
This exhibition uses a selection from Arrowmont’s Permanent Collection to juxtapose utilitarian craft-based objects with contemporary fine art, allowing the viewers to envision the transition from functional craft to market-driven design to contemporary practices where traditional techniques support artistic expression.
Katherine Gemperline holds an MFA in Curatorial Studies from the University of Kentucky and dual BAs in Studio Art with a concentration in Painting and Drawing and Computer Science from Xavier University. She has been at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts as the Kenneth R. Trapp Craft Assistant / Curatorial Fellow since July 2025.
Her curatorial practice invites audiences to question aesthetic norms and their deeper cultural implications. Her current professional work focuses on the aesthetics of craft and art in the Appalachian regions, as the market shifted from functional craft to market-driven design and contemporary practices, where traditional techniques support artistic expression.
Her past work has focused on how different cultures express beauty standards, especially through the grotesque and its ties to moral “rightness.” She curated Beyond Grotesque and Disordered Creatures, exhibitions that explore the grotesque body, abjection, mental and physical health, and the destabilization of gender norms. Katherine’s approach bridges critical theory, visual culture, and artistic practice to interrogate the intersection of beauty and ethics.
