Piedmont Craftsmen

What Piedmont Craftsmen does

Piedmont Craftsmen is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) fine craft guild founded in 1963 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The organization operates as a juried guild of more than 365 exhibiting craft artists across ten media categories including clay, fiber, glass, jewelry, metal, wood, mixed media, works on paper, and leather. It runs a physical gallery and shop at 601 North Trade Street (purchased in 2002, relocated in 2003, mortgage retired by 2007), an annual Craft Fair held each November at the Benton Convention Center since 1991, monthly rotating exhibitions including an Artist of the Month program, and educational outreach through the Living Craft: Crafting Life program serving over 1,200 K-12 students annually and the Artist 2 Artist video series on YouTube.

The organization uses no proprietary technology platform; its technical stack consists of the piedmontcraftsmen.shop e-commerce storefront, the ZAPPLICATION online jury system adopted in 2007, and standard content/social media channels (website, Instagram, YouTube, Flickr). A two-phase jury process evaluates prospective members on skill, professionalism, quality, and originality before granting lifetime-membership-eligible Exhibiting Member status.

Revenue is generated through five streams: gallery consignment sales on a fixed 60/40 split (60% to artist, 40% retained), annual Fair booth fees, recurring Exhibiting Member annual dues, referral and special-order commissions (10%–30%), and donations/grants. The organization has been a Funded Partner of the Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County since 1987 and receives program-specific support such as the Wells Fargo Arts In Education grant. The 9-person staff is led by President & CEO B. Jane Doub (since 2005).

Name

Piedmont Craftsmen

Legal name

Piedmont Craftsmen, Inc.

Website

https://piedmontcraftsmen.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Piedmont Craftsmen is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) fine craft guild founded in 1963 in Winston-Salem, NC, operating a gallery, online shop, annual Craft Fair, and education programs for 365+ juried member artists and individual collectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fine Craft Gallery and Guild Services

NAICS

Art Dealers (459920)

akta.pro primary industry

General Arts & Crafts Supplies Retail (CRALACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Crafts & Maker Arts (Ceramics, Textiles, Jewelry, Mixed Media) (EDAMAAAD)

Keywords

• Fine craft gallery
• Artisan membership guild
• Annual craft fair
• Craft education programs
• Handmade art consignment

Headquarters

HQ city

Winston Salem

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Gallery/Shop Consignment Sales: Piedmont Craftsmen operates a physical gallery and online shop where exhibiting members' work is sold on consignment. The standard consignment split is 60% to the artist and 40% to the organization (60/40 split). The split is non-negotiable. Commission is paid on the 15th of the month after the sale is made. A 5% markup is added to the retail price to cover shop supplies.
2. Annual Craft Fair Sales: The annual Piedmont Craftsmen Fair, held each November at the Benton Convention Center in Winston-Salem, is a major revenue driver. Over 100 artisans from across the U.S. participate. Booth fees are charged to artists, and the fair attracts large crowds for holiday shopping.
3. Exhibiting Member Annual Dues: Exhibiting members pay annual dues to maintain their membership. New members selected through the jury process become Provisional Members and then Exhibiting Members who may retain membership for life by paying annual dues.
4. Referral and Special Order Commissions: For referrals where Piedmont Craftsmen introduces a customer to an artist for direct transaction, the artist pays 10% of the retail price to Piedmont Craftsmen. For special orders arranged by Piedmont Craftsmen where payment runs through the gallery, the commission can be up to 30% of retail.
5. Donations and Grants: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Piedmont Craftsmen receives charitable donations from individuals and organizations. The organization was a Funded Partner of the Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County since 1987. Grants such as the Wells Fargo Arts In Education grant fund educational programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Piedmont Craftsmen operates a juried fine craft guild that curates and sells handmade work by 365+ exhibiting member artists through a downtown Winston-Salem gallery, an online shop, and an annual November craft fair, while delivering K-12 fine craft education programs (Living Craft: Crafting Life) and community programming. The guild gates membership through a two-phase jury process and operates on a consignment basis (60% to artist, 40% to the organization) across clay, fiber, glass, jewelry, metal, wood, mixed media, works on paper, and leather media.

Product overview

Piedmont Craftsmen is a non-profit 501(c)(3) arts organization and guild founded in 1963 that promotes fine craft and supports crafts artists. The organization operates as a unified portfolio of interconnected programs: the Gallery and Online Shop serve as the primary retail venues where exhibiting members sell their handmade works; the Annual Craft Fair provides a major annual marketplace for artists; the Exhibiting Artist Membership program with juried acceptance serves as the foundation of the guild; and educational initiatives including Living Craft and Artist 2 Artist extend the organization's mission. The Gallery features rotating monthly exhibitions including Artist of the Month showcases, while the Sherpa Awards recognize volunteer contributions. The organization champions fine craft across traditional and contemporary media including clay, wood, glass, fiber, jewelry, metal, mixed media, and works on paper.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Piedmont Craftsmen Gallery Physical gallery and shop at 601 North Trade Street, Winston-Salem, NC, featuring rotating monthly exhibitions of fine craft by exhibiting members and a constantly changing inventory of handmade objects sold on a 60/40 consignment split. Open Tuesday–Saturday 11am–4pm and during First Friday Gallery Hops (6pm–10pm). For collectors and gift purchasers seeking juried fine craft.
• Online Shop (piedmontcraftsmen.shop)

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,200+ students served annually through education programs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth CountycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1987Piedmont Craftsmen was accepted as a Funded Partner of the Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County in 1987. The Arts Council is the first arts council in the US and its model has been used nationally. This partnership provides operational support and is a significant endorsement of the organization's mission. The Council is also a funder of the Living Craft: Crafting Life education program via a Wells Fargo Arts In Education grant.
• Wells FargocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWells Fargo provides an Arts In Education grant through the Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County to fund the Living Craft: Crafting Life program, which serves over 1,200 students annually in K-12 schools.
• Hege Financial GroupcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHege Financial Group is a sponsor of the annual Piedmont Craftsmen Fair Awards of Excellence, providing support for recognizing outstanding craftsmanship at the Fair.
• Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLPminorOthersListed as a partner/sponsor on the Piedmont Craftsmen website. The firm provides legal services support to the organization.
• Leonard Ryden BurrminorOthersListed as a partner/sponsor on the Piedmont Craftsmen website.
• Visit Winston-SalemminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a partner/sponsor. Visit Winston-Salem promotes tourism and events in the Winston-Salem area, supporting the visibility of Piedmont Craftsmen and its annual Fair.
• North Carolina Arts CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner/sponsor. The NC Arts Council supports arts organizations across North Carolina and is a key funding partner for Piedmont Craftsmen.
• ZAPPLICATIONcoreTechnology or IntegrationPiedmont Craftsmen uses ZAPPLICATION, an online image application platform, for its artist membership jury process. Artists apply through this platform for consideration as exhibiting members.
• Benton Convention CentercoreOthersThe annual Piedmont Craftsmen Fair has been held at the Benton Convention Center since 1991. The Fair is a major annual revenue and visibility event for the organization.
• Downtown Winston-SalemminorOthersListed as a partner/sponsor on the Piedmont Craftsmen website. Downtown Winston-Salem is the business district where the gallery is located.
• Garner FoodsminorOthersListed as a partner/sponsor on the Piedmont Craftsmen website.
• Greater Winston-SalemminorOthersListed as a partner/sponsor on the Piedmont Craftsmen website.
• Imagine FlowersminorOthersListed as a partner/sponsor on the Piedmont Craftsmen website.
• Board of Directors (Historical)coreOthersHistorical Board leadership includes officers from 2020: Tomi Melson (Chair), Linda Garbozci (1st Vice Chair), John Hunter (2nd Vice Chair), Gary Ljungquist (Secretary), Charles Watson (Treasurer). The Board of Directors provides governance and strategic direction for Piedmont Craftsmen.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Renwick Gallery (Smithsonian American Art Museum): Smithsonian museum dedicated to American craft and decorative arts, featuring rotating exhibitions of contemporary craft. Comparable as a curatorial and exhibition venue for fine craft artists, though operating at institutional scale rather than nonprofit guild scale.
• American Craft Council: National nonprofit organization founded in 1943 that supports American craft through shows, publications (American Craft magazine), and educational programming. Operates at broader national scale than Piedmont Craftsmen and serves a similar artist and collector base.

Direct peers

• Southern Highland Craft Guild: One of the oldest craft guilds in the United States, founded in 1930, operating the Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway and a juried membership of 800+ artists across multiple craft media. Highly comparable to Piedmont Craftsmen in juried guild structure, gallery retail, annual shows, and educational programming in the Southeast.
• Society of Arts and Crafts (Boston): Founded in 1897, it is the oldest nonprofit crafts organization in the United States, operating a juried membership of fine craft artists, a retail gallery, and educational programs. Highly comparable as a guild + gallery + education hybrid serving collectors of fine craft.
• League of New Hampshire Craftsmen: Founded in 1932, it is the oldest craft guild in the United States, operating juried membership, multiple retail galleries, and an annual fair in New Hampshire. Its guild model, juried standards, gallery retail operations, and craft education programs closely mirror Piedmont Craftsmen's structure.
• Contemporary Craft (Pittsburgh): Nonprofit organization operating a gallery, exhibitions, and educational programming for contemporary craft in Pittsburgh. Directly comparable as a nonprofit craft retailer and educator with similar gallery/education hybrid model.

Others

• Haystack Mountain School of Crafts: Liberty, Maine-based craft education school offering workshops in clay, fiber, metal, wood, glass, and other media. Overlaps with Piedmont Craftsmen's education mission and serves the same craft media categories, though focused on intensive workshop instruction rather than ongoing guild membership.

Emerging players

• Penland School of Craft: National center for craft education in North Carolina offering workshops, residencies, and gallery exhibitions. Comparable in the craft education and gallery exhibition space, though more focused on intensive workshop instruction than juried guild membership.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/PiedmontCrafts
• Instagraminstagram.com/piedmontcraftsmen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/piedmont-craftsmen

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Piedmont Craftsmen