Artisan Tour

2145 Poe Run Road, Elkins, WV 26241

TOUR: West Virginia Artisan Shopping Excursion
ABOUT: Authentic customized shopping excursion led by local expert Margaret Bruning, a former art director from Los Angles who now calls herself an outsider living on the inside.

ABOUT YOUR HOST:
Margaret Bruning, a former art director from Los Angeles, is a full time mountain homesteader with her husband David Long. She has a 25 year history in commissioning hand crafted art and giving arts tours in Los Angeles and Scottsdale, Arizona. Margaret has a deep appreciation for her new home state’s storied history and traditions. She is an expert at navigating the challenges of mapping and finding local treasures across the region, where cell service and internet are unreliable and where language barriers and certain cultural moires may be unsettling to those from outside the area. Margaret will use her insider’s connections to craft a specialized tour that gains you access to artisan work spaces hidden in the hills of West Virginia.

WHAT WE’LL DO:
West Virginia, known for its traditional arts such as glass, pottery, textiles, wood, basketry, and jewelry, features a mountainous landscape and strong regional culture. Our curated excursions are the best way meet West Virginia artisans and buy local wares.

Booking your custom curated tour starts with telling us what kind of art/crafts you’re interested in finding. Let your local host take the hassle out of identifying and scheduling 3 artisan visits for a day long excursion through the countryside.

Your host will meet you at each stop. Or for an additional fee, your host will drive the group (Enterprise Car Rental).

Spend the day exploring the twists and turns of the countryside, hearing stories of life in West Virginia, and finding special treasures to bring home. Tour participants agree to make a purchase from at least one of the artisans visited.

Collectors, families, and casual weekenders alike are sure to have an unforgettable trip to one of America’s best kept secrets, the heart of Appalachia.

SAMPLE ITINERARY
8:30-9am Meet your host at local coffee shop
9:00-9:45am    Travel time
9:45-10:45am    Visit to wood carver
11:30-12:30pm    Visit to bee keeper and mead brewer
12:30-1:30pm    Farm fresh brown bag lunch (provided)
1:30-2:15 Travel time
2:20-3:20 Visit to potter
3:20-4pm Travel time
4-5pm    Visit to local artist cooperative. Local wine tasting (optional)