Spring has Sprung with the North Georgia Arts Guild Sassafras Artisan Market

Helen Rogers – NGAG

In April, Spring is stirring in the mountains. Snowy white blossoms of bloodroot dot the landscape and coves fill with gently fluttering trillium. Tender leaves are unfurling painted in a youthful green hue that can only be rendered in early spring. Native deciduous trees like the water and white oak, red maple, flowering dogwood, eastern redbud, tulip poplar, sweetgum and buckeye all begin their march through the seasons.

Among the many deciduous trees of Georgia stands the genteel Sassafras, host tree native to every county in the State. Like many of our native trees and plants in Georgia, the sassafras was an important tree to native peoples who used leaves to flavor foods, and infusions from the bark and roots to treat illnesses. Early settlers adopted some of these uses, making sassafras tea with leaves, and sarsaparilla from the root.

Well-rooted in the local culture, the North Georgia Arts Guild (NGAG) has named their main fundraising activity, the Sassafras

Artisan Market. This market is a two day juried art and fine craft show during the last weekend of April. Begun in 2016 as Celebrate Clayton, the Market raises funds for the NGAG Scholarship Program. To date, the NGAG has awarded nearly $40,000 in scholarships to young future artists from the region.

The Market draws from a pool of artistic talent across the Southeast. In 2024, the NGAG hosted 70 artists from Georgia and the surrounding region. Many fine arts and artisan crafts are hosted in this event, including painting, fiber arts, leatherwork, woodwork, metalwork, jewelry, pottery, papier mache, basketry, bookbinding, photography and artisan food products. Photos of just a few of last year’s artists’ products are included in this article.

The NGAG also recognizes several artists every year for exemplary work. In 2024, three artists were recognized: Angela Ebert for jewelry, Audrey Stamps for pottery, and Sadie Huntley for art quilts.

In addition to the many talented artists who sell their wares, the show features large L.L. Bean canvas totes hand painted by a Guild artist and filled with original art, each tote valued at over $500. These totes are raffled off at the show with proceeds going to the scholarship program —raffle tickets are $20 each, and 3 for $50. This year, Lewis Hinely and Joey Aldrich-Burrel, will be offering their painting skills to decorate the exterior of the totes.

The Sassafras Artisan Market is free to attend and located in the Municipal Building in Downtown Clayton at 201 West Savannah Street. The market is at the Rabun County Civic Center in the outdoor pavillions, and will be open rain or shine. There will be food trucks, so bring your appetite!

Please come join us April 26-27, 2025, and support your local artist community. For more information, please check out the Sassafras Artisan Market website at www. sassafrasartisanmarket.com.

In addition, NGAG meetings are open to the public. Please join us some time. You can find out information about programs and upcoming events at our website: www.northgeorgiaartsguild. com.