Crafting Culture: Exploring Local Arts & Makers Around Moneta and Smith Mountain Lake
- stillwaterretreat2
- Oct 2
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 21
Whether you’re a serious art aficionado or simply enjoy discovering local creativity, the Moneta / Smith Mountain Lake region offers a surprisingly vibrant arts scene. From galleries and studios to performance troupes and annual festivals, here’s a curated tour of the best places and events to experience local crafts, visual arts, and performance in the area.
Smith Mountain Arts Council (SMAC)
What it is: The central hub for arts in the lake region, SMAC supports visual, literary, and performing arts across Franklin, Bedford, and surrounding counties.
Key annual events & offerings:
Art Show (October): A multi-day exhibit featuring local painters, sculptors, mixed-media artists, and artisans.
Coffeehouse Concerts: Intimate music events that bring local and regional musicians to smaller venues.
Photo Club & Exhibitions: SMAC hosts a John Faber Memorial Photography Contest & Show (typically in April), open to both amateur and professional photographers in the region.
Smith Mountain Lake Insiders' Guide 2025
Performance Productions: The “Lake Players,” a community theater group under SMAC auspices, stage plays several times a year.
Where to find details / get involved: Visit the Smith Mountain Arts Council website: smithmountainartscouncil.com
Blue Ridge Institute & Museum (BRIM), Ferrum
Overview: This is Virginia’s official state center for Blue Ridge Folklore. It’s part museum, part living-history cultural center.
What you’ll see:
Rotating exhibits of traditional crafts, folk art, decorative arts, music traditions, and regional customs.
Blue Ridge Farm Museum (living history): Costumed interpreters, heirloom gardens, traditional farm buildings, livestock, and hands-on craft demonstrations.
Archives & Collections: The Blue Ridge Heritage Archives houses over 70,000 images, recordings, and documents relating to Appalachian culture.
Ferrum College
Special event: The Blue Ridge Folklife Festival (typically held the fourth Saturday in October) showcases crafts, traditional music, working demonstrations (e.g. draft horses, coon-dog racing), and regional foodways.
Plan your visit & map: More information including maps, hours, directions, and exhibit details available via their official site.
Shop at the Nines — Wirtz, VA
What it is: An eclectic artisan gallery and shop in nearby Wirtz, offering handmade glass work, jewelry, photography, pottery, and other fine crafts.
Why visit: Great spot for browsing or taking home a locally made treasure. Supports local artisans and small-scale craftsmanship.
More info: Check community arts listings or Smith Mountain Lake region arts guides for current hours.
Other local galleries & regional art venues
Art Gallery at Basket Creations & More / Bell Gallery & Garden: This gallery (in the regional “Art Gallery” directory) features works by nearly 100 regional artists and craftspeople—including pottery, baskets, paintings, jewelry, and decorative arts.
Taubman Museum of Art, Roanoke: If your trip takes you west toward Roanoke, this museum is a major draw. It hosts a permanent collection of ~2,000 works spanning 19th- and 20th-century American art, modern and contemporary pieces, photography, and
Archaeological & historical craft-related site: Otter Creek Archaeological Site
What it is: A prehistoric Native American settlement site near Ferrum, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Why it matters: Archaeologists uncovered pottery shards, clay lumps (suggesting local ceramic production), animal bones, stone tools, and evidence of long-term habitation.
Wikipedia
Visiting note: While the site is forested and not a fully developed open-air museum, its designation underscores the deep craft and cultural heritage of the region, going back centuries. You may also find interpretive or marker signage locally.
Suggested Local Arts Route / Visit Plan
Here’s a sample route history buffs or art lovers could take during a day or two around Moneta / SML:
Morning: Start at a SMAC gallery show or stop by Shop at the Nines in Wirtz for artisan browsing.
Late morning/early afternoon: Drive to Ferrum and explore BRIM (galleries + living history farm).
Mid-afternoon: Visit Otter Creek Archaeological Site vicinity (especially for those intrigued by ancient craft traditions).
Evening: Catch a coffeehouse concert, SMAC performance, or local music event (check SMAC calendar).
Extended trip: On a separate day, head toward Roanoke to visit the Taubman Museum of Art.
