Banfield has the most uniquely made pottery I have ever seen. I'm not sure of the exact science of…read moreit, but each piece has the remains of distilled whiskey from our local distillery, Defient Whiskey. That is what I believe gives it its unique brown coloring. He makes everything from lamps, candle holders, sundials, praying hands, even a cool indoor water fountain. Tom is one of the most friendliest guys you will ever meet. I never miss the opportunity to stop in and chat. He is very involved with the local business community. I now have three beautiful pieces and am looking to add more to my collection. He shares his cozy shop with other local artists and this is a must stop and check out the art and strike up a conversation with Tom. You will not be disappointed.

Tom Banfield had beautiful, unique pieces of pottery that are stunning! Along with those, the…read moregallery also displays and seems works of other local artists in the area.

The variety of displays is amazing in many genres. Prices in all ranges. Handmade by local artists…read moreand craftspeople. Well worth the visit! Support local small business.

From the owner: The Rutherford County Visual Artists Guild was established in 1999. Membership is open to artists…read morein any medium as well as to non-artists who wish to help the Guild develop a thriving arts community. Over the years, the Guild has sponsored many opportunities for local artists and craftsmen to promote their work and improve their skills and marketing strategies. The Guild's major annual event is "Celebration of the Arts" held in September in the Foundation Conference and Performing Arts Center at Isothermal Community College. In 2009, the Guild opened the Visual Arts Center (VAC) on Main Street in Rutherfordton. The VAC gives Guild members a permanent exhibit and sales venue and provides studio space for artists to work on a regular basis and classroom space for workshops and education. Month-long exhibits are held for various art forms throughout the year. Guild members and guest artists offer both regular weekly classes and special event workshops...

I had a friend in from out of town and we were looking for activities that would include her 11…read moreyear old. We went inside Kidsenses and could see right away that most of the children at the museum were a bit younger than my little guest. The woman at the front desk was especially helpful by being honest. She said that many of the exhibits were targeted for the younger ones and then she OFFERED to let us look around inside the building for a quick walk-through so we could judge for ourselves if it was something our guest would be interested in before paying the admittance fee. What spectacular customer service! Sadly, it was not well suited for us but because of their welcoming attitude and quality museum features, I will be back when I have any younger guests to entertain. The place was filled with laughing and happy kids so I can tell it's quite a hit with the right age group. Many thanks for your consideration.

my son had a wonderful time But a lot of the exhibits are not working or are in desperate need of…read morebeing replaced or repaired. A lot of the rooms were not clean! My son doesn't attend day care or anything like that and he's now got lice! It had to have been from kids here! They should definitely do lice and temperature checks before allowing kids in to play and infect other kids!

Great experience! The shop is extremely clean and the staff is professional. Billy designed a very…read moreunique tattoo around a pre-existing tattoo I have of my sons heart patch.