Interesting items / love supporting local artists. This is a wonderful place to find gifts.read more

Adorable shop! I purchased a beautiful pair of beaded earrings. I will return the next visit to…read moreBoone

We made a beautiful purchase from Kimberly while attending Art in the Park in Banner Elk over the…read more4th of July weekend. Her pieces of glass art are magnificent.

I enrolled my 8 year old at the art classes offered here and she loves it. The instructor really…read morecares about his students and teaches the whole group in an age appropriate way. They've discuss topics like light and shadows and perspective and used various materials. I can't recommend this place enough. Make sure to stop in for any art supplies you need and give Ziggy so many pets :-).

My daughter's birthday was this month. She is 1500 miles away, coping with the state of affairs in…read moreher chosen field of medicine during COVID-times. At a loss for any kind of meaningful gift without personal access to N95 masks and other PPEs, I decided to restock her art supplies. Maybe this old love would give a little light. I combed online options to avoid stores and post office. Then I thought to support a local business in my daughter's chosen community. Art Mart & Academy is just minutes from her home. The store was not officially open, but the owner responded to my email. John talked with me at length about what I was looking for, texted me photos and was very helpful in matching the types and quality of products I'd selected online. Though he had no gift bags, he managed to find a sweet way to package all the items then texted me a photo to see if "the presentation" was ok. He also kept the required social distance from my son-in-law during pick-up. He kept a sense of humor, too. Art is a good thing to do in COVID-times. John will help you start or get better. Art Mart and Academy has customer service and the goods!

Beautifully nestled off the Blue Ridge Mountain Parkway near Blowing Rock, this historic facility…read moreis worth the visit. Unfortunately we did not check the newly updated times they are open to go inside. On this day they were closed. The setting, grounds and trails are breathtakingly beautiful. Some were picnicking under a tree near the Manor entrance. We saw cows in a nearby pasture. One person was on a horse. The property even includes an Apple Orchard. We will return again when the Museum is open and we can also see the crafts offered for sale.

Our visit came in June of 2021 with the accompanying restrictions imposed by the pandemic and…read moreshortage of staff. That means parts of the manor are roped off, construction work on the house is in progress and the craft shop is operating out of a somewhat cramped space. That said, it's well worth a visit here. The views are amazing, and the crafts are wonderfully diverse yet so attractive (everything from lamps to trays to blown glass) and they are nicely displayed, though we should mention that the Southern Folk Art Center closer to Asheville has much larger collections in its shop and museum. The people working here couldn't be more helpful to visitors. The manor is located just off the Blue Ridge Parkway, and parking is easy if limited. There are hiking trails nearby and restrooms also. It makes for a delightful stop with lots of do and see.

I'm so glad to have found this delightful store! They opened in early May 2021, and are located…read morenext to the Blue Deer on Main ice cream store. I made a beeline straight for the jewelry, and found several lovely Meghan Browne necklaces for very reasonable prices that I had to purchase. They also have a variety of household decor, candles, etc. The staff were very helpful and friendly, and I'll definitely return!

Wow!! If you are looking for amazing art... this is your place. Exquisitely displayed and a…read morebeautiful variety to choose from. Plus a pleasant atmosphere and no high pressure!

Phenomenal gallery of fine artists! I was very impressed with the variety and quality of the work…read more Beautifully displayed...I drawn into the world of each artist as I made my way through all three levels.

This is a really cool little shop! I love Russian nesting dolls, and this place has a good…read moreselection! All are from Russia, no chinese knockoffs here!

If your looking for authentic Russian Nesting/Matryoshka Dolls, look not further than the Golden…read moreCockerel in Boone, NC. I ordered three of the 5 pc Christmas Tree Nesting Dolls for presents for our son and daughter's family, plus we kept one for our-self (The Tree, Santa, Snowman, Penguin and a little Christmas Tree). These Russian Nesting Dolls are the real deal, not some knock off from China. They are very well made and beautifully painted. I can't say enough about them. Again, you can't go wrong when your looking for the real thing.

I can't believe I get to be the first to review. We have such a special story about GBG. My…read morehusband (boyfriend at the time) took a winter trip up to Blowing Rock years ago. We happened across this quaint wonderful little store as we were exiting the candle shop. He said, let's go in and look around. Inside we were greeted by the most wonderful father and daughter team. We were lucky enough that one of their gems dealers was in town for that weekend only. I was able to find a beautiful, vintage sapphire stone in an heirloom piece of jewelry. Long story short, I fell so much in love with it that my husband bought and it and it became the center of my engagement ring. I get more compliments than you can imagine on the work and setting they created for me. Truly one of a kind. Keep in mind this is everything that a jeweler should be. Many of them are handmade pieces, crafted with the most loving of care. This is not a chain; this is a family owned business. You will not find a better jeweler anywhere. They are the epitome of the jewelry craft in my opinion. We will be visiting Blowing Rock this fall sometime to see the changing of the colors and I will be sure to stop in again. Please take time to visit this wonderful shop, especially if you are saving up for a truly beautiful piece.