The News...

  • Matt was selected to teach basketry at the North Carolina Basketmakers Association Convention
    " THE WOVEN JOURNEY" March 15 - 18, 2012 at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel in Durham, NC
  • Matt was selected to teach basketry at the Georgia Basketry Association Convention "Discovering a New World of Weaving" February 3-5, 2012 at the Doubletree Inn Atlanta/Roswell in Roswell, Georgia
  • Matt was the Featured Artist in The Laurel of Asheville magazine, May 2011. Click here to view a PDF of the article.
  • March 17, 2011: Matt Tommey was invited back to WLOS TV 13 in Asheville, NC to tape 3 new segments on "How To Make a Rib Basket" during the Craft Corner.
  • February 3, 2011 - Asheville, NC: Matt Tommey was granted membership into the Southern Highland Craft Guild in the category of Fiber. He looks forward to a long, prosperous and gratifying relationship with the Guild and it's members.
  • Matt was featured on WLOS News 13's Craft Corner Segment - 1 of 3 - as a guest artist on December 23, 2011. Check it out!
  • View this recent article fromThe National Basketry Organization Magazine featuring Matt Tommey - November, 2010.

Exhibitions & Shows for 2011

  • Raising the Standards: New Members of the Southern Highland Craft Guild.
    July 16 - Sept. 18, 2011
    Folk Art Center - on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville, North Carolina
  • Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands Craft Guild
    July 21-24, 2011 - Asheville Civic Center - Asheville, North Carolina
  • Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands Craft Guild
    October 20-23, 2011 - Asheville Civic Center - Asheville, North Carolina
  • Unifying Rhythms - March 25 - April 23, 2011
    This group show presents the beautiful art of three acclaimed artists from Asheville, NC. The show includes Matt Tommey, a basketmaker, Sarah Rolland, a potter, and Carol Bomer, a painter. Though the traditional mediums of the artists are distinct and varied, the rhythms within their art display a unifying expression of amazing beauty.

    Public Reception - Friday, March 25, 2011 from 6 - 8 PM

    Basketmaking Workshop with Matt Tommey, Saturday, March 26, 2011. $60/per. Register with the Appalachian Arts Center at Southwest Virginia Community College.

  • Alamance County Arts Council "Weaving Show"
    April 21 - June 4, 2011 - Graham, North Carolina

  • The Bascom: Regional Selected Works
    February 19-April 9, 2011
    Opening reception, February 19, 5-7pm

    This initiative is to show our support for the work of individual artists and arts organizations in the region surrounding our mountain plateau. Plan to join us as we celebrate this inspiring endeavor and the art and artists who enrich our community

Exibitions, Shows & Teaching in 2012

Past Exhibitions & Honors

  • "American Artists Under 40"
    invited to be listed in the artist registry of the Smithsonian American Art Museums - Renwick Gallery.
  • Heritage Craft Weekend Teaching Artist
    North Carolina Arboretum - September 25-26, 2010
  • Featured Artist, National Basketry Organization Magazine. Fall 2010 - "New Faces" featuring emerging basketry artists around the country.
  • Handmade in America's 2010
    Western North Carolina Craft, Architecture & Design Expo. http://www.handmadeinamerica.org
  • “Tradition And Innovation In Basketry Today”
    A Special Exhibition from the Permanent Collection of the National Basketry Organization and Selected Basket Makers from North Carolina http://www.nationalbasketry.org
 national basketry organization Asheville Basketmaker southern highland craft guild, folk art center, blue ridge parkway american craft council, fine craft John C. Campbell Folk School handmade in america, design expo Smithsonian American Art Museum, Renwick Gallery