This is the a must go if you're visiting Virginia. Heartwood is the best place for tourists, families, kids and adults to learn the history about their beloved state. Heartwood is made up of different retail stores that sell different arts and crafts from artists that are Virginia natives. The architecture of the building is beautiful and appealing. I like how they have integrated technology and inter-activeness with the computers, with which you can learn better and in a more fun way. They also have a restaurant and you can decide to eat inside or take your food to the balcony.
Review Source:This is a very nifty place! Not only was it pretty interesting, I found out so much on the historical aspect of the area. Â The artists are juried, which means they have to be nominated by a group of their peers in order to be featured in the gallery. Â Everything in there was of phenomenal quality and was very quaint. Â The entire time, I couldn't help but think of who would like what as Christmas presents and, once again, I'm glad I didn't bring my wallet in! lol I would have run myself dry trying to buy all of the beautifully crafted items that I fell in love with.
Review Source:This place is very special. The architecture is very different than normal but beautiful. When u walk inside on a hot day it is nice and cool. Everything is very organized and easy to find. The crafts are gorgeous. Never had I seen felted soap before. There were home made baskets weaved rugs and exotic decors from Appalachia. In the entrance you will see this large touch screen that has a very clear map of Appalachia. If u need a break from looking at all the crafts there is a nice little coffee shop in the artisan center that has great drinks and snacks. This is a place one should definitely stop by ;because one will be amazed and in shock for several days later about the wonderful crafts displayed.
Review Source:The talent displayed in this gallery is incredible! Â All too often, people only look at aesthetics and price and not quality or culture. Â The two things about this place which prompted me to love it are that the artisans are juried in by their peers, and that Heartwood promotes the propagation and preservation of crafts through training and teaching. Â This is a stop you want to make if you are driving through Abingdon!
Review Source:Wow, what a place. It is so stunning! it is a great mixture of modern combined with displaying the regions highly prized crafts and traditions. Not only is it a retail center that sells the local artist's work it manages to tell the story of the artists in their displays and through tv screens throughout the building that are touch screen. On some of those screens i discovered it was the artists themselves being interviewed on the screen. So wonderful. The only disappointment, though not surprise, was the price of the items. They are extremely expensive. Though I understand that you are paying for the time it takes to make such handcrafted work, I know it really prevented me from being able to purchase anything. Either way, this place needs to be seen so that people may see the heart of Appalachia's people. It's a window into that for sure.
Review Source:This is a really interesting place. They have large variety of hand made crafts and soaps to smell. It has a lot of little doohickeys (kiosk) that you can touch and it talks to you and tells you interesting information, facts, and what not about VA. The museum is very large and they stay open until 6 which is nice, because most places close at 5:00. Â The staff were all very friendly. There wasn't too much going on 30 minutes till closing time though. In fact, it was pretty empty. It had a little stage, restaurant, snack bar, and you could also buy alcohol and a variety of wines there. Definitely a place to visit when going through Abingdon, Virginia.
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