Heartwood: Southwest Virginia's Artisan Gateway

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.

This is a very nifty place! Not only was it pretty interesting, I found out so much on the historical aspect of the area.  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.  Everything in there was of phenomenal quality and was very quaint.  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.

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.