By SCOTT MCKIE B.P.
One Feather Asst. Editor
CHEROKEE, N.C. – With sunlight shining into the gallery space at Qualla Arts & Crafts Mutual, Inc. (Qualla), brilliantly illuminating some of the Cherokee baskets, Amanda McCoy and Taya Houser discuss the future of the cooperative. Qualla features arts and crafts by its almost 350 artist members who are all also members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI).
McCoy has taken the reins as manager of Qualla following the retirement of Vicki Cruz in December 2024, and Houser is now serving as assistant manager.
Taya Houser, left, and Amanda McCoy are the new assistant manager and manager respectively for Qualla Arts & Crafts Mutual, Inc. They are shown in front of the storefront on the morning of Wednesday, Feb. 5. (SCOTT MCKIE B.P./One Feather photo)
Information from Qualla on Cruz states, “Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual works with other cultural organizations in the region including the Museum of the Cherokee People, Mainspring Trust, and Cherokee Central Schools. Vicki and her staff worked with Western Carolina University to catalog the co-op’s (Qualla) permanent collection, placing much of it online for public viewing. Under Vicki’s management, Qualla Arts and Crafts has made significant physical improvements to its facility, increased its capacity for grant writing, and added classes to its offerings. A recent highlight of her work experience was coordinating an effort with Google to create a ‘doodle’ honoring famed carver and co-op member, the late Amanda Crowe.”
McCoy and Houser are committed and determined to keep Qualla moving forward.
“I have always been involved in the arts. My mom was an artist,” said McCoy who joined Qualla’s membership of artists in 2013 for beadwork. “It’s just a special place. You get to know different artists and all of the different arts and crafts, and it just makes you want to try them.”
She learned a lot about Cherokee basketry, in particular, from Lucille Lossiah while working previously at the Oconaluftee Indian Village. McCoy said that having intimate knowledge of the arts and crafts and the work that goes into each helps her in educating the public about them. “With the example of baskets, we know the time that it takes to build these baskets. The artists go out and gather their own materials, and they go out and gather those dye materials, and the hours that it takes to do them.”
Houser noted, “I’ve always been a seamstress. I raised my three kids doing alterations for bridal and formal. I didn’t grow up in Cherokee. So, when I came here all of the tradition and history of art was new.”
When she came to Cherokee, she worked some with Nancy Maney, noted maker of traditional Cherokee clothing. Houser said, “She (Maney) really taught me a lot about traditional and historical Cherokee clothing which gave me a whole new avenue.”
Houser said she hopes to become an artist member of Qualla this summer in the fibers category.
Qualla has a main floor of contemporary arts and crafts for sale, and it also has a permanent, not-for-sale gallery. McCoy commented, “For the gallery, we want to have our past along with our present – have it flow. We can’t move along into the future without honoring our past and knowing where we come from. Our generation is going to be the generation that bridges the gap between what we know as traditional or historical and contemporary. We have to bridge that gap. At one time, each and every one of these arts that we know now as traditional or historical was very contemporary at their time. I just like to remind people of that – we didn’t always have handles in our baskets. We didn’t always have the cool colorations that we get in pottery. It’s all trial and error.”
Both McCoy and Houser said that educating the public and encouraging interaction about the arts and crafts is a huge part of their mission.
Houser noted, “When our visitors come in, we ask, ‘do you have any questions? Would you like to see anything?’ And, a lot of times, they will have questions. Many times, they say they don’t want to be offensive or sound dumb, but you have to ask. Then, that starts conversations.”
McCoy added, “There’s no such thing as a dumb question. The one that is never asked is the one that you’ll never know. It’s all learning.”
She also encourages EBCI tribal members to visit Qualla often. “Just come in and learn the history of the cooperative itself. We were started in 1946 with crafters and craft supporters. This year, we’ll be 79-years-old, and that does, to our knowledge, make us the oldest Native American arts and crafts cooperative in the country. So, be proud of that. This is in your hometown. You can become a member of it if you just continue practicing your craft.”
For more information about Qualla Arts & Crafts Mutual, Inc., visit: https://quallaartsandcfrafts.org
