The Guild's motto: "Preserving the best of the past for the betterment of the future"
WHAT IS THE POOR FORK ARTS & CRAFTS GUILD, INC. ?
The Poor Fork Arts & Crafts Guild, Inc. grew from an idea of Mr. Malcom Wilson in 1984. Mr. Wilson, a service technician for Sears, Inc., had often reflected on the state of the local economy and knew that something had to done. During service calls on many different occasions. Mr. Wilson was fascinated by the array of talent that many southeastern Kentucky individuals possessed. He began to envision a new industry., made up of local people, that would utilize their natural talent. In his first attempt, he tried to convince individuals that they could sell their wares and increase their income. Mr. Wilson however, failed to take one fact into consideration. Mountain humility a tradition that has been a part of our local culture since the early settlers, was almost too strong to overcome. People didn't believe that their products were good enough to ask someone to pay for them. So, Mr. Wilson had to find another way. He, and a few friends that he had convinced, advertised in the local newspapers about a new way of making living by selling crafts, and anyone that was interested could attend a meeting on the subject. The night of the first meeting was bitter cold with snow and ice on the roads, but still, 13 individuals attended. Mr. Wilson knew that if he could get this many people to show up in weather like that there was enough support to be successful. From that meeting the guild began to grow. The group formed a cooperative type, non-profit corporation dedicated to "preserving the best of the past, for the betterment of the future" and named it Poor Fork Arts & Crafts Guild, Inc. in honor of the Poor Fork of the Cumberland River, which was also the name of the city of Cumberland before it was incorporated. In 1988, the guild opened a retail outlet to market products manufactured here in the mountains by mountain folks.
Poor Fork Arts & Crafts Guild, Inc. - 218 West Main Street - Cumberland, KY 40823 - Phone: 606-589-2545