BECOME A MEMBER

Membership in `Round the Mountain offers many benefits to individual artisan, an agritourism business or a craft related business located in Southwest Virginia.

`Round the Mountain staff and board of directors are working hard for the artisan community in Southwest Virginia and we invite you to learn about the benefits and opportunities available to our members.

Benefit Summary

• Inclusion in the most comprehensive on-line searchable registry of Southwest Virginia's artisans, agritourism businesses and craft related businesses;
  
• "Featured member" rotation on website;
• Receive the quarterly RTM newsletter;
• Submit and stay up to date on craft related events including call for artisans, shows, community events and more through our on-line Craft Calendar;
• Referrals that RTM gets for skilled artisans from a variety of sources which are fulfilled by referral to RTM members only;
• Use of RTM logo;
• Eligible for jurying for HEARTWOOD: Southwest Virginia's Artisan Gateway;
• Member discounts to workshops, conferences and other educational opportunities;
• Participation in the governance of RTM;
• Networking opportunities; and
• Eligibility for menu of fee based services.

Marketing

For many finding a network in which you can easily showcase your talent and get noticed can be difficult. By joining a network that brings people together from all over southwest Virginia we can provide a median for you to share your talent worldwide. Create your own online listing to showcase your work and build a global audience. By joining you gain access to an artisan network full of possibilities and all the tools you need to upload your media, build and customize an online listing that matches your style and features your best work.

Branding

Getting exposure for your art and talent is difficult in the over crowded retail market. By joining our growing network you can benefit from the `Round the Mountain brand. Many think of branding as an image or a marketing strategy, it is much more. Branding involves every aspect of an organizations identity from the way the telephone is answered, to the logo, to each piece of communication. Successful branding provides instant credibility and value. Each new member is eligible to use the `Round the Mountain logo on their own marketing materials and receives a `Round the Mountain bumper sticker and window decal.

Advertising

By joining `Round the Mountain you gain access to advertising arenas that otherwise might not be cost efficient or available to you. Cooperative advertising with state and regional travel and tourism organizations afford us the possibility of reaching thousands of potential visitors to our region. `Round the Mountain has advertised in The Virginia Tourism Guide, The Big Blue Magazine, The Crooked Road Guidebook, and the Blue Ridge Travel Association Travel Guide, just to name a few. Members are also represented through the many conferences, workshops, meetings, and seminars that `Round the Mountain staff and board members are involved in.

Networking

Members get an insider's perspective on all `Round the Mountain does through our quarterly newsletter and email blast. Meet other members through the interactive website or at one of `Round the Mountain's member gatherings.

Education

Whether it's educating members about the business of craft, educating the public on the impact of craft on local economies, or educating our youth on safeguarding the culture of craft, education is a key component of `Round the Mountain's mission. `Round the Mountain has partnered with many organizations including The Department of Business Assistance, Virginia Tourism Corporation, VECTEC, The Jacksonville Center for the Arts and others to provide discounts and special invitations to our members for the many valuable learning opportunities offered throughout the region. Additionally, the `Round the Mountain Education Committee continues to find creative ways to fulfill the educational needs of the artisan community.

Promotions

`Round the Mountain has fast become the authority on identifying skilled artisans throughout Southwest Virginia. Professional travel writers, newspaper journalist and television correspondents turn to `Round the Mountain for referrals to the very best of artisans, agri-tourism businesses and craft related businesses in the region. Frequently `Round the Mountain receives request from arts organizations, corporate enterprises, government agencies, private individuals and others who are looking for artisans to exhibit or demonstrate their work, to produce custom work, to participate in workshops, and who are looking for new crafts to sell in their galleries and shops.

Preservation

The preservation of our culture is a vital element of `Round the Mountain's vision for Southwest Virginia. Look back to a time when quilting was a necessity brought about by piecing scraps of leftover fabric together to create warmth, when baskets were woven from natural materials in order to gather food, when pottery was created from the earth to provide a means of storage to preserve food, when livestock and vegetables were raised organically because farmers used only what they had, and when natural resources like berries, plants and nuts were used for dyes to bring joyful colors to otherwise drab surroundings. By becoming a member you affirm your commitment to the rich craft culture that makes up Southwest Virginia.

Artisan Center

Heartwood, the name give to Southwest Virginia's artisan center, refers to the inner-core of a tree. It is the most prized portion owing to its aesthetic appeal and strength. It supports the branches and roots allowing the tree to spread and grow and that is exactly what Heartwood: Southwest Virginia's Artisan Gateway will do in Southwest Virginia. `Round the Mountain and its members are playing an intricate role in the development of the new artisan center. Work to be displayed in the Heartwood gallery will be attained from `Round the Mountain members whose work has been accepted through the jurying process as defined by our Craft Coordinating Committee. The `Round the Mountain Regional Artisan Trail Network will be a core component to Heartwood's mission"….. to showcase craft in southwest Virginia and to contribute to a sustainable economy based upon craft". `Round the Mountain members will also be eligible for consideration to participate in video projects which will showcase artisans at work to be used at Heartwood and on the Heartwood and `Round the Mountain websites.

Become a Member

The most efficient way to become a member is on-line. Please take a few minutes to complete the appropriate membership form below.

Artisan Membership (Membership Overview)
Complete membership form online OR Download and print membership form

Organization, Business, and Venue Membership (Membership Overview)
Complete membership form online OR Download and print membership form

Agritourism Membership (Membership Overview)
Complete membership form online OR Download and print membership form

If you would prefer to have a form mailed to you please email info@roundthemountain.org and make that request.