Cliff Dwellers Gallery Located In The Arts & Crafts Community of Gatlinburg, Tennessee

Cliff Dwellers™ Gallery - a brief history

Cliff Dwellers™ Gallery, a showplace for contemporary and traditional fine crafts at the foothills of the Smoky Mountains, is in a historic building moved from downtown Gatlinburg to 668 Glades Road in the Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community. The Gallery is owned and operated as a cooperative by five local artists and carries the work of approximately 60 other area artists who have been invited to be a part of the Gallery.

The Gallery continues to operate in the fine tradition of the building and offers a wide selection of fine crafts and art from area artisans. The Gallery features stained and enameled glass, watercolors, handmade and hand marbled paper, pottery, woven clothing, placemats, runners, rugs, tapestries, baskets, hand painted gourds, and soft sculptured dolls.

The Cliff Dwellers building was built in downtown Gatlinburg in the 1930's by artist Louis E. Jones in a chalet style of architecture that was then quite foreign to this area. This unique wood and stone building served as Jones home, gallery and studio which he operated until the last years of his life. Upon retirement he sold the gallery to the two ladies who had assisted him for a number of years with the business, and they continued to carry fine art, handmade gifts and hand woven accessories for the home. In the early 90's one of the ladies died and the other retired at age 85. She then sold the building to a businessman who wanted to use the land differently with a street level entrance. In 1993 Jim Gray (regional artist) and his son Chris moved the building to the Glades area and lovingly restored it for use in this new location.