Mary Hadden and Judy MacPhail

Just half a block from the traffic light in Floyd, across from the Visitors’ Center, can be found one of Downtown Floyd’s newest art galleries! The Little River Gallery, which features a variety of items handmade by local artists, was recently opened by owners Mary Hadden and Judy MacPhail.
Before even crossing the threshold, the pleasant exterior communicates the inviting nature of Little River Gallery. The unassuming little white building features a lovely garden of blooming flowers in the front, watching over a bowl of water lovingly provided for Floyd’s thirsty fur-babies. There’s even a bench where folks cat ‘sit a spell’.
With such a modest façade, many may be surprised to find an array whimsical, locally crafted pottery, baskets, batik quilting fabric, gifts, cards, and so much more inside!
Opening an art gallery had been Mary’s dream for many years. Mary grew up in southern Ohio, in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Later in life, however, she found herself at home in Texas. When her son began an internship near Asheville, North Carolina, Mary came to visit and fell in love with the climate, the atmosphere, and the lush terrain that reminded her of her childhood.
During the visit, she drove along the Parkway and found herself near Floyd. FloydFest was just getting started, so she stayed on for the festival. After getting to know the area and the people, Mary returned to Texas, longing to get back to the green beauty and coolness of the mountains. A vision began to form of a life she wished to live.
That vision brought her permanently to Floyd in 2003. Mary came with her two children, Lurena and John, and bought a farmhouse outside of town. There, her garden abounds with flowers and vegetables, and in the farmhouse’s primitive kitchen, she prepares the food she has produced.
Adding a greenhouse to her homestead has allowed Mary to extend the growing season for her crops, affording her the opportunity to be even more independent, a major lifestyle choice that Mary embraces.
Also on the homestead is a studio that houses Mary’s clay and kiln. The workspace has many windows so that it almost feels like the outside is coming in. In her studio, Mary produces her famous fairies, as well as the many other wonderful pieces that can be found at Little River Gallery.
Always whimsical, her art uses soft pastel glazes, blues, greens, and pinks. If a piece of pottery has a small bird on it, it was most likely made by Mary Hadden!
Mary’s technique for clay work is to roll out the clay into thin slabs, then cut and build the pieces she creates. The legs move on her fairies. The bells tinkle on the wind chimes, and birds sit on tree branches that hang on the wall. Mary’s three-dimensional clocks and wall hangers for plants, as well as lovely vases, all adorn the walls of Little River Gallery.
Through a mutual friend, Mary Hadden met Judy MacPhail. The two women became fast friends, so when Mary mentioned she needed a partner for her new gallery business, Judy was happy to join her.
Judy spent her career in the newspaper business, working as a circulation director for McClatchy Newspapers in Raleigh, North Carolina. Like Mary, Judy also dreamed of retiring in the mountains, but she imagined her retirement years would be spent in Asheville. After just one afternoon visit to Floyd, however, she knew the farms, the hills, and town of Floyd was exactly where she wanted to be.
In 2009, she made an offer on a wonderful home on three acres of land near the Blue Ridge Parkway. For the next five years, Judy came to visit in Floyd, but still lived in her Raleigh home near her family and her four grandchildren. In 2014, however, Judy’s husband, Bob, retired from the Environmental Protection Agency. That’s when the MacPhails moved to Floyd full time.
In the 1990’s, Judy had the opportunity to apprentice with a North Carolina Heritage Award winning basket maker named Thurman Strickland. He taught the old ways of finding the perfect oak or ash tree in the woods, as well as the process involved with turning it into a strong, functional basket. For many years, MacPhail made and sold her baskets in local shops and galleries, and now displays her collections proudly at Little River.
In 2007, she was scheduled to take a basket weaving class at the John C. Campbell Folk School but got a call that the class had been canceled. While refunding the class tuition, the registrar asked Judy if there was any other class being offered week that would be of interest. Though Judy was very disappointed that she would not be in a basketry class, she reluctantly agreed to sign up for the Cotton Spinning and Dying Class. What started as a disappointment quickly became a new passion!
For the past fifteen years, Judy has created gorgeous skeins of wool, alpaca, silk, and just about any fiber she can spin into yarn. With plenty of local farmers raising sheep and alpaca, her supply of raw fiber is plentiful. For her roving and more refined fibers, she shops with Paradise Fibers in Spokane, Washington, where she was born many years ago. Her beautiful spun creations are also available at Little River Gallery.
Little River Gallery includes the works of other local artists as well. There are succulent planters created by hypertufa artist Linda Hearn, as well as beeswax luminaries by Anita Brandon. Stained glass pieces by Joanna Huff are perfect for decorating any garden while the colorful, joyous barn quilt paintings by Kathleen Dawe can be displayed indoors or out.
The Gallery also features lovely prints and cards made by Mary’s daughter Rena Violet. The wonderful ‘Birds on a Wire’ pieces are by Robin Sydow, who also sews attractive bags and baskets. There is so much to explore and discover, all while enjoying the sweet aromas of the handmade soaps from Sun and Spruce Soap out of Roanoke.
Little River Gallery is also a working studio. While shopping, visitors are likely to find Mary rolling out her clay or Judy spinning her yarn. Both women are happy to talk about the art and answer questions for the curious.

Little River Gallery • Mary Hadden and Judy MacPhail
111 West Main Street, Floyd, VA • 540-230-4884
Thursday and Friday, 11am – 4pm
Saturday, 10am – 5pm; and Sunday 12pm – 4pm
www.instagram.com/littleriverstudiogallery