News & Stories
Read about the Folk School experience from students and instructors. Hear about the latest news from our staff.
Christopher Kearns is a Leather Worker...
From childhood memories of sleeping...
Amazing Quilting artist and Instructor...
When Janet Davis first made...
Some instructors make their way...
We're pleased to invite longtime...
We are lucky to have TKGA Master Knitter Charles D. Gandy teach regularly at the Folk School. I sat down with him in the Wet Room Studio during a class where students were working on fantastic knitted pieces like vegetable gardens, jonquils, and Pop Art-esque Campbell’s soup cans. Charles learned to knit at the young age of four from his mother, a designer and shop owner. He designed his first sweater three years later and continues to create today. Let’s find out a little bit more about Charles D. Gandy.
Winning Forged in Fire and...
Following the tradition of Francis Whitaker, students will have the opportunity to focus on fine ornamental iron work for a personal, predesigned project. In addition to working on individual projects, students will share and learn from the techniques used in their fellow classmate’s work. Students must be able to perform a dropped-tongs forge weld, make upset square corners, and freehand scrolls. Predesigned projects must be submitted to instructors before class begins.
Renowned blacksmith and bladesmith Elmer Roush regularly teaches at the Folk School. Watch a video featuring Elmer produced by CRKT as part of their Forged by War program featuring veteran. Elmer talks about his time in the service and how he got started in blacksmithing.
Clinton Davis is a San...
Come take a photography class with me, Cory Marie Podielski! This April, I will be teaching Editing Essentials, a class focused on both shooting and post-production. I am excited to share not only my technical knowledge, but also my insider’s knowledge of the campus. I have shot at the Folk School professionally for over a decade, so I can be your guide to the best locations and hidden gems.
Amazing mural artist and Instructor...
Judith Saunders is a mixed-media artist...
Ruth Drennan is an influential...
Dive deep into the mesmerizing...
Oral Storytelling Traditions and Appalachian Storytelling: From Ancient Practices to Today’s Revival
Discover the enchanting world of...
Announcing our 2024 Traditional Craft...
We're thrilled that Annie Smith...
The John C. Campbell Folk...
Our annual Shaker Week brings...
Purchase Tickets Online The John...
We extend our heartfelt appreciation...
Notable textile designer and dyer...
Angelina Elise is an incredible...
Browse our August 2023–June 2024...
Kate Clayton “Granny” Donaldson (1870–1960)...
Folk School co-founder Olive Dame...
Folk School staff, local potters,...
Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle's debut, Even...
Michael Hamlin is an award-winning...
African American musical and cultural...
Owen Riedesel began blacksmithing when...
Shadow Puppetry Still from Tam Lin...
Geri Forkner is no stranger...
If you've come to our...
A huge thank you to...
Subscribe to our online calendar...
Laurel Horton is an accomplished...
April Franklin is an accomplished...
Greenwood carving is an increasingly...
Kent Satterfield and his wife...
Popular instructor Kevin Felderhoff will...
We're thrilled to welcome Taylor...
Dear Folk School Family, One...
Dezzy, in the middle, and...
Susan Conger playing with others...
Dana Bolyard is an influential...
Baking bread in the Folk...
Minsā in Huck Lace Lars...
Curious about what's new in...
Elizabeth LaPrelle began winning prizes for...
Enjoy an interview with Becky...
"The Folk School Changes You"...
Friends, we’re happy to announce...
Pinhole cameras have their roots...
One of the many perks...
Robert Grand is a writer,...
If you love the Folk School and are interested in our history, I highly recommend curling up with Anna Fariello’s wonderful new book, Craft & Community, which explores the first 20 years of the Folk School, with a focus on Olive Dame Campbell. Earlier this summer, Fariello was given a Lifetime Achievement Award during the annual meeting of the Southern Highland Craft Guild. In addition to Craft & Community, Fariello has written numerous books about craft, curated many shows, and she developed the online Craft Revival archive. Let’s get to know more about an impressive WNC craft powerhouse!
Soda firing creates beautiful flashes...
If turning your vacation to the Folk School into an exploration of travel photography sounds like a dream exploration, be sure to check out our upcoming class Wanderlust: The Art of Travel Photography taught by Elizabeth Larson. Elizabeth has been a professional photographer for 26 years. She specializes in documentary wedding photography, lifestyles, natural portraiture, travel, and editorial work. Join Elizabeth on our pastoral 300-acre campus in the Appalachian Mountains and learn how to capture the spirit of your travels through the camera lens. Enjoy our interview and find out a little more about Elizabeth!
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In 2022, we opened Olive’s...
We're delighted that American Craft...
Announcing our 2023 Traditional Craft...
"Good to Be Together" CP:...
The John C. Campbell Folk...
The John C. Campbell Folk...
Building on your feedback, we're...
Purchase Tickets Online The John...
Community is key at the...
In partnership with the Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers, we are pleased to announce our spring lineup of in-person film screenings!
Olive’s Porch, a new Folk School experience in downtown Murphy, is opening this winter! Named after the school’s co-founder Olive Dame Campbell, the location at 27 Peachtree Street features classroom space, a retail shop showcasing the work of Appalachian artists, and a studio space dedicated to the Artist in Residence Program.
Carolyn Anderson is a long-standing member of the renowned Brasstown Carvers and a member of The Southern Highlands Craft Guild. Always quick with encouragement to new carvers, she possesses a sweet and generous nature and is a genuine embodiment of the Folk School’s values of Joy, Kindness, and Stewardship.
In 2013, I posted a three-part blog serially on the Folk School home page titled “Working Under the Star Part I, II, and III”. The series related a touching description of two work camps conducted at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC in the summers of 1945 and 1946 by the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC). The AFSC is the voluntary service arm of the Quaker denomination. Mrs. Campbell was familiar with the AFSC having utilized several individuals from the organization in the past.
We are thrilled to announce…
David Allen Kaynor passed away…
Jessica Kaufman is the founder and owner of WAXON Studio in West Asheville, NC. She recently joined Tammy Elwell to talk about her relationship with the Folk School, her dyeing process, and realizing her dream of creating batik and tie-dye kitchen textiles. Enjoy our interview!
On the week of our reopening, Carol joined us to teach her class Campus Sketch Crawl. Read below to hear her thoughts on being back in the studio and to see the artwork of campus her students produced!
We would like to extend a warm welcome to our new Gardener, Jason Ebinger! Jason has an extensive history managing farm and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Folk School. We look forward to seeing how the garden flourishes this year. Read more to learn about Jason and his goals in this position.
Gina “Swimmer” Myers sat down with Tammy Elwell recently for a conversation about her craft. Gina comes from a long line of established Cherokee potters, the granddaughter of renowned Cherokee potter Amanda “Sequoyah” Swimmer. Her craft has been inspired by the strong women in her life and her commitment to the stewardship of traditional Cherokee crafts.
We would like to extend a warm welcome to Allie Dudley, our new Resident Artist in Weaving, Rugs, Thread Art, Lace, and Beading! Allie is a fiber artist and teacher who works primarily with weaving and embroidery, whose tapestries and other works have been included in several international fiber shows.
In honor of Women’s History Month, I had short chat with Mary Doornbos, former Craft Shop Manager at the Folk School. The month of March was declared Women’s History Month in an effort to commemorate and encourage the study, observance, and celebration of women in America.
We send a big “thank you” to the students, instructors, and staff who helped to make our Lessonface classes a big success. So far, over 300 students enjoyed our online course offerings in 10 different media including cooking, fiber arts, glass beadmaking, music and dance, nature studies, painting, paper arts, photography, storytelling, woodturning and writing.
Jumpstarted by a Folk School woodturning class nine years ago, Jeff Hornung began his own woodturning business after recovering from post-concussion syndrome. Now, he is a Folk School instructor, juried artist, national and international demonstrator, author, and Artist-in-Residence at the Craft Alliance School of Art + Design in St. Louis, Missouri.
Blacksmith and Metalworker Elizabeth Belz...
We are excited to present artist, author, and speaker Ann Miller Woodford on March 19 from 4–5 p.m. for our Appalachian Traditions Discussion on Zoom. Learn more!
Barbara joined Tammy Elwell in the Craft Shop for an afternoon of questions where she shared some wonderful insights into her journey as a maker, artist, and teacher. Barbara is a renowned jewelry artist and our Resident Artist in theJewelry and Metal Studio. Enjoy the interview!
Last fall, I and eight other craftspeople joined John C Campbell for the second session of the Traditional Craft Mentorship program. During this four-week program, we lived, ate, and crafted on campus (socially distanced of course). While we wait patiently for the Folk School to open in person later this year, I thought I’d share a story about just one adventure that befell us in October.
In December of 2020, Lynda Metcalfe and Elizabeth Belz came together to teach two 2-hour long blacksmithing classes in the Clay Spencer shop to 7 staff and residents from the Cherokee and Clay County Women’s shelter, REACH.
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My experience at the Folk School left my heart renewed. The mentorship program was a unique opportunity, and in a year of cancellations, it was a breath of fresh air. I applied to it because I wanted the luxury of being a student: studying history, taking an in-depth look at a few topics, and being able to weave for a month with other weavers. I am at a stage in my career where it feels best to apply to everything I am qualified for and to run with any opportunities given. I ended up falling in love with the Appalachian mountains again and learning so much about what I thought I already knew.
Pumpkin season means farmers’ markets and local growers have pumpkins galore in the mountains. They’re technically a squash and extremely healthful. But combine pumpkin with chocolate chips in this delicious cake and you’ve got a match made in heaven.
Join us in welcoming Helen Gibson for this month’s Appalachian Traditions, virtual discussions with instructors from our master-artist-led series on traditional Appalachian craft.
Whatever your abode, castle, or cottage, you most likely have a broom in your home or hanging on your hearth. From besoms and cobweb brooms to more modern flat brooms and whimsical sculptural objects, brooms are important cultural symbols used for decoration and ritual, as well as functional tools.
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Welcome to the new Folk School Dye Garden. Natural dye comes from the leaves, flowers, or roots of plants. In this video, we will take a look at Nankeen cotton, indigo, coreopsis, yarrow, French marigolds, madder, chamomile, and purple gromwell.
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While we continue to monitor COVID-19 updates, we have been overwhelmed by the resources we’ve found providing assistance to folklife organizations, artists, and storytellers. We have compiled this list of COVID-19 folklife resources so that others can continue to share their stories, crafts, and rich cultural heritage during this time.
Lyle Wheeler, a longtime Folk School instructor in both Woodworking and Blacksmithing, is a treasure of the Folk School. The week I spent years ago, building a ladderback chair with Lyle, changed the way I think about craft and my own capabilities as a maker. I am excited that later this month Lyle will be giving a Zoom presentation on June 15 as part of the Folk School’s Appalachian Traditions Discussion series. I encourage you to tune into his talk, and learn from this wonderful self-proclaimed “all-around “good ol’ boy” from Millers Creek, North Carolina.”
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Join us every Friday morning on Facebook Live for Virtual Morningsong. It’s a great way to start the day! To watch live, all you have to do is visit our Facebook Page at 7:45–8:15 a.m. on Fridays. If you miss a Morningsong, or want to re-watch, you can view the recordings by following the links in the artists section.
June Rollins shares a video she made for her watercolor class and gives us some tips for artists while staying at home.
“Like many of us, Rob, my husband, and I have been at home since Mid-March. The first couple of weeks it felt like I had taken early retirement. I was scheduled to teach my first, week-long watercolor class at the Folk School, March 29–April 4, 2020. It didn’t happen. My class was just one of many that had to be canceled. I had planned on sharing the painting steps of “Made For The Sun,” with my class. Instead, I’d like to share them with you in the video slideshow below.”
The days have pushed themselves along since the birth of our three brave lambs born to “Robin” on March 6th. When they arrived, I did not call them anything much. I just looked at them, noted their shape and health and desire to eat, and thought, Those three, they are the ones without names!
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Wishing you a happy May Day! We’re looking forward to dancing around the May Pole together again, but until then, we put together this post filled with photos of years past, a video from 2011, and an excerpt by Nanette Davidson about May Day from The Folk School Cookbook. Enjoy!
As we enter a new normal, we are discovering ways to support our neighbors during these trying times. We feel it’s essential to stay connected and to share information about ways our community can give and receive support. We have created this community resource list and will continue to update it as we learn new information.
We are encouraged by the outpouring of support and concern for the craft community as we learn about resources for artists during these times. We have compiled a list of COVID-19 resources available for artists here. If you have additional information and would like to contribute to this list, please post a comment below.
One of Pepper’s specialties is Southern scrap quilts, both making and collecting. Pepper explains that Southern scrap quilts, particularly from North Carolina, are a fascinating study in frugality, family life, and beauty.
Sue Williams is recognized for the preservation of the Cannon County white oak basket making tradition, one of the most renowned basket making traditions in the United States. Sue’s commitment to education, advocacy, and teaching the tradition has secured a future for the this style beyond the original basket making families of Cannon County, Tennessee. We are delighted to have Sue teach the Cannon County white oak basket style regularly at the Folk School.
“Magical.” That’s how Jo Haas describes the first time she visited our beloved Folk School. Five years ago, Jo was looking for an immersive experience that would really help her unplug from her busy life as CEO of the non-profit Kentucky Science Center.
Imagine transforming your trash into treasure by creating fantastic plastic creatures and whimsical designs with recycled plastic. David Edgar, an artist who sculpted in steel for 30 years, now creates stunning pieces in plastic and he can teach you to do it too in his upcoming class: Fantastic Recycled Plastic. Lets get to know David a little more and discover the world of plastic art. Enjoy our interview!
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When you take a Folk School class, you never know who you will meet. Last fall, I had the pleasure of sitting next to Robin Edgar in the herbalism class during Shaker Week. I learned that she and her husband, David Edgar, have been teaching classes at the Folk School since 1996! Robin teaches writing and David teaches the unique craft of turning recycled plastic into fantastic creations. This year, they are both teaching during Earth Week, April 19–24, 2020. In her upcoming class, Turning Fond Memories into Family Histories, students will discover how to use sights, sounds, and even smells to recall and record meaningful memories.
For only $173, you can help foster a child’s learning and creativity. By providing a scholarship for our week-long Little/Middle Folk School, you can help kids learn about Appalachian culture and explore fun and educational art and craft classes.
The Sunday sun was sinking behind the Blue Ridge Mountains when my husband Randy and I arrived at the world-renowned John C. Campbell Folk School. It was the beginning of a week of classes set against the backdrop of purple mountain peaks and green valleys dotted with hay bales.
Luz and John think it’s important to financially support our non-profit school that provides such value to them, so they include the Folk School in both their annual giving and estate plans. “This is a significant place that’s different than most of the rest of the world, so we want to support it,” John said. “If we don’t support it as individuals, then we can’t encourage other people and grantors to support it.”
Have you ever wanted to try batik and hand-dyeing? We have a very special surface design class coming up on January 12–18, 2020 with Jessica Kaufman: Studio Batik: Many Techniques, Amazing Results. Jessica has studied batik methods from Indonesia and India and is the owner of WAXON Batik & Dye Studio in Asheville, NC.
I met with chef Patrick O’Cain at his popular Asheville restaurant, Gàn Shān Station, to interview him about his upcoming class at the Folk School, The Modern Asian Kitchen. We are excited to have him return to Brasstown, April 12–18, 2020, to share his knowledge of Asian cooking. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from a renowned and celebrated Asheville chef and immerse yourself in the cooking cultures of China, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, and beyond.
Have you always been drawn to the idea of using herbs to make your own products, teas, drinks, and food? Immerse yourself in weeklong class, Shaker Herbs, Roots, Barks, and Lore, taught by herbalist Jamie Sparks during Shaker Week, November 3–9. Explore how Shakers used plants to be self-reliant and to connect to the natural world. Jamie has a lot of wisdom to share, so let’s learn a little more about her experience and what’s in store for the class.
Whatever your abode, castle or cottage, you most likely have a broom in your home or hanging on your hearth. From besoms and cobweb brooms to more modern flat brooms and whimsical sculptural objects, brooms are important cultural symbols used for decoration and ritual, as well as functional tools. At the Folk School, we have both week-long and weekend classes for you to explore the rich heritage of broom making with renowned artisans.
Rag rug weaving embraces the folk art tradition of using everyday, readily available materials to build aesthetically beautiful, yet functional art: textiles made from the things we have, can forage, or acquire. With the craze du jour surrounding KonMari, now is a good time to think about new options for all those clothes you may be putting into the “Thank you, goodbye” pile. Rag rug weaving might be your perfect option!
If you are interested in basketry, paper art, or weaving, and want to learn new techniques, materials, and form, don’t miss our upcoming class with Aimee Lee, Paper Thread through Asia, scheduled for June 9–15, 2019. You will discover ancient techniques of transforming paper into thread, cord, small weavings, and sculptural basketry. Based on Korean and Japanese traditions of jiseung (paper basketry) and shifu (paper cloth), you will learn to spin one-ply thread and twist two-ply cord in completely different ways.
We had a wonderful time at our first-ever Friends & Family Day on May 11! Community members of all ages toured our open studios, participated in hands-on making, watched demonstrations, enjoyed music & dance performances, savored local food, and learned all about the Folk School.
This lovely cake is perfect for Easter, May Day, or Mother’s Day, a wedding or baby shower or a spring birthday. It’s both beautiful and scrumptious and tastes like the very epitome of spring. If, for no other reason, you want to simply make it to mark the season, share it proudly and lovingly with friends and family.
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Folk harp enthusiasts! Come celebrate Scottish Heritage Week with the ancient instrument of Scotland, the Celtic or lever harp, in our class Folk Harp Gathering. This class encourages harp players to come together and share the history, learn tunes of the ancient harpers, and play songs and dances from Scotland and nearby Celtic lands. It is also a time to rekindle the friendships from past harp gatherings, meet new harp enthusiasts and play together in ensemble.
It is Thursday afternoon. Outside the writing studio window, the day is bathed in sunlight, the limb patterns on the grass motionless. Inside the studio, writers are at work with pen or laptop, or staring out the window, or sitting chin in hand. Chairs squeak, the printer clacks, the clock ticks. Small sounds that only accentuate the silence. The writing group is focused, which is different from a focus group . . . or maybe it isn’t.
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When students show up at an Intermediate-level fiddle class, they already know how to play some tunes — maybe some fast ones, maybe some waltzes; tunes learned from a friend or teacher or family member, tunes laboriously acquired from a scratchy old recording, or tunes read out of a tunebook.
Today we’re sharing the perfect recipe for holiday potlucks. Antipasto Salad is easy to assemble and makes an impressive addition to any table.
This recipe turns humble pork chops into supper for guests, especially when you serve it with Nanette’s Apple Chutney, braised beet greens, or broccoli.
Having grown up just 12 miles down the road from Brasstown, many of Tommye Scanlin’s earliest Folk School memories date back to her youth. In the mid-1960s, she and her boyfriend would often catch a glimpse of campus on their way to the drive-in movie theater in Peachtree. Since those drive-in, drive by days, Tommye’s Folk School story has come full circle…
Author Nanette Davidson meticulously collected, curated, and adapted over 200 delicious recipes for The Folk School Cookbook. These include some of the most memorable recipes served family-style in the school’s Dining Hall and at seasonal celebrations over the decades. Bring the Folk School’s culinary traditions into your own kitchen and order your copy today!
In our recent letter from Folk School Director Jerry Jackson, Weavers’ Work Week was featured in Janet Davis’ story (if you missed it, read the letter online here). I thought this would be a great time to talk to Pam Howard, the Folk School’s Resident Weaver, about this special week. Weavers’ Work Week is an annual tradition at the Folk School where skilled weavers are invited to come for a week and volunteer their time to do projects around campus and make improvements in the studio. Let’s learn more from Pam…
When Janet Davis recently volunteered for Weavers’ Work Week, it was just her second visit to campus since her beloved husband, Jim, passed away in November 2017.
Do you have a basic understanding of your DSLR camera and want to learn more in-depth techniques for improving your photography? Summertime at the Folk School provides an abundance of photographic material: pastoral landscapes, interesting folks, gardens, old buildings, barns, music, dance, craft studios. Instructor Stephanie Gross has a BFA in Photography from the Rhode Island School of Design and has been making and thinking about photography for 25 years. Enjoy our interview!
Corie Pressley has lived in tiny Brasstown, North Carolina, all her 21 young years. She commuted to college for two years but this scenic Appalachian community is where she’s grown up, developed, and matured. You might think her life experiences have been limited in this small town. But that’s where you’d be wrong.
Did you get a chance to listen to the interview about the Folk School with Pattie Bagley, Mark Hendry and Jack Smoot on The Avenue Lounge Show on WREK Radio 91.1 FM, Atlanta, GA? If you missed the live show modern technology has preserved the interview for all to enjoy, at any time, here on Soundcloud. Learn about some Folk School history and also about Pattie, Mark, and Jack’s personal stories and experiences.
Have you ever wanted to experience the magic of moving molten glass? Flameworking 101 might be the craft for you! We are lucky to have Carla Camasso teach the art of flamework, also known as lampwork. Carla is a glass artist currently living in Asheville, North Carolina. Using a torch to melt and manipulate borosilicate glass, her work is greatly inspired by the beauty of nature. Learn more about Carla in this sweet interview I did with her in the Folk School Dining Hall during the week of her last class with us.
My recent trip to the Folk School was a little different than usual. For one thing, after ten years of teaching “The Science of Bread,” I shifted gears slightly and taught “Making Traditional Breads.” Thankfully, science still applies in traditional breads. The other difference was that my mom accompanied me for the first time, to take a quilting class…
I realized soon after joining the Folk School this summer that this was a unique place brimming with stories. Stories about what happens here, stories about learning a new skill or technique. Stories about how a week at the Folk School has transformed lives, created rich new relationships and empowered students and instructors to make new discoveries about themselves and others.
I met Tom Quest over meatloaf dinner in the Dining Hall on Sunday night. We quickly discovered that we were enrolled in the same class: Jim Horton’s “Great American Poster” printmaking class. I discovered Tom is a professional potter and he got his start in clay years ago at the Folk School. He and his family often come here for vacation. This particular week, his wife and daughter were taking felting & dyeing together. I sat down with him to learn a little bit more about his pottery, our class, and why the Folk School is a great place for a family vacation. Enjoy our interview!
Read a sweet interview 18-year-old Sienna Bosch from Fort Collins, CO who took the class “Beginning Techniques in Enamel” with Christie Schuster. She was here with her mom, who was in printmaking class, and her dad, who taught woodturning. I sat down with her and talked about her experience. Enjoy our interview!
Next week is a special week for our Book & Paper Arts Program as our brand new beautiful studio opens its doors to students for the very first time. It’s appropriate that the first class is a letterpress printing class considering that printmaking will flourish with the new space and room for equipment and presses. We talked with instructor Jessica White who is teaching the inaugural class about her craft and process. Enjoy our interview!
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The intricate paper cuts of Ingrid Lavoie draw you into a fantastic world of whimsy, nature, and storytelling. She enjoys unfolding a new work to reveal the paper’s transformation, and has been teaching others this delightful art form for several years. Enjoy our interview!
Unsure of what a hobo nickel is? Look no further! Read an interview with Tom Patterson who teaches a class in Hobo Nickel Engraving at the Folk School. Tom has been a hand engraver and metalsmith for more than 50 years. Enjoy our interview!
The month of December is a special time at the Folk School. Recently, I connected with Nanette Davidson, our longtime decorating maven and mastermind, to ask about holiday traditions at the Folk School. Enjoy our interview!
Kay Patterson teaches many times throughout the year at the Folk School in a variety of subjects including Jewelry, Metalwork, Felt Making, Enameling, and Shoe Making. I sat down with Kay to learn a little bit more about her life, inspirations, and her crafts. Enjoy our interview!
Are you ever inspired during the holiday season and decide to try your hand at making a gingerbread house from scratch? Annnnnd then your dreams of edible decorative glory come crashing down when your gingerbread house looks more like a shanty shack than a storybook chalet? I’ve been there, and maybe you have too. Have no fear! Expert baker and cake decorator, Jodi Rhoden will be here to save the (holi)day with her upcoming weekend class: Handmade Gingerbread Houses.
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Donna Glee Williams, is a writer of fantasies for the teenager in all of us, as well as being a seminar leader, dream worker, and creative coach. She has recently published two novels and her work has been featured in anthologies, literary magazines, academic journals, spoken-word podcasts, and more. Without further ado, let’s get to know Donna Glee!
Earlier this month, I had the chance to take a class on kaleidoscopes with longtime Folk School instructor Scott Cole
Learn a little bit about Tim Ryan the gardener, auctioneer, medicine showman, raconteur, kettle cooker, blacksmith, instructor, former Folk School Board member, bibliophile, and storyteller. We recently sat down over lunch to talk about many things. Enjoy our interview!
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I just finished teaching a weekend class on pollinators and gardening at the Folk School. My class was a great group of folks. We learned about seeding starting and growing native milkweeds for monarch eggs and caterpillars, planting flowers, native shrubs and trees for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, the challenges of neonicotinoids and herbicides. The weekend exhibited beautiful May weather! Enjoy our photo album:
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Every year, we have a sweet tooth soothing tradition in Emily Buehler’s bread baking class. On Thursday, students team up to make a special recipe: Emily’s Mom’s Sticky Buns. The beginning of the week is spent learning the basics of breads like baguettes, sourdough loaves and whole wheat sandwich bread. By Thursday, students are happy to shift gears from savory to sweet for this divine gooey treat.
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Empty Bowls checks of $3,188 each were presented this week to the Cherokee County Sharing Center and Clay County Food Pantry. The 10th Annual Empty Bowls was held on March 12 at the Folk School. The Empty Bowls fundraiser for Cherokee and Clay County food banks has been organized by Resident Potter Mike Lalone and hosted by the John C. Campbell Folk School for the past 10 years. Thanks again to everyone who supported this event!
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On Friday, April 8, high school students in the Folk School JAM Program played a concert in the Community Room to celebrate the conclusion of the first session. Under the direction of Johnny Scroggs (guitar) and Peggy Patrick (fiddle), students spent 12 weeks learning traditional Appalachian music as part of the Folk School JAM program. We recently sat down with Program Director Hannah Levin to find out more about this wonderful program preserving traditional Appalachian music in our local high schools. Read on to find out how you (or your teen) can get involved!
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This week for our celebration of Scandinavian heritage, Elmer Roush is teaching Viking-style Ironwork in the Blacksmith Shop. Students are focusing on reproducing 10th-century Viking relics including spearheads, axes arrowheads, and locks. Elmer is renowned for creating hand forged functional hand tools, weapons and implements from 10th Century Viking to 18th Century American styles. He often teaches historical styles at the Folk School.
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Under my tree this year is another tree and it looks like this:
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David Baker lights up any room with creative energy and joy. You may see him in a pink Easter bunny outfit in the spring, dressed as the spirit of fall at Fall Festival, or, on a more casual day, gliding around the Dining Hall in a flouncy, fluorescent tutu. In the spirit of the Folk School, he reminds us to embrace our inner child, to play, to laugh, to create, to experiment and to love each other and ourselves. David has been teaching Kaleidoscope classes at the Folk School for over a decade. He is also our regular massage therapist. Enjoy our interview!
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Instructor Mary Lou Weidman of Spokane, Washington recently sent us a quilt depicting the story of the Folk School. Three and a half years in the making, the wonderfully colorful and imaginative quilt is hanging on display in the Community Room of Keith House.
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A big congratulations to Brasstown artist Lynda Metcalfe for being the recipient of a NOMMA (National Ornamental and Miscellaneous Metals Association) Top Job 2015 Silver Award. I was delighted to sit down with Lynda and learn about this exciting project and what it’s like to be a local artist in the Folk School Community. Enjoy our interview!
The Folk School recently had a very special group visit. To celebrate their 60th Wedding Anniversary, Dr. Fred and Mrs. Martha U. Goldner of Nashville, TN, decided to return to the Folk School and this time they brought their family and several friends to join in the fun!
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This past weekend, instructor Alice Russell taught a Quilting class. She brought some samples of her quilting, including this beautiful quilt she recently created for the Quilts of Valor Foundation which provides quilts to heal and comfort our service members and veterans. We think that’s pretty awesome! Go Alice!
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In the spirit of a handmade holiday, many ornaments and garlands hanging around the school were created from past Folk School catalogs. The new 2015 Folk School Catalog arrives this week, so we encourage you to re-purpose your 2014 Folk School catalog to make crafty and inexpensive holiday decorations with your family and friends.
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I had the pleasure of having my first ever Folk School Quilting class taught by one firecracker of a quilter, Audrey Hiers of Blairsville, GA. This lovely lady has been picked to be featured in McCall’s “Quilting” Magazine 6 times and her “Crazy Dazies” designs is a McCall’s pick of their top 16 scrap quilts. She is teaching “Appalachian Holiday Quilts” during Holiday in the Mountains Week, December 7-13. I caught up with Audrey about quilting and more. Enjoy our chat!
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I stopped by the Oscar Cantrell Blacksmith Shop, the current shop of Resident Blacksmith, Paul Garrett. Paul and I talked about the upcoming Blacksmith & Fine Craft Auction on November 1, a special event planned for October 31st, and about Folk School life in general. Enjoy!
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I stopped by the Yarn Circle to speak with Charlotte Crittenden to talk about calling and dancing. Charlotte, a Brasstown local, is a regular caller at the Folk School on Tuesday and Saturday night dances. She is a popular regional caller who has recently called at Old Farmer’s Ball, River Falls, Grey Eagle, Chattanooga, Atlanta, Charleston, Charlotte, Sautee and more! Enjoy our interview…
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We love our new wood pyrography spoons by Teri Paulk! They’re all food safe except for the painted Dogwoods on the back left.
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Everyone had a wonderful evening during our July 31 Wine Tasting Event at the Craft Shop! Enjoy our photos and stop on by the Craft Shop to find out more about our events.
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“What do you like best about the Folk School?” I asked an eight-year-old friend.
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To have the freedom we had as children: to explore, to try new things, to dabble, to be alright with not being good at it, to immerse ourselves and relinquish all responsibilities for awhile… sound good? Since 1925, John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC has been answering the call of adults who want to have fun learning about music, art, nature, crafts, gardening, cooking, storytelling and writing.
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Look what friend of the Folk School, Liz Dahmen, found at an estate sale in Beacon, NY this past weekend:
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I stopped by the Yarn Circle on a Monday afternoon to speak with Martha Owen, our beloved longtime Resident Artist in Spinning, Knitting, Dyeing and Felt Making. We talked about many things including fiber arts, raising sheep, travel, artistic process, Fair Isle, her rich history with the Folk School, and more. Enjoy our interview!
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When I found out Pattie Bagley (Resident Artist for Baskets, Brooms, and Chair Seats/local mischief maker) was teaching an introductory rib baskets class, I knew I wanted a spot in the class. Right before coming down to the Folk School to begin my term as a second-time host, I completed my masters degree in Occupational Therapy (OT) – a rehabilitation profession that focuses on working with people to regain function and get back to meaningful occupation (self-care, leisure and work) after illness, injury or disability. Traditionally OTs have used crafts such as basket-weaving as a way to work on rehabilitation-related goals. There is also a strong connection between OT and the Folk School. Murray Martin, who was integral to the growth and success of the Brasstown carvers, was trained as an occupational therapist. For all these reasons, I knew it would be a special week for me. What I didn’t know was that Jan Stansell, an expert basket-maker, long-time Folk School instructor, and recent stroke survivor, would be one of my classmates.
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It’s Valentine’s Day here at the Folk School. I caught up with some friends and classmates this week to hear more about what folks are doing to mark the occasion.
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As a host at the Folk School, sometimes really incredible opportunities come your way. Karen Mueller is an innovative, virtuosic musician and highly sought after music educator. I recently took Karen Mueller’s intermediate-advanced autoharp class and weekend beginner mountain dulcimer class back-to-back. At the end of our time together, she agreed to sit down with me and answer a few of my questions about her life, career, and relationship to the Folk School.
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Margaret Radcliffe is teaching two Knitting classes next month at the Folk School: My First Sock (Feb. 28 – March 2 / Weekend) and the Easiest Sweaters in the World (March 2-8). Come learn new techniques to take your garment knitting to the next level (or the first level if you are new to socks and sweaters). I chatted with Margaret about Knitting, the Folk School, and what it is like to write about Knitting. Enjoy our interview!
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Cindy Alley wrote a great blog about her experience as a student in last week’s “Yoruba Batik, Adire, and Tie Dye” with Gasali Adeyemo (Oct. 20-25, 2013):
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AARP has written an article called “Culinary Travel” featuring the Folk School in AARP The Magazine!
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Using clogging, music and storytelling to charm Folk School audiences since 1996, Aubrey exudes a talent, grace, and humor unique to only the most tenured and talented of performers. Aubrey returns to the Folk School this September to teach two dynamite classes: Singing with Clawhammer Banjo (Sept. 8-13) and Clogging (Sept. 13-15 – Weekend). She is also scheduled to perform in special Thursday night concert, Sept. 12, 7 p.m. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn to play, laugh, sing, and dance with Aubrey this fall!
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The Folk School is so happy to welcome Annie Fain Liden-Barralon to the position of Music and Dance Coordinator! I sat down with Annie Fain to find out about her experience growing up in the Folk School community and what it’s like to return as the Music and Dance Coordinator.
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So let me preface this blog entry with the fact that I grew up reading comic books (or as I would have argued adamantly at one point—graphic novels), and much to my wife’s chagrin I still have several subscriptions to this day. My father grew up reading comics and he passed them on to me. I read his Uncle Scrooge, Batman, Dick Tracy, Lone Ranger, MAD, Superman and other Atomic Age comics until they literally fell apart. For good or bad that set me on a path of buying and collecting thousands of comics.
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June Rollins is one of our favorite Craft Shop people and bloggers here at the Folk School. But did you know that June is also an awesome artist? This Easter, June painted an awesome portrait of Edward, our beloved Rooster and we loved the card so much, we wanted to find out more about June Rollins’ artistic ventures!
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Kim Joris is a Folk School instructor who is teaching The Art of Reuse: Working with Found Objects to three remarkable students this week.
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We love to see smiling, Dexter Dockery, who began carving at age 18 and is a lifetime member of the Southern Highland Handcraft Guild, come into the Craft Shop with his graceful, hand-carved birds.
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Part III: Folk School Staff with American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) Connections
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A perk of a class named The Art of the Seasonal Dinner Party is the Wednesday night 4-course meal! Here are a few of the recipes from the evening and a picture of each course. What a wonderful group of 10! Students invited a guest and a merry feast was had by all on the evening of Feb 27, 2013. It was a magical night in the Cooking Studio.
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What do chickens, flags, pinwheels, dancing ladies, stars, and tiny gingerbread houses have in common?
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I first met Emily my very first week at the Folk School in January of 2011. I was a work/study and she was teaching bread making. That week, snow had dumped onto the campus leaving sheets of white across the fields and a chill in our bones (our main task as work-studies was to clear the paths and walkways). I vividly remember working Monday afternoon outside the cooking studio and Emily appeared at the door to invite us to come in and taste some warm, freshly baked bread. It was delicious!
Betsy Henn Bailey celebrates her 36th year as a Fall Festival vendor and artist. A local artist and teacher in the Brasstown and Murphy area for over 40 years, Betsy has had a great influence on art and culture in our community. The week before the 39th Annual Fall Festival I talked to Betsy about the festival, her art, and her Folk School memories.
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“Personal Places–Portraits in the Landscape” focused on working from photos to depict a story through an art quilt accomplished during the week. Our class was small, but that turned out to be a blessing. This class is very intense, there is a lot of information to process in five days.
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The Folk School catalog offers a class category titled “Unique Offerings” and this year I was lucky enough to be there when a Unique Offering class, “Hand-and-Rod Puppet Construction” was in session. Teacher David Stevens taught this class with his purple assistant, Lobert. David was funny, but with Lobert he was hilarious. He’s also a great banjo player and singer.
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The Folk School has been making efforts to use native plants in our landscapes and there is a very interesting one in bloom right now at the Field House. Franklinia alatamaha, or the Franklin Tree, is a rare shrub or small tree of the Tea Family which was discovered in Georgia in the 1700’s by naturalists John and William Bartram. They brought specimen seeds and plants back to Philadelphia where it was propagated and named in honor of the Bartrams’ friend Benjamin Franklin. However, the Franklinia has never again been found in the wild (since 1803) and the remaining plants are descendants of the Bartrams’ collected specimens.
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Brasstown Morris Dancers greeted the Olympic Torch in Kenilworth, England, and brought home the “Gold” of West Yorkshire Morris Dancing. Except it’s not gold and they didn’t bring it home. The Wickham Cup, actually a silver plated mug, remains in its place of honor in England, but newly inscribed with the name Dame’s Rocket.
I recently got the chance to take my first Woodworking class here at the Folk School. It was the “Making a Traditional Moulding Plane” class, where we made a variety of 19th century quarter sawn beech planes using antiques as examples, and using many antique tools to do the work. It was a great class that had been very skillfully prepared and presented. It was taught by Bill Anderson and Peter Ross.
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I sat down with Paul Garrett, the Folk School’s resident blacksmith, to find out a little bit more about the mysterious and unique annual event known as Blacksmith Work Week.
This afternoon, many of our older citizens gathered in the Olive Dame Campbell Dining Hall for the annual Old Folks Party. They celebrated the holidays, visited with each other, shared stories and memories, and enjoyed music, games, and a delicious meal. For many of them, their parents or grandparents were responsible in part for the Folk School being located in Brasstown. When the school started in 1925, hundreds of local residents pledged their support through physical labor, teams of mules, money, and even land donations. Many of the skills we teach at the Folk School today were passed down through these generations, often grandparents teaching children weaving, wood carving, or chair making.
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The cast of color has changed greatly from earlier this month, from the hillsides around us which showed mostly the deeper russet reds and burnt oranges. A few individual trees around the Folk School campus still glowed with vibrant oranges and yellows. In this glorious fall, those who were here to study and play were surrounded by landscape colors changing and twirling to the ground every day. Work-study students prepared the garden for wintering over. November brought the mists again when the rains came. Patches of sunlight on the mountainsides revealed soft grays topped with pale burnished golds polished by the sun.
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“What was I thinking?” passed through my mind several times last week while I sat in “Intro Guitar” class at the Folk School. In other studios, I imagined, students happily wove Shaker rugs or rolled polymer clay into intricate beads. Why had I signed up for a music class? My left fingers hurt from pressing on the steel guitar strings, I couldn’t change from a G chord to a D chord fast enough, and I’d probably never get “Goodnight Irene” out of my head again.
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Somewhere in Denmark right now, our documentary video, Sing Behind the Plow, is being viewed by hundreds of Danes who are being introduced to Brasstown’s version of a folk school. Lissi Oland, a woodturner who lived and taught in Brasstown for many years, and has since returned to her native Denmark, is hosting an exhibit of her large woodturnings, as well as historic photographs of the early days of the Folk School. The photographs were taken in the 1920’s by Folk School’s co-founder, Marguerite Butler Bidstrup, with whom Lissi was very close.
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Thirty-eight years ago, the very first Folk School Fall Festival was held by Open House beside the large fields. Gus and Maggie Masters, then directors of the Folk School, were enamellists who were used to selling their art at shows and festivals. So they simply brought to the Folk School and local artists a festival of our own!
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This week’s rug weaving teacher, Nancy Crampton, says her idea of a vacation is a change of pace- trying something new. Her family must agree. For seven years now, Nancy’s family, including her husband, son, daughter, and son-in-law, have made the Folk School an annual family vacation. They are taking (and in Nancy’s case, teaching) different classes, but the Folk School experience is something they enjoy sharing together. Nancy, who initially came to the Folk School to take an enameling class from a favorite instructor, says her family enjoys the air of creativity that permeates the campus.
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For the ten students who attended last week’s Natural Vine Basketry class, every basket they made began with a walk in the woods. The 6-day class began Sunday night with an orientation by instructor and basketmaker Matt Tommey (http://www.matttommey.com) that included information on how to identify, gather and prepare natural materials for basketweaving. After plenty of questions and a good night’s rest, the class headed for the woods on Monday morning.
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Last week we welcomed Bob Rupert of Pennsylvania, and his assistant Gary Cooper to the Spencer/Whitaker Blacksmith Shops for their first visit to Brasstown. They both quickly acclimated to the new Five Star facility, and found it easy to fall into the spirit of the Folk School during the week.
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The following is a post by local blogger, Tipper Wilson Pressley. Visit Tipper’s blog, Blind Pig & the Acorn about all things Appalachia.
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Charles Judd’s recent timber framing class (May 22-28) contributed a wonderful addition to our campus: a pergola in front of the Willard Baxter Woodturning Studio. Students worked as a team to create a traditional timber frame using mortise and tenon joinery and wood pegs.
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The stories of our lives where dance and song are called for, go back to faraway lands where kings and villagers alike danced for joy. Dance as a way to express joy that cannot be contained is part of many legends across the globe. I know that you understand what I am talking about. The many threads of our Southern Appalachian story can be seen beginning with the Singing Games or Play Party Games, which are a long time part of a vibrant mountain culture. Almost any occasion where the earliest settlers and pioneers gathered, there was time to sing, clap, laugh, and stomp in time with the music they created. Not too different from what we do now, whenever we are together!
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Woodturning instructor, Alan Leland, tells us why he loves teaching at the Folk School:
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The Folk School’s campus, which for its size, is very rich in birdlife, is a perfect setting for “Birds of Southern Appalachia,” …
I had never been to Murray Martin’s house (Hill House) before today. I met Murray many years ago when she used to attend Resident Artist, Billie Shelburn’s painting classes. Murray Martin came to Brasstown in 1935 and was a craft teacher at the Folk School during the time of Folk School founders, Olive Campbell and Marguerite Bidstrup. She certainly gave a lot to the school and the community. To help local folks make a better living, the Brasstown Carvers were mentored by Murray and rose to a place of national recognition for their carvings. She retired in 1973 and lived in Hill House from the 1970’s until her death in 2005.
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Blacksmith Work Week is a wonderful annual tradition at the Folk School where blacksmiths from all over come and volunteer their time to do smithing projects around campus and make improvements in the Shop. It’s been 15 or 20 years that they have gathered here every spring, for Blacksmith Work Week, so Paul Garrett, the Resident Blacksmith tells me. When I visited, there were about 20 men and at least one woman circling like bees. They are all over the balconies, in corners and down on the floor. Red hot metal is being pounded beside blazing forges, power hammers have metal running through at a rapid speed, and components are being welded together. It is high-level intensity with professional focus in the shop today. No students are here; the blacksmiths are giving their time and talent to retrofit the Francis Whitaker Blacksmith Shop. What was the primary blacksmith shop is now being set up for material storage, welding, grinding, and drilling. A few forges have been left in place for this studio.
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Becky Souris, who recently finished her four months of hosting, shares thoughts on her time at the Folk School.
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Charley Orlando and Doug Merkel taught “Early Scandinavian Ironwork for Everyone” during Scandinavian Week.
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It started in 1999. Four long-time friends decided to take a class together at the Folk School. Based on the time they had off, and their similar interests, they chose a jewelry class taught by our Resident Artist in jewelry, Barbara Joiner. They probably didn’t suspect that their week long class would turn into a 12 year (and running) tradition that reunites a special, tight-knit group of friends, while giving them the opportunity to hone their jewelry and metalsmithing skills. The original group of four expanded throughout the years, and now about 8 people are considered “regulars” each year in Barbara’s class. Students come from Georgia, Mississippi, Ohio, and beyond to take advantage of Barbara’s expertise to work independently on their own projects. (This year’s class was called “Unfinished Business.”)
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Quilting instructor Marilyn Wall first discovered Art Quilts at an American Quilter’s Society show in Kentucky. Employing the folk learning process, Marilyn “blundered through” teaching herself to make her first art quilt, which is still a favorite among those who view her galleries of work. Art quilting takes a mixed-media perspective, which is well suited to Marilyn’s background in photography and painting.
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We recently had a very interesting first time instructor here, Christa Knidt Newhouse, who taught a weekend class of Bi-Color Brioche Knitting. She also brought with her some amazing double knitted garments that she had designed herself. One particularly impressive piece was a long, knit sweater with an intricate scene of Chicago, which took Christa five months to complete. Christa is a self-taught double knitter, who quickly picked up the process after seeing it in a book. Double knitting produces two layers and a reversible pattern using circular needles and two balls of yarn.
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It is an absolutely gorgeous day here at the Folk School, 65 and sunny. I decided it was a prime day to get out and do some photography for a grant I am writing for the Hill House, the historic home of Brasstown Carver mentor, Murray Martin. One of the things I wanted to get a shot of was the plant motifs on all of the window casings and doors. These carvings were done by the Belgian engineer, Leon Deschamps, who designed many of the Folk School’s original buildings. After scrambling out one of the living room windows onto the front porch, I was able to get a couple of good shots of these unique images.
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We recently had local artist/blacksmith Joe Miller back to teach his popular “Critters” class in the blacksmith shop for one of January’s advanced weeks. The class is a combination of forging and fabricating, and the students make a critter or two of their choice that might be some kind of a fish, a bird, spider of a animal of just about any species.
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By Julie Sibley, Artist, Designer & Celebrating 25 years this year, of being a faculty member at the John C. Campbell Folk School
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The Cooking Studio is a nice place to be during the summer. The windows along two sides of the building look out to the fields and herb garden. Inside the kitchen is bright and clean and, while class is going on, full of hustle and bustle. I stopped in during Mary Lou Surgi’s cheese making class and it looked like so much fun!
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Today, we opened the new Clay Spencer Blacksmith Shop. After a week of moving some of the tools and tables and things from the the old Francis Whitaker shop, we are ready to teach classes again, and welcome instructor Judy Berger, her son David, and the students of Intergenerational Week.
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The second weekend of July saw the last forging class in the historic Francis Whitaker Blacksmith Shop. Jerry Darnell was here to teach his “Colonial Lighting” class. Interestingly, Jerry was here for the first class that Francis ever taught here at the Folk School in the mid-seventies, and said that he drove something like six hundred miles to be here and see this man that everyone was talking about. That class was in the older shop across the street – the Oscar Cantrell shop.
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Here we are at John C. Campbell Folk School for another week of music and dancing. This is the seventeenth year of this fantastic class, with dancing every night for everyone, and dancing and playing every day for the 21 instructors and students participating in the class.
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The last few mornings in the History Center, I have been downstairs putting together our latest exhibit. While I was absorbed in my thoughts of arranging textiles in glass display cases, I finally glanced up to notice Danny Wilson outside the window, on his hands and knees, busily working away. It turns out, Danny was in the process of uncovering a long forgotten sidewalk, steps, iron rail, and front door in front of the History Center building! Danny, of course, had known what lay beneath the layers of compressed soil, rusted farm implements, poison ivy vines, and lilies of the valley.
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A couple of weekends ago, we had a few blacksmiths over for a mini work weekend. Really just a continuation of our annual work week, it was a chance to get some more work done in the new forge building, now officially the Clay Spencer Blacksmith Shop.
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The Folk School recently completed Little Folk School and Middle Folk School–“Little Middle” or “L/M” as it looms on our planning calendars. There were 284 students: 156 Little (age 7-12) and 128 Middle (age 13-17), mostly locals, in 26 classes with 30 amazing teachers and a 37-member volunteer crew.
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Summer is here and so is Little/Middle Folk School. While the campus is taken over by kick ball, card games, picnics, and the fire truck that stopped by on Tuesday to spray the kids off – there is still one adult class happening, and that’s Dance Caller’s Week.
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It’s raining again, and if this were boy-scout camp, there’d be a lot of soggy tents, unroasted marshmallows, and unhappy campers. But here at the John C. Campbell Folk School, each shower puts another bud on the lilies and another apple on the bough over at Orchard House, which will make for fine cider come the Fall Festival. Over one hundred people have gathered to weave backpacks from straw, piece fabric into quilted jackets, build their own mountain dulcimer or learn to play one–just a few of the projects this week.
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Last week has been a wonderful exploration into weaving history for me! My dear friend and “weaving Mom,” Barbara Miller and I traveled to Berea College in Kentucky. We spent several long days looking through archives on early weaving programs at settlement schools in the Appalachian region.
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Last Friday, Folk School students, staff, and community members excitedly
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Every time I come to Brasstown, I’m not sure what to expect. So many things happen here, each studio existing as a world of it’s own, and there is always so much to see and be a part of.
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What is Aran knitting anyway? Aran knitting, sometimes called fisherman style, comes from the Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland. Knitters use one color of yarn to create textured patterns like cables, diamonds, and bobbles.
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Last week, metalwork instructor Bob Trout stopped by my office to talk about the upcoming Gala and Benefit Auction (June 12) and to let me know that he and his fellow instructor, John Rausch would both be purchasing beams in the New Forge Building. Bob, being the enthusiastic supporter that he is, asked if he could speak at “show-and-tell” to hopefully encourage fellow students to match their generous gifts. It is always wonderful to see students and instructors who are so passionate about the School!
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Music and dancing is the heartbeat of the Folk School. While students, instructors, and staff work during the week, it is at the dances and concerts when the community comes together to have fun. Free concerts are held almost every Friday night at the school and this Friday Paul and Jerry Wilson and their family will perform. Groups who play here often travel from afar to share their music, but this week the band will be coming from just down the road. Tipper Wilson writes about her memories at the Folk School:
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I’m Pam East, and my first experience with the Folk School was teaching an enamel bead making class in 2003. From that very first time I knew I had stumbled upon a truly special place. Since then the John C. Campbell Folk School has become my home away from home. Even though I’m usually there to teach, it feels like a vacation. I can feel my soul relax the minute I drive onto the campus.
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You meet the most interesting people here. Over the years, I’ve learned from and enjoyed talking to some of the world’s great characters right here in Brasstown. Shortly after I became the Director of the Folk School, I asked some of my musical and crafts friends to tell me great people we should try to get to teach at the Folk School. A trusted musical advisor, Beth Ross Johnson, said “Get the great ballad singer Norman Kennedy.” My weaving advisor (spouse Nanette) said, “Get the great weaver Norman Kennedy.” These two turned out to be the very same ponytailed Scotsman. So for the last eighteen years or so, he has made visits to Brasstown which are always memorable for us here, jazzing up weavers and spinners, slamming tweed on the table to the beat of the ancient waulking music, where the singing and the weaving come together, as the song propels the cloth sunwise around the table while all the hands of the people lift it up and slam it down and pass it on to the next waulker. In this way, the wool is preshrunk, softened, bonded and unified. The people likewise, except they are not preshrunk.
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Just like it was in my stock car driving days where the last race of the year marked not only the end of the season, and gave us a chance to breathe for a week or so, the last regular class of the year was last week here at the Folk School, and now I have a chance to relax a bit before the 2010 class schedule begins in the first week of January.
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The blacksmithing program is one of the most popular at the John C. Campbell Folk School. With the New Forge Building underway, many people are working hard to raise funds for the new studio. The first Saturday in November, the day of the annual Blacksmith auction, was dedicated to the cause…
Classes at the John C. Campbell Folk School begin with check-in, orientation, welcome dinner, and then a week or weekend packed full of class time. From morning til night we think craft, whether it be music, dance or art. While in studios, students try to let go of the outside world with it’s distractions and complications. It’s a revelation when brows finally unfurrow and true creative relaxation sets in.
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The Sunday Morning String Band, Jan Davidson, Martha Owen, and David Liden started the day out right with some old time fiddle tunes. This year they invited guests to the stage. Fred Ward, a friend from England, played some tunes from old Britain on the melodion, which looks like a small accordion. Before long they invited their youngsters, Chole Davidson, my sister Annie Fain Liden, and I to sing a family favorite – Lazy John.
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Today, the wood chips started flying, and there is sawdust everywhere. I love the aroma of fresh cut pine as it reminds me of trout fishing next to a small sawmill where I grew up in western Montana. Here, it mixed well with the smell of coal smoke wafting it’s way up from the blacksmith shop and from the small forge that I set up amongst the timber framing.
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A marketing worker-bee by day, a dancer/weaver/botanist at 5 pm – that’s how I would have described myself a few months ago. I think I’ve been bitten by the birding bug, though, so I might have to revise this description.
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What I didn’t get to photograph was Paul’s Plant hanger that he made for his garden. My camera died the moment I was about to snap the shutter. It was a longer take on the rest of our plant hangers and had a neat decorative twist in the “leg.” At the base, for stability, he joined a spike by a mortise and tenon joint, another method of joinery Susan taught us.
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A book written by Kerouac, but also an apt description of my status. I originally happened upon the John C. Campbell Folk School when I was looking for classes to jump start my education in metal work and blacksmithing. For the past month I have been traveling visiting with smiths and trying to glean every piece of knowledge that I can while I’m on the road.
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I’ve caught the blacksmithing bug. I’m here writing but would rather have a hammer in my hand, an anvil to my right and a forge to my left. Today has been the most productive day in the shop. Early on Paul, the resident blacksmith (a job smiths would die for), came in and helped me with my hammer grip. He and Susan, my instructor for the week, both trained with Uri Hoffi, an Israeli smith. Uri not only patented a way of striking, but makes his own hammers. Every now and then he travels to the US, teaches classes, and visits smiths.
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