Sometimes they call themselves the Journey Girls; over the years they have shared journeys of discovery and adventure, family and fate, blood relations and soul connections, bridging and bonding. That’s also the theme of their recent artist residency at the John C. Campbell Folk School — Bridging & Bonding — as well as a unique collaboration that will unfold here over the coming year. 

Read more about the event below! 

African American artists, community leaders, and good friends Dr. Diana Baird N’Diaye, Camila Bryce LaPorte, and Julee Dickerson Thompson spent the week together in July sharing their work and process, and planning future outreach programs at the Folk School. This is in partnership with the African American Craft Alliance, Folk School Alliance, and with support from AmeriCorps. (https://folkschoolalliance.org/Bridging-and-Bonding) 

Dr. Diana Baird N’Diaye working in the studio

Julee Dickerson at the Texana Community Center with Zak Foster & Darcy Holdorf

Camila Bryce LaPorte working in the studio

“One of my friends and art colleagues visited John C. Campbell Folk School for the first time last year and commented, ‘How has this place been here all my life, and I didn’t know about it?’” said Diana. “Our hope is to bring the magic of the Folk School to a wider audience, and we feel the best way is to show people.  With support from these organizations, and Darcy Holdorf, Folk School Programs Director, the plan is to bring African American artists together next year for an African American Craft gathering, to teach, learn, and celebrate along with the Folk School community.”  

As part of this “participatory research project,” that energy was off to a great start. The three artists held an Open Studio each afternoon, for the week of their residency, in the spacious and well-equipped Louise Pitman Fiber Arts building. Local artists and residents, Folk School staff, and students from other Folk School classes on campus drifted in and out, admiring the works in progress, sharing their own visions, and jumping in on the creativity. 

Diana, Camila, and Julee each had their space with a variety of projects — stick dolls and clay sculptures, fabric collages and folded books, and a small tent in one corner evolving into a community collaboration. In addition to engaging visitors on their individual projects, they took joy in explaining each other’s journey, with the pride of friendship and collective accomplishment. 

Photo from the open studio

Dr. Diana was recently named an Honorary Fellow by the American Craft Council for her life’s work with the Smithsonian and in the craft community in general (https://www.craftcouncil.org/acc-awards-diana-baird-ndiaye). For one of her projects here, she told the story of how she found a cute little tent at a local grocery store. “It was just the right size for two people, with room to craft, chat, or meditate. Decorated with this lovely leaf pattern with windows on each side, it folded up in this tiny bag and popped right open. It seemed just perfect for a flexible community space. When I finally found out what it was for, I thought, ‘This could have a better purpose.’” Throughout the week, studio visitors cut scrap fabric into leaf shapes and embroidered them all around what turned out to actually be a hunting blind. “And so we are turning this hunting blind into a Mending Blind, a safe space for communication and creativity,” Diana explained. It will stay at the Folk School as an ongoing project. 

Julee’s work table was heaped with colorful dolls of all moods and dispositions, made of fabric scraps, jewelry pieces, wooden spools, and other found objects. A multi-media specialist with a “zero waste ethos,” stick dolls are one of her favorite themes “passed down from my grandmother.” Branches draped with fabric and repurposed packing material graced the wall as dancing figures. Julee is known in her community for using art as a gateway for community support and communication with her youth groups, The Young Masters, and doll-making workshops, Brown Spices, and beautifying public spaces— like a neighborhood bridge. During the week, Julee collaborated with a local wood artist and the Weaving class in the adjacent studio to create a life-sized figure which will welcome makers to the Fiber Arts building. (https://www.theartofjulee.com/) 

Camilla’s Hurricane Dolls

Students from the week’s Spinning class gathered around Camila as she spoke about her clay figures: two women, one with a calm, beatific expression, and the other with arms outstretched to the sky. “She is singing, and they both hold phantom babies. These are hurricane dolls, from the legend that the storms originating off the African coast are the spirits of mothers calling their children home, their children lost to slavery.” She recently curated an exhibit at City Lore gallery in New York City on “The Calling: The Transformative Power of African American Doll and Puppet Making.” (https://citylore.org/urban-culture/the-calling/) “I enjoy exploring personal identity through my doll making,” said Camila. “Who are we really, inside and out?” 

“The saddest thing I hear is, ‘I’m about to retire, and I don’t have any idea what I’m going to do,’” explained Diana. “The desire is there, but they feel, ‘I haven’t done this; I can’t be an artist; I can’t be a maker.’ At craft schools, the work is the draw, and community is the outcome. Here at The Folk School, I see community being first and craft as a bonus. There’s also so much that young people can learn. We hope with Bridging & Bonding to encourage families of color to bring their family reunions here. The Folk School works so well as an inter-generational space, an intercultural space.” 

“This is the first time I have ever had the opportunity to work in a real studio,” said Diana. Like Julee and Camila, their workspaces have been the living room or dining room table. Family and neighbors visit, sit, chat, draw, sew, and share. You get the picture that art is a living, breathing part of their community life, working to express, understand, heal, process, and progress. And like working moms the world over, their artistic explorations have really blossomed post-retirement. 

“I like these walls, I need to find out how they made them.” Diana said as she pinned up fabric designs on the soft panel grids that line the studio, for a series of colorful wall hangings. Beyond decoration, each told a story: one a beautiful dream, another the memory of a loved one. Soft walls, strong bridges, a welcoming space, and interesting folks to share with — the bonds of friendship and self-discovery continue to be forged at John C. Campbell Folk School. 

Founded in 1925, the John C. Campbell Folk School was established with a vision to enrich lives and create a strong sense of community through the preservation, sharing, and teaching of traditional and contemporary crafts. It was John and Olive Dame Campbell’s dream to create a place where people from all walks of life could gather, learn, and grow together, fostering a spirit of cooperation and creativity. 

The Farm house one of the first buildings on campus 

The Journey Girls

The Journey Girls’ residency is a testament to this enduring mission. By bringing together artists, community leaders, and participants of diverse backgrounds, the Folk School continues to be a living, breathing example of how art and education can build bridges and strengthen bonds. This recent collaboration with the African American Craft Alliance and AmeriCorps, along with the anticipation of future projects, highlights the Folk School’s commitment to inclusivity and intergenerational learning. 

As the Journey Girls weave their unique stories into the fabric of the Folk School, they honor its legacy while paving the way for new traditions. Their work echoes the school’s foundational belief that through shared experiences and collective creativity, a resilient and vibrant community can flourish. 

The bonds of friendship and self-discovery forged this summer are not just moments in time but threads in the larger tapestry of the Folk School’s history, reminding us all that, at its heart, the John C. Campbell Folk School is about coming together, learning from one another, and celebrating the journey we share.