11 Mar Bridging Communities Through Craft

A long weekend of classes, scheduled for April 16-19, features artist presentations from African American Craft Alliance artists, music, and storytelling, curating an atmosphere for inter-cultural dialogue around American craft heritage and traditions.
Long Weekend Classes Available
Explore Nigerian Yoruba batik (adire alabala) by applying wax to fabric with wood stamps, stencils, or freehand techniques. Experiment with vibrant colors while learning the cultural significance behind the designs—open to all levels.
Traditional Yoruba Batik–Multiple Color Focus
Instructor: Gasali Adeyemo
Spend a weekend crafting historic Shaker and Appalachian-style hand brooms, creating functional and decorative whisks in various styles and colors. Leave with a collection of handmade whisks and the skills to make more—great for all levels, though some hand and upper body strength is required.
Whisked Away Weekend
Instructor: Mark Hendry
Create a stunning stained-glass panel using the Tiffany copper-foil method and the Morton system for precise cuts. Learn design, cutting, foiling, and soldering techniques—perfect for beginners to intermediates, with moderate hand strength required.
Prairie-style Stained Glass Panels
Instructors: Caroline Teal & John Combs
Learn to weave on a floor loom by winding a warp, dressing the loom, and throwing the shuttle. Using cotton yarn, create a scarf or napkin set while exploring weave structures and color—perfect for beginners or those refreshing their skills.
Beginning Weaving
Instructor: Bailey Knight
Discover the traditional art of Carolina Gullah basketry with a fifth-generation weaver. Learn coiling techniques using sweetgrass, bullrushes, and pine needles while exploring the history and heritage of this craft—open to all levels.
Sweetgrass Creations
Instructor: Lynette Youson
Learn the basics of woodturning and get hands-on at the lathe while creating beginner projects like a honey dipper, kitchen utensil handle, and a shallow bowl. Gain skills in shop safety, tool sharpening, and techniques, and take home beautiful, functional art.
Welcome to Woodturning
Instructor: Mitchell Jones
Watercolors are easier than you think! This class covers background washes, color contrasts, composition, and more, helping you create finished paintings while refining your skills and understanding of best practices.
Watercolors Made Easy
Instructor: Joe Synan
Learn traditional carving techniques to create in-the-round faces in the Brasstown Carvers style. Guided by a tradition-bearer, use knives, chisels, and gouges to shape your work at your own pace—perfect for all levels.
Secrets of Face Carving Revealed
Instructor: Helen Gibson
Community singing fosters unity, spiritual healing, and expression, especially for African Americans and other ethnic groups. Explore spirituals, gospel, civil rights songs, and more, celebrating both new and traditional songs passed down through the African American oral tradition—open to all levels.
Creating Healing Songs for Troubled Times
Instructor: Pam Rogers
Hand-stitch a mixed-media, fiber doll using fabrics, yarns, and adornments to tell a story and capture its spirit. All levels welcome; basic sewing knowledge is helpful but not required.
Hand-stitched Art Doll
Instructor: Francine Haskins
Create a handmade book that tells the story of “Who are your people?” or shares the story of yourself or someone else. Use photos, documents, and family lore for inspiration, then add a letterpress title and bind the book in either a codex or accordion fold structure—open to all levels.
Bookmaking with Family Documents
Instructor: IBé Crawley
Explore color and design in jewelry making while incorporating shape, texture, and spacing to match your personal style. Using beads and imitation sinew, create unique necklaces, earrings, bracelets, or pins—open to all levels.
Art of Design & Magic of Imitation Sinew
Instructor: Elaine Robnett Moore
Meet the AACA Artists

Ibe Crawley

Francine Haskins

Pam Rogers
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