13 Dec Announcing our 2023 Artists in Residence
The John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC, and Olive’s Porch, the Folk School’s new community-focused downtown space in Murphy, NC, are thrilled to announce their selection for the 2023 Artist in Residence program. These three artists, chosen from a robust number of applicants, represent the next generation of tradition bearers: furthering Appalachian craft while centering community engagement.
The participants in order of arrival are beadwork and embroidery artist Carly Owens Weiss, quilter and storyteller Jasmine Best, and sculptor and basket-weaver Angela Eastman.
“We are all very excited that Carly, Jasmine, and Angela will join us next year as our second cohort of Artists in Residence,” says Jerry Jackson, Executive Director of the John C. Campbell Folk School. “These three bring unique approaches to traditional craft techniques and will become beloved ambassadors to our students and the wider community. We can’t wait to see what they create while here with us.”
Carly Owens Weiss, Broken Yolk, mixed media soft sculpture (hand embroidery),
6 x 5 x 2 inches
Jasmine Best, Saturday Night Ritual
The Artist in Residence program at Olive’s Porch is a grant-funded opportunity for early to mid-career artists to spend approximately four months focusing on their craft while working within and building community. Residents live on the Folk School’s campus in Brasstown and have access to a studio at Olive’s Porch in Murphy.
The 2022 Artist in Residence cohort, the school’s inaugural, included quilter Zak Foster, percussive dancer and choreographer Becky Hill, and herbalist Bonnie Lenneman. These three artists left an indelible mark on the Folk School, Olive’s Porch, and the surrounding community through their collaborations with area schools and local non-profits, demonstrations at area events, and participatory artworks and performances.
Focused on traditional Appalachian craft, music, and dance, the Artist in Residence program provides a stipend, housing, and ample time for creative practice. Opportunities to engage and inspire through demonstrations, conversations, and collaborations are critical components of the program. Applications for 2024’s Artist in Residence will open in fall 2023.
The John C. Campbell Folk School, in far western North Carolina, hosts over 800 weeklong and weekend classes a year in craft, art, music, cooking, and more. The Folk School’s non-competitive and small-sized classes are offered on a scenic 270-acre campus, attracting students from all over the world. The school is only two hours’ driving distance from Asheville, Atlanta, Chattanooga, and Knoxville and a day’s drive for half of the country’s residents. More information at folkschool.org
Olive’s Porch, the Folk School’s new community-focused downtown space located in nearby Murphy, NC, offers hands-on community workshops for youth and adults during the week and on weekends. Designed for all skill levels, workshops are formatted to meet for one or two days or for multiple sessions over several weeks. In addition to workshop offerings, Olive’s Porch hosts grant-funded community events regularly. The space is also home to a retail shop showcasing the work of Appalachian artists and a working studio dedicated to the Artist in Residence Program. More information at olivesporch.org
More information about each artist is available below.
Works by Angela Eastman
Our 2023 Artists in Residence
Carly Owens Weiss
January 16 – April 30, 2023
Carly Owens Weiss is a multidisciplinary artist based in Boulder, Colorado. She received her BAD in Art + Design from North Carolina State University in 2017 and studied crewelwork and goldwork hand embroidery at the Royal School of Needlework in the United Kingdom.
In her current soft sculpture work, Carly uses hand embroidery to construct narratives using the displacement of everyday objects to explore identity through a personal and symbolic lens. She juxtaposes contrasting themes to create tensions that ultimately make the compositions both humorous and uncanny. Carly’s work has been featured in numerous publications including Architectural Digest (Germany), Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, BUST Magazine and the American Scholar. Her recent exhibitions include group shows at the Museum of Arts and Design (New York, NY), the Bomb Factory Arts Foundation (London, UK), the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art (Boulder, CO) and the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts (Omaha, NE). Carly has also been awarded a Fellowship for a residency at Vermont Studio Center (Summer 2023).
Jasmine Best
May 15 – August 12, 2023
Jasmine Best is a true Southern Artist, gathering narratives from her Carolinian family and childhood. The North Carolina based artist uses her personal memories and manipulations of her memories to create dialogues about the black female identity in the south and in predominantly white spaces.
She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from University of North Carolina at Greensboro and is currently pursuing a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Georgia. Jasmine was recently awarded the Artwork Archive Art Business Grant. She works with tangible and traditional mediums combined with digital means of art making. Her work often depicts maternal figures, each depicting the diversity and qualities that make up the black southern women in her life through several generations.
Angela Eastman
September 11 – December 23, 2023
Angela Eastman is an artist and teacher residing in Hillsborough, North Carolina. She holds an MFA in Sculpture from Cranbrook Academy of Art and completed the Core Fellowship program at Penland School of Crafts, and has participated in residencies at MASS MoCA (MA), Vermont Studio Center (VT), the Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild (NY), Sitka Center for Art and Ecology (OR), Talking Dolls (MI), the Ragdale Foundation (IL), and SIM and Nes residencies in Iceland.
In addition to sculptural work, Angela creates jewelry, baskets, furniture, and other home goods through her design business Flag Mountain Studio. Angela also teaches art workshops to adults and youth. She is an advocate for craft education as a vital component of understanding the material world we live in.
About the Artist in Residence Program at Olive’s Porch
The Artist in Residence Program at Olive’s Porch is a grant-funded opportunity for early to mid-career artists to spend four months in Murphy and Brasstown, North Carolina focusing on their craft while working within and building community. The residency will provide ample time for creative practice and opportunities to engage and inspire through demonstrations, conversations, and collaborations.
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