News and Updates

Olive’s Porch: A Folk School Experience in Downtown Murphy

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.

Online Learning

Winter/Spring 2022 Online Classes

The Folk School is excited to continue our work with Lessonface, an innovative online learning organization founded by Claire Cunningham, a previous Work Study student. Choose from over 30 classes in a variety of subjects such as cooking, fiber arts, glass beadmaking, music, dance, painting, photography, woodworking, and writing.

VIRTUAL MORNINGSONG

Tune Into Virtual Morningsong Every Friday

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.

Appalachian Traditions

Appalachian Traditions Discussion Series

Appalachian Traditions is our free webinar discussion series with instructors from our master-artist-led series on traditional Appalachian craft. These hour-long conversations provide a space for instructors in traditional craft to share their personal stories and discuss their creative process.

Support the Folk School

Donate Today: Together We Make a Great Folk School

When little Betty Hancock first visited the Folk School at eight years old in 1937, she couldn’t imagine what an important part of her life it would eventually become.

CRAFT SHOP FEATURE

Folk School Holiday Memories with Carolyn Anderson

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.

RECENT STORIES

All Hail the Tinsmiths

Tinsmithing. It doesn’t have the glamorous appeal of blacksmithing, with roaring fires and...

Working Under the Star – Part IV

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.

2022 Traditional Craft Mentorship Program

Join us for our second installment of our Traditional Craft Mentorship Program! These two-week series are an opportunity for emerging artists to spend time at the Folk School learning from master artisans. Small groups of participants will join in focused sessions that enhance their interests, knowledge, and skills in traditional Appalachian craft, music or dance. Areas of study for 2022 include Cooking, Folklore and Woodcarving, and Folklore and Music.

Enjoy Folk School Fall Festival Memories: A Photographic Look

The first weekend in October usually marks our annual Fall Festival. However, this year things are...

Capturing Stories Through Photography: The Art of Visual Storytelling

Instructor Karen Kasmauski and Photography Student Abby in the Folk School Vegetable Garden Most...

Keep the Folk School Healthy This Autumn

Maritza Maxwell embraces vulnerability. If you’ve been to the Folk School, you know we provide a supportive place to explore your creativity and connect with others. Maritza says, “Creativity breeds vulnerability and to share that with others is really meaningful. Every single time I’ve been to the Folk School I’ve come away with long-lasting friendships.

About the Traditional Craft Mentorship Program

The Traditional Craft Mentorship Program is an opportunity for emerging artists to spend time at the Folk School learning from master artisans. Small groups of participants will join in focused sessions that enhance their interests, knowledge, and skills in traditional Appalachian craft, music or dance.

Announcing Our Artist in Residence Program

We are excited to announce our first-ever Artist in Residence Program! This 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.

Join Us for South Arts Southern Circuit Film Screenings: Fall 2021

We are pleased to announce the Folk School will be a 2021-22 Screening Partner for South Arts Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers!

South Arts is a regional organization that supports southern artists, arts organizations, and communities. We’ll be a Screening Partner for the Southern Circuit, a series of film screenings and programming that connects US-based documentary filmmakers with communities throughout the south to share their work, discuss their process, and engage with audiences about issues impacting their community.

The Fantastic Flora & Fauna-inspired Jewelry of Charity Hall

Charity Hall is a full-time metalsmith and studio artist with an MFA in Metal Design from East...

Announcing Our New Music & Dance Coordinators: T-Claw Crawford & Charmaine Slaven!

We are thrilled to announce two new members of the Folk School family. As we move forward with new...

Keep the Folk School Healthy: Read Our New 2020 Annual Report and Donate Today

Dear Folk School Family, Our 2020 Annual Report is now available on our website. We publish it in...

Meet Woodworker Mason Cooley, Builder of Bamboo Bicycles

This November, the Folk School is offering a unique woodworking class with Mason Cooley where you...

Remembering David Kaynor by Sue Songer on Behalf of the DMW instructors

David Allen Kaynor passed away peacefully on June 1, 2021. His two sisters were present, as were...

Craft Shop Interview: Jessica Kaufman, Fiber and Surface Design Artist

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!

Exploring Campus and Talking Reopening with Carol Parks

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!

Welcome Our New Gardener, Jason Ebinger

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.

Celebrating May Day with Puppets, a Parade, and the Maypole Dance

On Saturday, May 1, we gathered on the Folk School campus to celebrate May Day. The weather was...

Our Programs Team is Growing

As we prepare for our reopening May 2, we are excited to welcome a variety of new staff members to our Programs team. We’re also happy to announce a few of our previous Programs staff members have transitioned into new roles.

Learn more about our new hires and see what they’ll be working on in the coming months. And make sure to introduce yourself on your next visit if you see any of these familiar faces on campus!

Coming Full Circle: An Interview with Lindsey Liden, Resident Artist in Woodworking

Lindsey Liden is a 7th generation Brasstown native and his family has been associated with the Folk School since 1925. After time traveling, studying, and exploring, he has resettled down in Brasstown and has recently built his woodworking shop, Mulheron Craft, on his family’s farm in Brasstown. Lindsey enjoys making handmade banjos and fine furniture. He is also a regular instructor and our Resident Artist in Woodworking. Enjoy our interview!

The Importance of Carrying on Tradition: Interview with Gina Myers, 3rd Generation Cherokee Potter

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.

Falling in Love with the Folk School:
Sparrow’s Music & Dance Mentorship Experience

As a musician, maker, and mountain gal, the John C. Campbell Folk School has tugged at my heart...

Welcome Allie Dudley, Resident Artist in Weaving, Rugs, Thread Art, Lace and Beading

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.

Radical, Righteous, Women at the Folk School

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.

Current Catalog

Embrace your creative potential, and join us for a life-changing Folk School experience. Our new January–June 2022 Catalog is now available. View the eCatalog online. To receive a printed catalog in the mail, complete our Request a Catalog form on our website.

Online Craft Shop

Our online Craft Shop is now live! Support our vision, mission, and values by purchasing handcrafted items. Our online selection of items will continue to grow, so check back regularly for new items, interviews and more.

What Folks Are Saying

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