Category: Featured Classes
An Interview with Greenwood Spoon Carver Tad Kepley
I recently had the good fortune to visit Pittsboro, NC for the inaugural The GreenWood Wrights’Fest, a weekend gathering of spoon carvers, timber framers, and basket weavers from across North Carolina and beyond. While at first those three crafts may sound dissimilar, the tie that binds them together is their use of “green” wood from a freshly cut log. The techniques of the greenwoodworker rely on the ease with which this wet wood can be immediately processed and shaped with hand tools, then allowed to air dry and be finished. It’s not a big leap to imagine why this style of woodworking was important to those who chose Western North Carolina as their home, with its plentiful hardwood forests. Folks around the world have long developed greenwoodworking skills to make everything from their kitchen utensils to their homes, relying on ingeniously simple hand tools: the axe, the froe, and the knife.
The modern day greenwoodworker may not need to hue a hand-built home out of freshly cut logs in order to survive, but she finds other essential benefits from the act of making things with hand tools. Spoon carving facilitates relaxation and mindfulness, and many carvers find themselves in agreement on the value of a handcrafted item that finds its usefulness in the simple act of cooking or eating. Popularized in the U.S. by Swedish greenwood carver Willie Sundqvist, and immortalized in classic books on greenwoodworking like Drew Langsner’s Country Woodcraft, spoon carving is a relatively inexpensive way to gain entry into the world of woodworking.
The Folk School stands with Ukraine
The Folk School stands with Ukraine. This moment in time, like many, calls for unity and is a...
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Remembering Carla Owen
We are mourning the loss of our dear friend, Carla Owen, who passed away on November 6, 2021....
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Capturing Stories Through Photography: The Art of Visual Storytelling
Instructor Karen Kasmauski and Photography Student Abby in the Folk School Vegetable Garden Most...
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Meet Woodworker Mason Cooley, Builder of Bamboo Bicycles
This November, the Folk School is offering a unique woodworking class with Mason Cooley where you...
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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!
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New Year, New Hope: A Letter by Folk School Director Jerry Jackson
2021 brings renewed hope for getting people back together again. Considering these past months of uncertainty and isolation, we need each other now more than ever—working, learning, and creating together in the vital place that is John C. Campbell Folk School.
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From the Archives: A Photographic Look at the Brasstown Carvers
Often it (carving) has meant the sole source of a doctor’s bill…or food for my children. I am happy that I have the gift of carving and that the Folk School has given me the opportunity to use it.
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Fantastic Recycled Plastic Art: An Interview with David Edgar
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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Studio Batik with Jessica Kaufman
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.
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The Modern Asian Kitchen with Patrick O’Cain
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.
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Shaker Herbs, Roots, Barks, and Lore with Jamie Sparks
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.
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Talking Old Time with Riley Baugus, Banjo Instructor
We are honored to announce that Riley Baugus, renowned old-time musician, will be our first featured artist in the new Appalachian Master Artist Series. Next week. October 14–18, Riley will celebrate old-time music at the Folk School and in our community. Riley’s visit marks the first of a four-part grant-funded series for Fall 2019. These collaborations are focused on perpetuating Appalachian craft and handing down mountain traditions.
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Fund-A-Need: What’s Important to You?
Our Fund-A-Need list represents a wide variety of necessities, from painting easels to woodcarving workbenches and from cooking studio shelving to weaving studio looms. As you know, our studios are where much of the magic happens: learning from your instructor, connecting with your classmates, and tapping into your own creative mindset.
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