Category: Spotlight
Read Our 2021 Annual Report and Donate Today
Our 2021 Annual Report is now available on our website. We publish it in grateful recognition of our generous supporters, to provide an overview of our activities last year, and to share our audited financial performance as a non-profit organization.
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Create Shadow Puppetry, Storytelling & Song Magic with West of Roan in New Intergenerational Week Class
Don’t miss an incredible opportunity for you and a favorite youth to take a weeklong class with Channing Showalter and Annie Schermer, the renowned multi-media performance artist duo West of Roan. Known for creating performances using the storytelling methods of song and puppetry, this duo will lead a class on the art of shadow puppetry during Intergenerational Week, July 17–23.
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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.
Outdoor Concert and Dance Series Continues This Summer
We’re delighted to announce a new series of Music and Dance events! These programs are an integral part of the Folk School experience, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome springtime with their return. We hope that you and your family will join us for concerts, variety shows, and short dances in a safe, outdoor environment.
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Apply today for Little/Middle Folk School 2022
Every summer the Folk School opens its doors to young folks ages 7-17 for Little/Middle Folk School, an opportunity for youths to discover Appalachian culture and to take part in hand-on programs in dozens of arts and crafts.
Little/Middle is scheduled for June 19–25, 2022. Participants are divided into two groups. “Littles” are rising second-graders to rising sixth-graders, and “Middles” are rising seventh-graders to rising twelfth-graders (minimum age 11). Register today!
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Join Us for Intergenerational Week: July 17-23
Intergenerational Cooking students explore the Folk School Herb Garden..
We’re excited to introduce younger generations to enriching art, music, and traditional mountain crafts. Our 2022 Intergenerational Week, scheduled for July 17-23, invites youths 12-17 to take classes with a parent, grandparent, or other special relative or guardian. This rewarding experience brings families together, and has proven to be great fun for all who participate.
Donate Today: Together, We Make a Great Folk School
Ron Bohrer and Larry Castleberry found the Folk School in 2011 when they attended our big Fall Festival with other members of their local museum in Tennessee. After seeing our class catalog, Ron says, “We had traveled the world and we thought, ‘We’ve been everywhere we want to go, let’s go there.’”
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Finding Paradise at the Folk School: An Interview with Quilter Zak Foster
Community is key at the Folk School, so it’s exciting to have quilter, artist, and community organizer Zak Foster join us as our first Olive’s Porch Artist in Residence. Zak will be both leading community projects and working on personal projects at the Folk School and Olive’s Porch through April 24. Enjoy our interview!
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South Arts Southern Circuit Film Screenings: Spring 2022
This spring, Olive’s Porch is excited to bring you two in-person film screenings! Join us in downtown Murphy for two back-to-back Saturdays of films.
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Olive’s Porch: A Folk School Experience in Downtown Murphy
Olive’s Porch, a new Folk School experience in downtown Murphy, is now open! 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.
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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.
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Enjoy this Classic Apple Pie Recipe from The Folk School Cookbook
The proof is in the homemade crust. Use either pastry recipe–Barb’s Butter Crust or Tender Pie Crust, available in the Folk School Cookbook. It might take practice to get it right. Allow the pastry plenty of time to chill, then fill it with tart apples, sugar, and butter for a classic result.
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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.
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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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