Education Event Series 2024
Contact: Millie Davis
Marketing Director
[email protected]
803-604-6508
Contact: Janet Wiseman
Event Coordinator
[email protected]
828-298-7928 (Folk Art Center)
Educational Event Series at the Folk Art Center
Location: Auditorium of the Folk Art Center
The Folk Art Center is located at 382 Blue Ridge Parkway in east Asheville, NC
Dates: Saturdays, 10 am-4 pm (except where noted). Specific dates are below.
Admission: Free
Asheville, NC - The Southern Highland Craft Guild is gearing up for the Education Event Series of 2024. These special events are free to the public and take place on Saturdays from 10 am-4 pm at the Folk Art Center throughout the year. The purpose of these events is to engage the community in the art and skills of handmade craft. Visitors of all ages are invited to engage with the region’s most talented craftspeople, try their hand at some of the craft activities, and learn the importance of keeping the practice of handicraft alive.
Glass, Metal, and Clay Day, Saturday, April 6, 10 am-4 pm
Members of the Southern Highland Craft Guild will showcase the elements of metal, glass, and clay with a range of techniques that will be demonstrated in the Folk Art Center's auditorium. These master craftspeople will be demonstrating techniques such as blacksmithing, glass blowing, piercing and soldering metals, knife making, bezeling, repoussé, copper etching, assembling stained glass, forging, raku-firing, wheel-throwing, hand-forming clay, and many other manipulation processes.
Fiber Day, Saturday, May 11, 10 am-4 pm
From sheep shearing to wearable textiles – learn the process of fiber art. Guild makers and friends will demonstrate a variety of techniques during this free community event. Get a close-up look and enjoy interactive demonstrations. Bring a blanket, walk the mountain trails, and enjoy a spring afternoon of craft!
Wood Day, Saturday, August 10, 10 am-4pm
Join us for a celebration of wooden crafts – one of the first mediums of handicraft. From branches, trunks, roots, and bark, watch as they’re used in both functional and decorative pieces. During Wood Day, members of the Southern Highland Craft Guild will showcase this evolution of skills and mastery of crafted wood by demonstrating and sharing their working processes with visitors at the Folk Art Center. Demonstrations include carving, woodturning, furniture making, and more.
Heritage Weekend, Saturday, September 21, 10 am-4 pm & Sunday, September 22, 12 pm-4 pm
This free celebration of mountain heritage features traditional crafts accompanied by music and dancing. On-going demonstrations will include traditional woodworking with traditional tools, weaving, spinning, dyeing, broom making, stone carving, and printmaking. Visitors will have the opportunity to try their hand at some of the crafts and an activity table will encourage young people to create. A music stage will provide further entertainment with bluegrass and gospel music. There is free parking and a grassy area for picnics and relaxation. Spend an early autumn day in WNC honoring and learning about the crafts of yesteryear.
Press Release and Images
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The Southern Highland Craft Guild is a non-profit, educational organization established in 1930 to cultivate the crafts and makers of the Southern Highlands for shared resources, education, marketing, and conservation. The Southern Highland Craft Guild is an authorized concessioner of the National Park Service, Department of the Interior. The Folk Art Center is located at Milepost 382 of the Blue Ridge Parkway, just north of the Highway 70 entrance in east Asheville, NC.
For event info visit www.craftguild.org/events or contact us: [email protected] or 828-298-7928.
