We've just returned from a week of riding the bike in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina. One of the highlights of the trip was a trip to visit the John C. Campbell Folk Art School in Brasstown, NC. I've gotten the catalogue for years and always dreamed of attending so a chance to see it in person was a real treat.
We learned that the project was started by two visionary young ladies in the early '30's and based on the Danish folk art schools, which the two had visited while travelling abroad. Even then, in an increasingly industrialized world, the two saw a need to retain hand made arts. Today, the farm-like campus covers 300 acres and offers classes for anything from baking, spinning and weaving to blacksmithing, natural dyeing and basket weaving. If you can make it with your hands, you can find a class to learn it at John C. Campbell.
The stone building is the first thing you see as you come onto the grounds. On the lower level there's a gift shop which offers items made by members of the Southern Highlands Craft Guild and above, there are administrative offices.
That's me by the famous red fence. It seemed that whatever we were looking for, the directions started with, "Follow the red fence..." Paul is standing beside an interesting metal sculpture outside of the blacksmithing shop.
