The Asheville-based chamber music company reflects on a rich body of work, the WTF Festival returns, plus more area arts news.

The Asheville-based chamber music company reflects on a rich body of work, the WTF Festival returns, plus more area arts news.
Executive directors from the John C. Campbell Folk School, Penland School of Craft and Tryon Arts & Crafts School share their experiences since COVID-19 changed their seasonal plans.
The 10th annual American Craft Week takes place Friday, Oct. 4-Sunday, Oct. 13.
From cornbread to curries, the school’s latest collection of recipes gives a glimpse into the daily life and historic background of the Western North Carolina craft school.
“Traditionally, our Fall Festival is a time for celebrating our Appalachian heritage with our vibrant community of locals, students, staff and visitors,” says Jerry Jackson.
It’s the season of change for two of Western North Carolina’s craft institutions. In May, John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown named Jerry Jackson as its new executive director. A month later, Penland School of Crafts in Penland announced that Maria “Mia” Hall would take the reigns as director, effective Jan. 1, 2018.
It was announced last month that John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown had selected Jerry Jackson as its new executive director. And this week, Penland School of Crafts in Penland named Maria “Mia” Hall as its next director.
Mars Hill University’s Weizenblatt Gallery will host the exhibit “drift: [know no borders]” Wednesday, Oct. 26-Sunday-Sunday, Nov. 20. Works by artists Donna E. Price and Elisa Treml’s make up the collection. The exhibit also marks Treml’s first time to both Western North Carolina and the United States.
Join in the celebration: Plan a long weekend of studio-hopping, a self-guided exhibition tour or a visit to a craft fair (or three).
Not only were women the organizers of the Southern Highland Craft Guild, but they also made up a significant part of its membership. The works selected for Appalachian Innovators show a continuity of the female workforce over 70 years and include historical gems alongside contemporary works by Cynthia Bringle, Jane Peiser and others.
American Craft Week actually spans 10 days — from Friday, Oct. 2, to Sunday, Oct. 11 — with participating organizations in every state. Many states, however, only have an event or two. North Carolina boasts 40 entries on the American Craft Week website, and so many of those (34) are based in Western N.C. that the region is just one of three with its own webpage.
Find storytelling classes, performances, workshops, gatherings and retreats in and around Western North Carolina.