29 minute read
Qualla Arts and Crafts turns 75
The Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual will be celebrating its 75th anniversary with an Open Air market, exhibition, and a new book detailing its history from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 21, in Cherokee.
This year is the 75th anniversary of the founding of Qualla Arts and Crafts, one of the oldest Native American artisan cooperatives in the U.S. In spite of the challenges confronting the nation in 2020, the cooperative is thriving.
Originally founded as Qualla Arts and Crafts Association, the co-op formed after a series of meetings that brought together Eastern Band craftsmen, tribal leaders, and teachers from the Cherokee Boarding School.
From the start, the group focused on the economic value of forming an organization that would give artisans a “place for ready sale.” At a meeting held on Aug. 23, 1946, the group signed a Constitution and By-Laws and elected its first officers. A typed list recorded the names of 59 charter members. In 1955, the group incorporated and adopted the name it has today: Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual, Inc.
Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual not only saves and preserves valued objects, it likewise encourages and preserves the cultural traditions and processes that make these objects possible.
The 20-year-old Open Air market is one event that helps these preservation efforts. The market will feature the work of a dozen artisan members who will demonstrate their craft and share their work with the public. All work will be for sale. Qualla Arts and Crafts membership standards are rigorous. To become a member, an individual must be an enrolled member of the Eastern Band.
Applicants turn in an artist statement, family connections, and three samples of their work to be judged by the board of directors. Once past the preliminary round, candidates are required to demonstrate their work in person before the board. Work is judged on elements of authenticity, originality, elements of art, design, knowledge, degree of difficulty, and marketability. Currently, the co-op has over 300 members.
A new exhibit, “Reclaiming our History: Photographs from the National Archives,” features photographs collected as part of a “digital repatriation” project funded by the Cherokee Preservation Foundation in 2019. The project supported research into the collections of the Indian Arts and Crafts Board preserved by the National Archives and Records Administration in their Atlanta and Washington, D.C., facilities.
The project allowed for research into these and other repositories to find images related to Eastern Band artisans and for copies to be made. These and other rediscovered photographs are now in the archives of Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual, Inc. Most have been hidden away in the National Archives for decades and have not been seen before.
Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual commissioned scholar Anna Fariello to write a history of the cooperative. That history, now in print, will be available at the celebration. Fariello worked with the co-op on three previous books documenting Cherokee basketry, pottery, and carving.
The author explained her approach to writing the book that included as much factual documentation as possible. “I’ve included many names and dates,” she wrote, “hoping to tell
the full story of one of Cherokee’s most significant and cherished cultural institutions.”
The book contains a chapter on the co-op’s 59 charter members. With assistance from the EBCI Enrollment Office, staff was able to verify their names, birth and death dates along with their community, and a photograph if one was available. Like the exhibition, the book showcases many of the photographs “found” at the National Archives.
In preparation for the 65th anniversary in 2011, co-op staff pulled down boxes and boxes of old records from the attic where staff found material dating back to the formation of the co-op.
In the intervening years, and with grants from the Cherokee Preservation Foundation and Traveling Archivists Program, the co-op organized these records into an archive that has yielded important historical information that shed light on the events leading up to the cooperative and its first years of operation.
When planning the 65th anniversary celebration, discussions centered on just what date would be best noted as the actual anniversary date of Qualla Arts and Crafts. On Aug. 23, 1946, the group met. While Agency Superintendent Joe Jennings still presided, it was at this meeting that the Constitution and By-Laws were read “paragraph by paragraph.”
It is interesting to note that, at the time (the mid-20th century) many people still spoke Cherokee as their first language. While the meeting was conducted in English, McKinley Ross translated the entire conversation into Cherokee before taking a vote.
The approved documents were signed and officers elected. Nominated without opposition, the group elected McKinley Ross as its first president. It was a close race for vice president between William Crowe and Bertha Craig, with Crowe receiving the most votes. Craig was then elected as Secretary-Treasurer. About the co-op, pottery maker Cora Arch Wahnetah said, “It has helped me and helped my people.”
On Aug. 23, 1946, the Qualla Arts and Crafts Association was formally organized. More importantly, it was on this date that the organization came under the direction of the artisans it proposed to represent.
For more information, go to www.quallaartsandcrafts.com.
In 1946, McKinley Ross was elected to serve as president of the new Qualla Arts and Crafts
Association. (Courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C.)
BY GARRET K. WOODWARD
I don’t want to look at the past and be sad, there were plenty of good times and more to be had
Like clockwork, the garbage truck shook me awake at 7:15 a.m. Tuesday. Picking up the dumpster from the pizza joint next door and flipping it up and over the roof of the massive vehicle.
Eyes open and stare at the old ceiling tiles of the old apartment in the old house in downtown Waynesville. Grey skies and raindrops. The sounds of the air-conditioner in the other room. The buzzing of the cell phone with reminders of the day’s obligations. Kick off the comforter and hop into the morning.
The start of a new week. A new me, perhaps, eh? The core and foundation remains solid and aware. The branches of the tree of oneself constantly stretching outward, up, around, you know?
My mindset is a lot clearer, more focused this morning, compared to foggy and remote the last few days, as if a small boat floating along the coastal shores, caught in a storm, but I can still see the comfort of land and lights in the not-too-far-away distance.
It was Saturday when I felt odd and beside myself. With two weddings that afternoon, it was a rush to get myself together and presentable, to “get to the church on-time.” One at 3 p.m. in the backwoods of Bethel. The other at 5:30 p.m. in downtown Waynesville.
Weddings have always tugged a little harder at my heart and soul than other social gatherings do, which is no surprise for an old-soul, hopeless romantic like myself. To boot, as a self-proclaimed “extroverted loner,” I also find myself dipping in and out of interactions and the buzz of the space at these most ancient of celebrations.
Maybe it was being in the presence of unrelenting love between two human beings, extended family and friends sharing in the unforgettable moment, the sincere emotion of the occasion. Maybe it was being away from most of those familiar faces amid “all this,” somewhat alone and on my own for the last year-and-a-half. Truth be told, it was probably both.
For a lot of us folks who live alone (and work alone, for the most part), the pandemic and shutdown was rough (as it was on so many levels for everyone).
Being alone in a one-bedroom apartment in a quiet downtown for weeks last year was difficult, but I was able to find solace in writing, listening to music (and learning to play guitar), disappearing into the depths of Mother Nature for hiking and trail running.
And yet, you still had to circle back to silent apartment, to your thoughts, memories and moments lying in the rearview mirror, for good or ill. Each day left to your own devices was another day to — whether you wanted to or not — peel back the layers of your existence (past, present, future) like an onion with the core so damn deep it would take an eternity to unravel it.
HOT PICKS
1The fifth annual “Hook, Line & Drinker” festival will take place from 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 21, at Bridge Park in downtown Sylva.
2The Blue Ridge Heritage Weekend will be held 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 21 and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 22 at the Historic Shelton House in Waynesville.
3Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host a “Led Zeppelin Tribute” with The Andrew Thelston Band at 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 20.
4Grammy-winning multi-platinum country artist Bryan White will perform at 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 28, at the Colonial Theater in Canton.
5A production of “The Last Romance” will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 19-21, and at 2 p.m. Aug. 22 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.
You push through and hope to reach the other side. It’s that idea of happiness and sadness, where the true sense of self comes with embracing both ends of the emotional spectrum, to appreciate when you smile as much as you appreciate the ability to cry — to feel the purity of what it means to be human, in essence.
And the key to immersing yourself in what makes you sad (people, moments, situations) lies in how you’re able to eventually emerge from the sadness, to not get stuck like so many folks do — for months, years, maybe the rest of your life. You can be sad. You can acknowledge that you’re sad. But, what are you going to do to finally climb back over that wall into the bright light of your true and happy self?
Thus, all of that sadness and grief within me reared its ugly head on Saturday afternoon. All of those people, moments and situations of (past, present, future) that I’d been mulling over during the isolation of last year (and this year, too) came to a head, seemingly as I crossed over the threshold of the backwoods pavilion and of the reception hall in downtown.
It was this intense, whirlwind bottleneck of emotions and imagery chaotically floating across my field-of-vision, dancing along my dashboard when I find myself aimlessly cruising the backroads of Western North Carolina to cleanse the feelings within. Images of beloved faces long gone and femme fatales that still hold onto a piece of me wherever they may roam these days. Faces still traversing this earth, wondering if they’re happy, if they’re loved — if they maybe think of me in the same regard, too.
Maybe that’s what weddings are meant to do for those in the audience observing the scene unfolding before them. Maybe it’s meant to be this litmus test for where you currently stand in your life. And the fact the gatherings this past weekend were some of the first real hints of “normalcy” after so much confusion and loneliness.
That said, do you want to grasp something similar to what’s unifying before your eyes? Of course. So, then, what are you going to do about it? Not sure, at the moment. But, I won’t stop pushing forward — head held high, with a light stride.
And don’t forget you’re loved — by someone, somewhere. We all are. If anything, make sure the face in the mirror is loved from within, for that matters most when stepping out the front door and interacting with the world swirling around you.
Each person is like a magnet. With humans, however, positivity attracts positivity, negativity attracts negativity. Yes, sadness happens. But, don’t let it define you or prevent you from moving forward. The rainstorm ends and the sunshine reappears. As cheesy as that old adage is, it’s also truth.
The garbage truck shook me awake at 7:15 a.m. Tuesday. Eyes open and stare at the old ceiling tiles of the old apartment in the old house. The buzzing of the cell phone with reminders of the day’s obligations. Kick off the comforter and hop into the morning. The start of a new week. The branches of the tree of oneself constantly stretching outward, up, around, you know?
Life is beautiful, grasp for it, y’all.
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arts & entertainment
Lee Knight.
Knight celebrates ‘75+1’
A special 76th birthday performance by beloved folklorist, storyteller and musician Lee Knight will take place at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 18, at City Lights Bookstore in downtown Sylva.
Knight, who performs on guitar, banjo and dulcimer, is a regular performer for workshops, Elderhostels, festivals and camps. He has participated in artist-in-residence programs for the North Carolina Arts Council and other arts groups across the Southeast. He also leads hikes and canoe trips, and guides whitewater rafts.
Most recently, he was a guest artist at the Kronos Quartet’s 2019 Festival in San Francisco, celebrating the songs of iconic American folk singer and activist, the late Pete Seeger.
Free and open to the public. Due to the confined space, masks will be required to attend. For more information, call City Lights at 828.586.9499.
Bryson City community jam
A community jam will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 19, at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City.
Anyone with a guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, dulcimer, anything unplugged, are invited to join. Singers are also welcome. The jam is facilitated by Larry Barnett of the Sawmill Creek Porch Band. The music jams are offered to the public each first and third Thursday of the month — year-round.
This program received support from the North Carolina Arts Council, an agency funded by the State of North Carolina and the National Endowment of the Arts. 828.488.3030.
COUNTRY STAR ROLLS INTO CANTON
Grammy-winning multi-platinum country artist Bryan White will perform at 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 28, at the Colonial Theater in Canton. White will be joined by openers Andrea Pearson and Ronnie Call. Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 at the door. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, visit www.countrysoulevents.com.
• Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva) will host an open mic from 8 to 10 p.m. every Thursday.
Free and open to the public. 828.631.1987 or www.balsamfallsbrewing.com.
• Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host karaoke at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, trivia at 7 p.m. on Thursdays and In Flight Aug. 21. All shows begin at 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.246.0350 or www.boojumbrewing.com.
• The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host Bob Zullo (guitar/vocals) Aug. 28. All shows begin at 7 p.m. Limited seating.
Reservations required. Ticket price and dinner menu to be announced. 828.452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com.
• Concerts on the Creek (Sylva) at Bridge
Park will host SKA City (ska/rock) Sept. 3. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public.
Sponsored by the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce. www.mountainlovers.com. Smoky Mountain News
• Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.369.4080 or www.coweeschool.org.
• Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. 828.634.0078 or www.curraheebrew.com. • Friday Night Live (Highlands) will be held at the Town Square from 6 to 8:30 p.m. with
Sycamore Flats Aug. 20 and Trudition Aug. 27. Free and open to the public. www.highlandschamber.org.
• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host
Gin Mill Pickers Aug. 20, KC Johns Aug. 21,
John Friday Aug. 27, Brad Heller & The Fustics Aug. 28, Aunt Vicki 2 p.m. Aug. 29 and Drum Circle Aug. 31. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.454.5664 or www.froglevelbrewing.com.
• Innovation Station (Dillsboro) will host The
Knotty G’s Aug. 22 and Shane Meade Aug. 29. All events are free and begin at 2 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.innovation-brewing.com.
• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. www.innovation-brewing.com.
ALSO:
• Lake Junaluska Conference Center will host the Haywood Community Band “Under The
Big Tent” at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 29. Free and open to the public.
• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Hot
Mess Aug. 21 and Brother Aug. 28. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or www.lazyhikerbrewing.com. Aug. 20, Prophets of Time Aug. 27 and the “Two-Year Anniversary Party” at noon Aug. 29. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.
• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host Wyatt Espalin Aug. 20 and 29 (at 4 p.m.), Aly Jordan Aug. 21, Kate Thomas 4 p.m. Aug. 22, Aces Down Aug. 27 and
Somebody’s Child (Americana) Aug. 28. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.538.0115 or www.mtnlayersbeer.com.
• Nantahala Brewing (Sylva) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. 828.641.9797 or www.nantahalabrewing.com.
• Nantahala Outdoor Center (Nantahala
Gorge) will host “Bluegrass with Blue” Aug. 20 and 27, and Brown Mountain Lightning
Bugs Aug. 28. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 888.905.7238 or www.noc.com.
• “Pickin’ on the Square” (Franklin) will host
Empty Pockets (variety) Aug. 21 and Outlaw
Whiskey (country) Aug. 28. All shows start at 7 p.m. Free and open to the public. Located on Main Street. www.franklin-chamber.com.
• Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub (Franklin) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public. www.rathskellerfranklin.com. ends. 828.482.9794 or www.satulahmountainbrewing.com
• Saturdays On Pine (Highlands) will be held at the Kelsey-Hutchinson Park from 6 to 8:30 p.m. with ZuZu Welch Aug. 21 and A Social
Function Sept. 4. Free and open to the public. www.highlandschamber.org.
• Southern Porch (Canton) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.492.8009 or www.southern-porch.com.
• The Ugly Dog Pub (Cashiers) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. 828.743.3000 or www.theuglydogpub.com.
• The Ugly Dog Pub (Highlands) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.526.8364 or www.theuglydogpub.com.
• Unplugged Pub (Bryson City) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.538.2488.
• Valley Tavern (Maggie Valley) will host Ricky
Gunter 6 p.m. Aug. 21. 828.926.7440 or www.valley-tavern.com.
• Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host karaoke on Thursday nights and semiregular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 3 p.m. 828.456.4750 or www.facebook.com/waternhole.bar.
On the beat Mountain Heritage Day performers announced
The Grascals.
When Mountain Heritage Day makes a triumphant return to the Western Carolina University campus in Cullowhee on Saturday, Sept. 25, it will come with a full day of live music.
The annual festival of Southern Appalachian traditions and culture is renowned as a showcase of bluegrass, oldtime and traditional music, as well as family activities, vendors and the region’s finest arts and crafts. The 2020 festival was an abbreviated, virtual event due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We have the perfect lineup for us to get back in front of a live audience. Many of our favorites are returning and we get to welcome some new artists, too,” said Christy Ashe, WCU special events director and festival chair. “We will be following COVID-19 protocols and are actively encouraging everyone to get vaccinated, so we can actually return to being together in this celebration.”
Ashe announced the schedule for the Blue Ridge Stage: • Summer Brooke & Brayden kick off the music at 10 a.m. Known for leading the IBMA award-winning Mountain Faith Band, the popular brother/sister bluegrass virtuosos graciously provided the concert for 2020’s Mountain Heritage Day virtual performance. • When Whitewater Bluegrass Company performs at 11 a.m., it will mark a major milestone, as it will be their 25th time playing at Mountain Heritage Day. More or less founded at WCU in 1982, the band blends its own brand of bluegrass, country ballads and mountain swing with down-home humor. • At noon, the Apple Blossom Cloggers, a dance troupe of 7 to 9 years old girls, join Whitewater Bluegrass Company for lively clogging demonstration, followed by presentation of the Mountain Heritage Awards at 12:15 p.m. to an individual and organization in recognition of work within Southern Appalachian history, culture and folklore. • The Queen Family starts picking at 12:45 p.m. Known as master musicians and experts in regional lore, the Queen Family were honored with the 1999 “Mountain Heritage Award” and the 2001 “BrownHudson Award” by the North Carolina Folklore Society. • Phil and Gaye Johnson at 1:30 p.m. play guitar and sing an acoustic blend of bluegrass, folk and favorites. The prolific songwriters and storytellers from Polk County travel across the country to perform and are among the longest running repeat performers at Mountain Heritage Day. • The Grascals, three-time Grammy nominees and two-time IBMA “Entertainer of the Year,” perform at 2:15 p.m. The Bailey Mountain Cloggers will join the Grascals at 3:30 p.m. for foot-stamping and high stepping mastery that is a perennial of Mountain Heritage Day. • At 3:45 p.m. the Merle Monroe Band will bring their mix of Bill Monroe-style bluegrass with Merle Haggard’s style of songs of the common man (hence the name) to the stage for their own brand of bluegrass, gospel and traditional country.
For more information and updates, visit www.mountainheritageday.com.
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HART’s ‘The Last Romance’
A sweet, romantic comedy to warm your heart, a production of “The Last Romance” will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 19-21, and at 2 p.m. Aug. 22 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.
Written by the same author of HART’s hit “Over the River and Through the Woods,” “The Last Romance” will feature three of HART’s most popular actors, Lyn Donley, Stephen Gonya, and making her sensational return to the HART stage, Suzanne Tinsley.
“The Last Romance” is by three time Tony Award winner Joe Dipietro.
In the current play, a widower named Ralph decides to take a different path on his daily walk — one that leads him to an unexpected second chance at love. This feel good comedy is just what audiences need as they see Ralph regain a happiness that seemed all but lost.
Reservations may be made by calling the HART Box Office at 828.456.6322 or by going online to www.harttheatre.org.
On the table
• The “BBQ & Brews Dinner Train” will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. on select dates at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City. Full service all-adult first class car. Craft beer pairings with a meal, and more. For more information and/or to register, call 800.872.4681 or click on www.gsmr.com.
• “Dillsboro After Five” will take place from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays in downtown Dillsboro. Start with a visit to the Jackson County
Farmers Market located in the
Innovation Station parking lot. Stay for dinner and take advantage of late-hour shopping. www.mountainlovers.com.
ALSO:
• There will be a free wine tasting from 6 to 8 p.m. every Thursday and 2 to 5 p.m. every Saturday at The Wine Bar &
Cellar in Sylva. 828.631.3075.
• The “Uncorked: Wine & Rail Pairing
Experience” will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on select dates at the
Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in
Bryson City. Full service all-adult first class car. Wine pairings with a meal, and more. For more information and/or to register, call 800.872.4681 or click on www.gsmr.com.
On the street ‘Hook, Line & Drinker’ festival returns
Presented by the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, the fifth annual “Hook, Line & Drinker” festival will take place from 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 21, at Bridge Park in downtown Sylva.
The festival includes fly fishing guides and fishing industry vendors, food trucks, children’s activities, clean water advocates and local craft beer vendors. Live music will be provided by The Carolina Soul Band.
Free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.hooklinedrinkerfest.com.
BLUE RIDGE HERITAGE WEEKEND
Celebrating the arts, crafts, music and history of Haywood County and greater Western North Carolina, the Blue Ridge Heritage Weekend will be held 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 21 and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 22 at the Historic Shelton House in Waynesville. Live music, craft vendors and food trucks, with craft beer available onsite. For more information, visit www.sheltonhouse.org.
Ready for the ‘Island Escape’?
Held on the grounds of the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre, the “Island Escape” celebration will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 28, in Waynesville.
You will feel the vibrations coming from the Latitude Adjustment Steel Band with Hawaiian torches lighting the way. Then, there’s a moment when you are there for Mehealani’s Polynesian Entertainment direct from Atlanta, Georgia, featuring top Hawaiian hula, fire dancing, and much more.
This evening of music and dancing will also include a delicious “Castaway Supper” catered by Arlene Cotler of Asheville. There will even be an auction for a specially designed hand carved piece of glass art by Lisa Hoffman.
A well-known local artist, Hoffman’s works can be seen in the Renwick Gallery of American Art, the White House, the Robert Wyland Gallery in Hawaii and Alaska Ocean Island Visitors Center, just to mention a few. The piece to be auctioned is called “Family Reunion of Humpback Whales.”
“Island Escape” will be an indoor/outdoor event with plenty of fresh air. The Fangmeyer Theatre doors will be open to create the feeling of being in Hawaii offering the fresh air as if you were on the beach at Waikiki.
For more information and/or to purchase tickets, call 828.456.6322 or visit www.harttheatre.org.
Greening Up The Mountains
The 24th annual Greening Up the Mountains festival will return from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 28, in downtown Sylva.
GUTM is a heritage arts festival that celebrates the arrival of spring through traditional and contemporary forms of Appalachian art, music, food, and beverage, which honor our community and local artisans.
Sponsored by the Town of Sylva and the Main Street Sylva Association, GUTM enjoys crowds upward of 12,000 attendees and has 175 vendor booth spaces.
In addition to a variety of arts, crafts, and food vendors, attendees can enjoy a 5k run, youth talent contest, beverage arts featuring local craft breweries, and live music throughout the day. www.greeningupthemountains.com.
• Mountain Makers Craft Market will be held from noon to 4 p.m. the first Sunday of each month at 308 North ALSO: Haywood St., in downtown Waynesville. Over two dozen artisans selling handmade and vintage goods. Special events will be held when scheduled. www.mountainmakersmarket.com. • Farmer’s Market (with artisans) will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Fridays and
Saturdays through October at 117 Island St., in Bryson City. Stop by the old barn by the river for local, homegrown produce, as well as baked goods, jellies and preserves, authentic crafts, and more. Food truck, picnic tables and a strolling musician. Leashed pets are welcome. Outdoor event. Current
Covid-19 safety protocols will be followed and enforced. 828.488.7857.
Want to paint, sip craft beer?
The “WNC Paint Night” will return to local breweries in Haywood, Jackson and Swain counties.
With step-by-step instructions, you will paint yourself a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. This is pure fun to do while you sip on something tasty at the brewery.
Events will be held at the following locations: Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) from 6 to 8 p.m. Aug. 19, Sept. 16, Oct. 14, Nov. 11 and Dec. 9; and Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva) from 6 to 8 p.m. Aug. 18, Sept. 29, Oct. 27, Nov. 17 and Dec. 22; BearWaters Brewing (Canton) from 6 to 8 p.m. Sept. 2 and 30, Nov. 12 and Dec. 23.
Space is limited. Reserve your seat by texting Robin Arramae at 828.400.9560. To learn more, visit the Facebook page @paintwnc or Instagram @wnc_paint_events.
The Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center in Franklin is currently seeking applications for “Artist Support Grants” for 2021–22. The deadline to apply is Sept. 30.
These grants support artists in all disciplines with funding for projects that will have a significant impact on the advancement of their professional artistic careers.
The “Artist Support Grant” program is managed through a partnership with local arts councils to serve artists in Clay, Cherokee, Graham, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties. Funding is provided by the North Carolina Arts Council.
Artists at any stage of their careers, emerging or established, are eligible to apply for grants in all disciplines, such as visual art and craft, traditional art forms, music composition, film/video, literature and playwriting and choreography and dance.
Types of fundable projects include the creation of new work, purchase of equipment and materials, and professional development workshops.
Complete funding guidelines and applications are available online at www.coweeschool.org. Grant awards generally range from $500-$1,000. Applications must be received by Sept. 30. This year, they will also offer an online application.
Informational workshops for interested artists will be offered online and in person. Visit www.coweeschool.org for updated workshop dates and times. For more information, contact Laura Brooks at maconheritagecenter@gmail.com or 828.369.4080.
HAYWOOD•COUNTY A Fair ugust 26-29 Country Nights & Carnival Lights
THURSDAY Bingo Night, Cow Patty Bingo, Tractor Obstacle Course FRIDAY Pickin' with Mountain Bridge, Cake Walk, Rodeo SATURDAY Tractor Pull, Mile High Band + Cloggers, Natural Beauty Contest, Ricky Gunter Concert SUNDAY Cowboy Church, Truck Pull, Haywood Idol
THURSDAY 5PM-10PM FRIDAY 5PM-10PM SATURDAY 9AM-10PM SUNDAY 11AM-5PM
ADMISSION
Adults $8 Ages 6-12 $6 Kids under 5 FREE
The next installment of the Creating Community Workshop will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 21, in the Atrium of the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.
Helen Vance will show participants how to make a "collage notecard book" using basic materials. These books are perfect for scrapbooking and preserving memories. Participants should bring photographs and/or other memorabilia they would like to include in their book.
This program is free of charge. The workshop is limited to 10 participants. Call the library to register at 828.586.2016.
This event is co-sponsored by the Friends of the JCPL, a member of Fontana Regional Library (www.fontanalib.org).
• Gayle Woody’s work is now on view through the end of August at the Rotunda Gallery, located in the Jackson County Public Library in downtown Sylva. Currently, Woody focuses her work on printmaking, ceramic tiles and book making. Open by appointment,
BarkWood Studio is one stop on the Blue
Ridge Craft Trails, a new online site that promotes craft, craft artists, and cultural tourism in 25 Western North Carolina counties. www.blueridgeheritage.com/destinations/barkwood-studio.
• A showcase of art by Gosia Babcock will be on display in the Meeting Room through the end of August at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. Visit to take a closer look, but call ahead to make sure the Meeting Room is open to the public when you plan to visit. 828.524.3600.
ALSO:
• Art by Jackson County author/storyteller
Gary Carden will be on display through the end of August at the Macon County Public
Library in Franklin. 828.524.3600.
• “A Living Language: Cherokee Syllabary and Contemporary Art,” an exhibit at the
Museum of the Cherokee Indian (located in
Cherokee), features over 50 works of art in a variety of media by over 30 Eastern Band of
Cherokee Indians and Cherokee Nation artists. The exhibition highlights the use of the written Cherokee language, a syllabary developed by Cherokee innovator Sequoyah (circa 1776–1843). Cherokee syllabary is frequently found in the work of Cherokee artists as a compositional element or the subject matter of the work itself. The exhibition will be on view at the Museum of the Cherokee Indian in Cherokee through Oct. 31. Learn more by visiting www.mci.org.
• The Folk Art Center in Asheville has opened its Main Gallery exhibition showcasing the
Graduating Class of 2021 of Haywood
Community College's Professional Crafts
Program. The showcase will run through
Aug. 22. It is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.craftguild.org or call 828.298.7928.
• The “Thursday Painters” group will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursdays at The
Uptown Gallery in Franklin. Free and open to the public. All skill levels and mediums are welcome. Participants are responsible for their own project and a bag lunch. For more information, call The Uptown Gallery at 828.349.4607 or contact Pat Mennenger at pm14034@yahoo.com. See more about
Macon County Art Association at www.franklinuptowngallery.com and on
Facebook.
• The Haywood County Arts Council’s “Art
Works @ The Library,” a collaborative program between the Haywood County Public
Library system and the HCAC, is currently showcasing works by artist Cayce Moyer at the Canton Library. Working in traditional and mixed media, Moyer blends the worlds of high-brow and low-brow work. Classically trained at Savannah College of Art and
Design, her portfolio includes drawing, painting, sculpture, illustration, graphic design, murals, and set prop painting for theatre and TV.
