On Saturday, August 5, 10 – 4pm, master woodworkers of all techniques will convene at the Southern Highland Craft Guild’s headquarters at the Folk Art Center. Demonstrating and sharing their processes with one of the first original craft mediums, visitors will be able to experience a range of interactive activities with the members. This malleable medium brings both a traditional and contemporary flair among the Guild’s membership with furniture to wall-hanging sculptures. This free event not only educates the public on the rigors and talent that goes into woodworking, but serves the mission of the Guild in preserving a longtime culture and heritage.
The material of wood has multiple sources, such as branches, trunks, roots and even bark, that are used in both function and decoration. Its earliest forms were generated for basic living, as a means of shelter or protection. Pieces of Egyptian furniture from around 2500 BC survive as literal examples of man’s ability to create objects of beauty from wood. Being one of Appalachia’s indigenous resources, trees formed items for the early settlers of this region, such as tables, chairs, bowls, coopered barrels, as well as wagons and homes. Over time, woodwork transitioned into a leisure activity through whittling and carving.
Visitors will have the opportunity to learn multiple processes, such as carving, turning, and more. For a complete list of makers participating in Wood Day, and to learn more about Southern Highland Craft Guild programs at the Folk Art Center call 828-298-7928 or visit www.craftguild.org/woodday.
Admission to Wood Day and the Folk Art Center is free. The Folk Art Center is located at Milepost 382 on the Blue Ridge Parkway in east Asheville. Headquarters to the Southern Highland Craft Guild, the Center also houses three galleries, a library, a craft Shop and a Blue Ridge Parkway information desk and bookstore.
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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 the purpose of 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.
