NATIVE AMERICAN CRAFTS
Although this project is not about heritage or traditions, it is vital to understand how textiles have existed in this region so that the project can build on the shoulders of giants.
The land where Asheville is located used to be the Cherokee Land. More specifically Eastern band of Cherokees lived in Asheville. They were very skillful at crafts, especially in basketry.
The materials they used can be traced to see what other local fibers/materials were used that can be adopted for this project.
Museums and Organizations:
Although oak fibers and honeysuckle were common materials for basketry, I was unable to find any mention of animal-based fibers.
NOTES ON THE INITIAL INTERVIEWS
Before visiting Asheville, I had online meetings with craft experts to introduce the project. They shared lots of resources, key people, and projects worth mentioning. A few key points from these conversations were:
- Although there are a lot of local farmers and sheep farms, there are no more mills in Asheville. Wool is sent to Michigan or Vermont. There is one active local mill for Alpaca.
- A few key organizations, as mentioned above, have built a network among each other. The community seems to be collaborating to sustain craft/textile heritage and explore local fibers.
- Despite the collaboration, the community also faces obstacles related to funding, workplace, and reaching out to wider audiences.
SCHOOLS / EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS
Asheville has an established history of craft, folk, and farmers education. Several institutions maintain the existing culture and knowledge. Their strong presence supports and facilitates the current creative scene in the city.
ASHEVILLE THROUGHOUT TIME
I have always been interested in crafts. I am captivated by making things by hand and the technical mastery to do it creatively and skillfully. Although I appreciate many materials, my main interest lies in textiles and textile making.
Seeing other examples of crafts also helps me develop my knowledge, material experience, and conceptual thinking. And so, even before moving to the US, I have been searching for what is happening here and where. As I researched craft schools and cultures in the US, North Carolina remained a prominent state with an established craft culture. Perhaps thanks to the long-standing culture of Native Americans in the region, folk arts and crafts seem to have a significant role in Asheville's identity.
Later, I learned about the Craft Revival period from the late 1800s to the mid-1900s. This time brought back the appreciation and admiration towards crafts and certainly shaped its current presence in the region.
Guilds, museums, and culture centers still offer a large variety of educational and creative resources.
OTHER CHAPTERS
Chapter -1: exploring natural fibres
Center for Craft
"For over 25 years, the Center for Craft has been at the vanguard of the craft movement, advancing the understanding, prominence, and historical significance of craft, and identifying and cultivating the next great researchers and artists in the field." Read more about it in their webapge.
PENLAND SCHOOL OF CRAFTS
"Make lives meaningful through making."
"Penland’s educational philosophy is based on these core ideas:
- Total-immersion workshop education is a uniquely effective way of learning.
- Close interaction with others promotes the exchange of information and ideas between individuals and disciplines.
- Generosity enhances education – Penland encourages instructors, students, and staff to freely share their knowledge and experience.
- Craft is kept vital by preserving its traditions, honoring its origins, and constantly expanding its boundaries."
Local Cloth is an organization that brings together different interest groups in textiles. It connects people, educational resources, and farmers. Visit their webpage here.
JOHN C CAMPBELL FOLK SCHOOL
"In 1925, the Folk School began its work. Instruction at the Folk School has always been noncompetitive; there are no credits, no grades, no pitting of one individual against another. This method of teaching is what the Danes called “The Living Word.” Discussion and conversation, rather than reading and writing, are emphasized—and most instruction is hands-on". From the Folk School's webpage.
Blue Ridge Blanket Project with Alpaca and Mohair wool. Both are locally raised and manufactured product. A significant initiative to share local culture, knowledge, and expertise.
Anni Albers is one of my personal heroes. Her works and journey has been very inspiring and influential for me. She was one of the founders of the Black Mountain College and so having this museum in Asheville is a great resource.
Southern Highland Craft Guild,
Fiberhouse Collective,
Southern Highland Craft Guild,
Southern Highland Craft Guild, Folk Art Center
SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE & FOOD STUDIES
Dave Ellum - Agriculture/sustainability scholar at Warren Wilson College
Fiber House Collective explores kudzu as a fiber material. Through workshops and residencies, they look into ways of working with it.
Asheville Art Museum aims to "engage, enlighten, and inspire individuals and enrich community through dynamic experiences in American art of the 20th and 21st centuries." Their collection includes works from Black Mountain College professors and students, including Anni Albers, Josef Albers, Dorothy Cole Ruddick
and Lore Kadden Lindenfeld. Visit their webpage here.
The Fiber Arts Crew uses wool from the sheep on the farm to spin their own yarn and cultivates a dye garden to dye the yarn. Additionally, Crew members learn about the intersection between art and work by selling their crafts.
HAYWOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Professional crafts program - fiber
"The Fiber program is an intensive curriculum focusing on the design and creation of fiber work, ranging from textile products to contemporary fiber art. Students concentrate on woven textiles and gain many opportunities to include hand dyeing, stitching, surface design techniques, and much more in their original fabric creations. ... Graduates will leave with a thorough knowledge of woven textiles and dyes, as well as small business skills and professional practices applicable to a wide range of employment or entrepreneurial opportunities."
Melanie Wilder - Textile Artist, Head of Fiber Arts at Warren Wilson
NAMITA GUPTA WIGGERS - Craft researcher at Warren Wilson College
WE ARE STILL HERE. An artwork dedicated to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians next to the Center for Craft. Today, Cherokee people still practice traditional arts, such as basket-making pottery, woodworking, and more. Their work can be seen at Qualla Arts and Crafts Co-op.
