ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Surrounded by trees on the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Southern Highland Craft Guild will celebrate all things wood this weekend with their annual Wood Day celebration.
Wood Day will be held from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 9 at the Folk Art Center, Milepost 382 on the Blue Ridge Parkway in East Asheville.
What to expect at Wood Day
Wood Day is one of a series of annual educational events the SHCG holds in order to spotlight craft forms traditionally practiced in the Southeastern United States. At Wood Day, visitors can expect to see everything from spoon-carving to instrument-making during demonstrations by over 25 different artisans.
“We have a variety of people,” said Laura Lanier, executive assistant at the Folk Art Center. “There’s wood carvers, there’s a wood-carving club that’ll participate. Derek Hennigar makes this incredible, beautiful furniture out here in the gallery. Carolyn Anderson is one of the old-time Brasstown Carvers.”
Lanier identified the work of several artisans who will be in attendance during Wood Day, each with their own unique approach to the craft, but all honoring traditions that go back decades in Appalachia. The Brasstown Carvers, for instance, were founded nearly 100 years ago in collaboration with the John C. Campbell Folk School in Cherokee County.
One of those traditions is wood-turning, the process of chipping away at blocks of wood with the use of a lathe. Bowls are an especially common wood-turning subject, with several on display at the Folk Art Center.
Another fixture of Wood Day is the annual “carve-off” competition, which will be held this year from 1-3 p.m.
During this year’s carve-off, woodworkers will endeavor to shape a bird from a wooden block, competing for prizes and “bragging rights.”
“There’s so many different ways to use wood, for sure,” chuckled Lanier.
For a full list of demonstrators and more about the Southern Highland Craft Guild, visit www.southernhighlandguild.org.
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