Hidden in the western mountains of North Carolina, an award-winning school teaches the ancient arts of Ukrainian egg decorating, bamboo fly-rod making and chair caning.
Based on Danish “school for life” nontraditional teaching methods and subjects, the John C. Campbell Folk School (known as “folkehøjskole”) is the only school of its kind in the United States. Its director won North Carolina’s Award for Fine Arts in 2007.
Located just north of the Georgia state line off Route 64, the not-for-profit school began in 1925 and was one of “The 100 Best Vacations to Enrich Your Life” in a 2007 National Geographic book.
“This is a vacation you’ll never forget,” promises Jan Davidson, Folk School director since 1992. “It’s about bringing people together and letting them enjoy each other’s company while they learn.”
Visitors frequently sign up for weekend or week-long classes to sample different cultures and experiences on the 300-acre campus. Courses this year include 830-plus arts and crafts sessions offered by 537 instructors. Participants, expected to number over 6,000, stay in a variety of on-campus lodging and eat their meals family-style.
It’s a lifestyle devoid of schedules and stresses. Outside of class, the Folk School follows a traditional Scandinavian model of nature walks, singing, dancing and listening to concerts and folklore.
No Phones
There are no computers, no phones in classrooms and little need to use cell phones. At the beginning of the week, people tend to go through “e-mail withdrawal,” says Davidson, “but by the end they have bonded with their group, often people they have met for the first time.”
A recent television documentary about the Folk School, Sing Behind the Plow: John C. Campbell Folk School, premiered on public television last year. The onehour story traced the history and roots of the school. Davidson, who wrote and co-produced, was nominated for an Emmy Award for Best Historical Documentary in the Mid-South Region.
Nighthoots & Morningsongs, a CD released last year, features Folk School music.
“It’s hard to classify it as a particular genre, it’s a compilation of old-time bluegrass, gospel and jazz, what we’re playing now in the 28902 zip code,” says Davidson. “The youngest performer is a 13-year-old drummer and the oldest is a 95-year-old who plays the piano.”
Classes include basketry, blacksmithing, cooking, drawing, jewelry, knitting, metalwork, photography, spinning, woodworking, and subjects that do not fall under traditional headings such as scrimshaw and recreating old-time radio. The Folk School also teaches music, dance, gardening and other arts.
“You may start working with a tree on Monday and by Friday, have something you can sit on, like a chair or bench,” says Davidson.
Hands-On
The Folk School instruction is hands-on and cooperative with discussion and conversation, rather than reading and writing. That’s different from most educational settings, says Davidson, where “you have to whoop somebody to get noticed.”
“Photography is my hobby, although my husband calls it my obsession,” says Tonya Herring-Holcomb, a nursing instructor at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College who took a photography class. “My goal was to learn how to photograph people and I came back with three black and white prints,” says Herring-Holcomb, who recently opened a photography business specializing in children’s portraiture.
“In the end, it’s just fun. You’re going there to have a good time and you meet a lot of friends,” says Herring-Holcomb. “It really and truly is a vacation.” – Carol Gifford |
