2013 Event Schedule

Folk On The Mountain is a two-day celebration of Folk Art—the immensely varied works of homegrown, not-formally-trained artists from around the southeastern United States who produce amazing hand-made creations in mediums including paint, pottery, sculpture, textiles, and more. Folk Art comes in every shape and description, from useful pottery decorated with clay grapes or dogwood blossoms to humorous or frightening face jugs; from small birds carved from found wood to life-sized scultpures of wood or metal that can represent animals or people (real or imagined); from paintings on old roof tin of chickens or lizards or other animals to... The possibilities are endless, limited only by the imagination of the artist and the materials they have on hand. Visitors are sure to see styles of Folk Art they know and love, and are equally as sure to encounter things they never imagined could exist before seeing it. Tour the Foxfire Museum, take in (or take home) some great Folk Art, and enjoy some time On The Mountain!

Hours are 9:00am—5:00pm, both days. Admission cost is the regular Museum rate—$6.00 for adults, $3 for ages 7-10, and free for children 6 and under.

Folk Artists interested in participating in the event: download the application form for details.

Each of Foxfire's Children's Heritage Day events consist of a series of 3-4 different hands-on workshops, during which young participants will watch demonstrations of traditional skills and then get their hands on the tools and materials and actually learn how to use them—while creating their own unique projects to take home. The day also includes old-timey games and other fun activities.

Each Children's Heritage Day event runs 9am–3pm, rain or shine. Cost is $40 per child, with a $5 discount for additional siblings. Lunch and snack are provided for children. Parents are welcome to observe and assist, and must bring their own lunch. Sunscreen is recommended. For safety reasons, particpants are asked to wear long pants and closed-toe shoes, and not to bring music players or cell phones. Pre-registration is required, and attendance is limited to 12 children per event.

The specific heritage activities for each event date will be posted here when the schedule is finalized. Previous Children's Heritage Days have included activities like:

Blacksmithing - hammer red-hot iron on an anvil to make a decorative wall hook.

Candle-making - make hand-dipped beeswax candles.

Carving - learn basic woodcarving techniques using wooden tools to carve bars of soap.

Folk Art Painting - using imagination and painting an Americana-style flag on wood.

Pottery - hand-build and decorate creations made of clay.

Ropemaking - turn basic twine into a sturdy piece of rope with a hand-powered, vintage machine.

Storytelling - listen to traditional tall tales and Jack tales, and then learn the essentials of telling tall tales.

Tin Punching - make and decorate a punched-tin candle holder or ornament.

Toys & Games - make one or two simple traditional toys from basic materials.

Weaving - learn an easy no-tool weaving method to make a simple scarf from yarn.

Woodworking - use a shaving horse and draw knife to fashion a wood hiking stick.

October
5

Foxfire
Mountaineer
Festival

Foxfire again partners with the Mountaineer Festival to host
the Foxfire Mountaineer Festival on Saturday, October 5,
at the Rabun County Civic Center in Clayton, GA.

Information on this year's event, as plans are confirmed, will be available at
www.foxfiremountaineer.org

Newest Foxfire Book Commemorates 45 Years

In 1966, a group of high school students chose to produce a magazine filled with their own writing as a way to make learning their English coursework more engaging. For inspiration, many of them turned to their elders in Rabun County, GA, and surrounding communities and began gathering stories of life in pre-electricity, pre-automobile Southern Appalachia. Their work struck a chord as the students' writing tore away the "hillbilly" stereotype and revealed lesser-known traits of the Southern Appalachian people—stalwart families with steadfast beliefs, deeply-ingrained appreciation of beauty in simple things, and exceptionally keen powers of observation. 45 years later, through numerous obstacles and several generations of leadership, this classroom project known as The Foxfire Magazine has endured, much like the people who settled this mountainous land so long ago.

The Foxfire 45th Anniversary Book: Singin', Praisin', Raisin' celebrates 45 years of local students collecting and preserving the heritage of Southern Appalachia. The book’s first song-themed section, “A Beautiful Life,” features thoughtful and touching stories from new, colorful regional personalities. “Knoxville Girl” and “Barbara Allen” relate intriguing tales and legends of relatively-rare notable crimes and various spooky happenings. “Echoes” contains encouraging life stories about gospel, bluegrass, and faith from several traditional musicians. “Daddy Was a Farmer” relives the days of Rabun Gap–Nacoochee School’s storied Farm Family Program through the memories of those who acquired both sustenance and education while working the land around the school. “With His Own Two Hands” closes the book with a selection of how-to articles ranging from building a versatile farming sled to constructing basic woodworking tools and braiding a leather bullwhip.

The section of Singin', Praisin', Raisin' titled "Echoes" features interviews with a dozen different Southern Appalachian gospel and bluegrass musicians. Book editor Joyce Green, a talented gospel singer herself, brought her love of music to this section personally, as well as to the rest of the new book, but she also knew that printed words couldn't really convey the beauty and power of this timeless music she deems "as pure as the maple wood from which an instrument had been precisely shaped and molded." To give readers of the book the complete experience of "mountain music filling the air," Joyce asked each of the musicians/groups interviewed for a single song to be included on a companion audio CD to be offered alongside the book. Curtis Blackwell, Josh Crowe, David Holt, LV & Mary Mathis, Mountain Faith, The Primitive Quartet, George Reynolds, The Foxfire Boys, Morris Stancil & Greg Stancil, Dale Tilley, Gary Waldrep, and Young Harmony graciously agreed, and the resulting compilation of 12 tracks, also titled "Echoes," is available exclusively from Foxfire.

Contact Us or call 706-746-5828 for more information about these 45th Anniversary releases, or visit Our Shop to listen to sample clips from Echoes or to purchase the CD along with Singin', Praisin', Raisin' today.