Folk school brings holiday crafting event to Andrews

    Andrews – Kids will get to learn from a master carver from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday at the Valleytown Cultural Arts Center.
    Participants will get to make their own soap carvings and visit with Santa during the free event, “Holiday Carving for Kids,” which is part of John C. Campbell Folk School’s week-long Appalachian Master Artist Series featuring Helen Gibson of Murphy, said Lori Coffey, Valleytown Cultural Arts & Historical Society board member. The folk school will have other local carvers present at the event.
    “I think it’s fantastic,” Coffey said. “I appreciate that the folk school has reached out and involved us.”
    She hopes the partnership will continue, and the folk school will bring more events to the arts center.
    Gibson, an internationally known master carver, has been a resident artist in woodcarving at the folk school since 1990. She is also the co-author of several carving instructional books.
    Other public events for the series include “A Celebration of Brasstown Carving” presentation from 7-8 p.m. Monday in the folk school’s Keith House. There will be carving demonstrations from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday in the folk school’s craft shop, as well as 10 a.m. to noon Tuesday and Thursday in the folk school’s History Center.
    The folk school said community members are encouraged to bring their own carvings, carving stories or questions to any of the free events. The Appalachian Master Artist Series is a grant-funded initiative to promote traditional craft, music and dance.
    For details on the Andrews event at 125 Chestnut St., call Coffey at 361-2781.