John C. Campbell Folk School

John C. Campbell Folk School. . Listen. You may hear fiddling on the porch, the anvil’s ring from the Blacksmith’s Shop, students singing in the garden as the pick vegetables for tonight’s supper, or calls of bluebirds along the trails. You may catch the aroma of bread, fresh from the oven. You may see painters, poets, birders and photographers responding to nature and to the people., Founded in 1925, the John C. Campbell Folk School’s mission is “to provide experiences in non-competitive learning and community life that are joyful and enlivening”. Wanting to improve the quality of life in rural communities, the founders visited several folkehojskoler, Danish “schools for folks”, and followed their model: community living, small group learning, singing, dancing, and closeness to the land. Today, people come here to immerse themselves in classes in craft and art, music, dance, cooking, gardening and writing., Please explore the campus, you can get a map at the Craft Shop and Keith House. Head out on the walking trails and visit studios where folks like you are making things. Wander to the Rivercane Walk and the Medicine Wheel, where artworks evoke the seven Cherokee clans. Enjoy the weekly concerts and join in the community dances, it will keep alive traditional music and dance and put a smile on your face., (captions) , The Folk School’s lush landscape inspires all who some here., D uring the summer months, students and visitors enjoy Friday night concerts in the Festival Barn., Hands-on learning in a woodcarving class., The ancient craft of blacksmithing is taught in the modern Clay Spencer Blacksmith Shop., Oscar Cantrell, the school’s first resident blacksmith, prepares the fields, with the assistance of two horses pulling a harrow (circa 1930).