Berea – A Birthplace of the Handicraft Revival

Berea – A Birthplace of the Handicraft Revival. . , By the late 1700’s, manufactured products of the Industrial Revolution were replacing handcrafted items, but in Berea and other pockets of Central Appalachia, handicraft traditions continued. The celebration of traditional loomed weavings by Berea College’s third President, Dr. William Frost, is considered the foundation of the revival of Appalachian handicrafts. When Frost arrived from Oberlin, Ohio in 1892, he was immediately impressed by finely woven coverlets he saw in Berea and the surrounding counties. His enthusiasm for the local weaving and craft skills inspired him to help preserve this handiwork and develop new products and markets for the mountain weavers. Frost’s early exchanges of coverlets “bartered for larnin’” set the standard for what has become a century-long tradition at Berea College: tuition-free education for academically promising students who work to earn money for room and board., Frost’s preservation and promotion of handicrafts, and his establishment of Berea College’s “earning while learning” Fireside Industries, helped ignite similar efforts at North Carolina’s Biltmore Estate, the Penland School of Craft and the Southern Highland Craft Guild., Home of the First Appalachian Craft Fair and Successful Private Enterprises., In 1896 Berea hosted its first craft fair coinciding with the College commencement. “The Homespun Fair” offered students and community craftsmen the then-unheard-of opportunity to sell their wares to an interested public. This craft fair tradition lives on in Berea and has been replicated in nearly every part of the country, offering those who uphold find handcrafted traditions the occasion to sell their products and demonstrate their talents., The success of Berea College’s Fireside Industries encouraged area entrepreneurs to broadly market their handcrafted wares. Two regional craft enterprises, Churchill Weavers and Bybee Pottery, also found success in marketing their products beyond the Appalachian region as early as the 1920’s. These businesses have not only endured, but achieved international recognition., Since the first crafts renaissance in the late 1800’s, the tradition and evolution of hand-wrought crafts have survived setbacks and enjoyed resurgences. The community of Berea treasures its rich heritage as the birthplace for many of the craft movement’s first and foremosts., Today’s Berea artists and craftspeople have been featured in museums, private collections and retail venues throughout the world. They may arrive from distant lands and various walks of life, but they share a common hands-on commitment to create viable businesses from their labor and love of their craft. The “handmade in Berea” artwork you take home today not only has lasting beauty, but also signifies your appreciation of the centuries-strong art and craft tradition this country was built upon., Welcome to Berea – the Folk Arts and Crafts Capital of Kentucky., [Insert:] , Functional and decorative hand loomed coverlets, also known as “kivers”, took center stage in the hearts and homes of may mountain families. Often, a single weaver would prepare all materials. This included growing and dyeing the cotton, making the loom, spinning the fiber and designing the pattern – all before the actual weaving could begin. Today’s weavers may benefit from more accessible materials, but the method of weaving remains much the same as that shown (left) by a present-day weaver., The region’s first craft fair or “Homespun Fair” was actually part of Berea College’s commencement ceremonies shown here, by Frank Long’s fine mural in Berea’s former post office building (painting c. 1938)., Chairmaking was one way pioneers furnished their homes and earned additional income. Woven chairs bottoms made from white oak splits or hickory were favored for comfort and durability. The art of weaving chair bottoms has changed little, as seen in comparing the Depression-era photo (above) and the recent picture taken at one of Berea’s many Craft Fairs (left)., Berea’s working artist studios and renowned galleries are just a few minutes drive away. Turn right when exiting the Artisan Center. Old Town and College Square are within a couple of miles.