As the John C. Campbell Folk School celebrates its 100th anniversary, award-winning author and cultural historian Anna Fariello releases an expanded edition of her acclaimed book, Craft & Community: John C. Campbell Folk School 1925-1945— a rich retelling of the school’s endearing legacy and the profound impact of its founders Olive Dame Campbell and Marguerite Butler.

Olive’s Porch in Downtown Murphy will host a Book Signing on Friday, October 3, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. during the First Friday Art Walk, providing finger food and an opportunity to purchase a copy of her newest edition. As director of the WCU Craft Revival Project, and recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Southern Highland Craft Guild, Fariello wields decades of experience documenting Appalachian and Indigenous traditions. Craft and Community entails historical documentation from the early days of the Folk School until World War II, featuring fresh insights, expanding the profiles of artisans who shaped the craft revival movement in the region in this new centennial edition.

Her prolific career includes authoring several pivotal works such as Images of America: Cherokee; From the Hands of our Elders, a series of three books on Cherokee crafts; Movers & Makers: Doris Ulmann’s Portrait of the Craft Revival, Blue Ridge Roadways: A Virginia Field Guide to Cultural Sites; and Objects & Meaning: New Perspectives on Art and Craft. She was also the art section editor for the Encyclopedia of Appalachia. Since 1990, Fariello has curated over 30 exhibitions for museums and organizations, nearly all centered around American craft. Fariello has been honored with a 2010 Brown Hudson Award from the North Carolina Folklore Society, a 2013 Guardians of Culture award from the Association of Tribal Archives and Museums, and a 2016 Preservation Excellence award from the North Carolina Preservation Consortium.

If you are interested in diving into the rich, inspiring history of campus, Craft & Community: John C. Campbell Folk School 1925-1945 is available at the Folk School Craft Shop, and City Lights in Sylva.

Brasstown community in front of Scroggs store.

Anna Fariello is an author, curator, scholar with many outstanding awards. She was also an Associate Professor at Western Carolina University’s Hunter Library. She has written many books with a traditional craft and history focus, shedding light on Appalachian heritage arts and crafts including her “Hands of our Elders” series that focuses on Cherokee basketry, carving and pottery.

About the John C. Campbell Folk School 

For 100 years, the John C. Campbell Folk School has transformed lives and brought people together in a nurturing environment in Brasstown, N.C. for experiences in learning and community life that spark self-discovery. Our values are joy, kindness, stewardship and non-competitiveness in our vision of community that awakens, enlivens and enlightens the world in accordance with the Danish folk school tradition and Appalachian craft.