Announcing our 2026 Traditional Craft Mentorship Program! These learning-intensive, two-week residencies give emerging artists the opportunity to learn from master artisans and connect with their peers in a joyful, community-driven environment. Small groups of mentees will participate in focused, two-week sessions that enhance their interests, knowledge, and skills in traditional Appalachian craft, music, or dance. Areas of study for 2026 include Chair Weaving, Kaleidoscopes, and Nature Studies. All mentorships will take place from August 2-15, 2026. Mentorships are tuition-free and selected applicants are awarded room and board at no cost and a stipend of $450 to help with travel and materials.

Chair Weaving (August 2-15, 2026)

Chair Weaving
with Brandy Clements & Dave Klingler

Fall down the rabbit hole of traditional craft in this two week mentorship for chair weaving. Learn five basic styles of seat weaving–hand-woven and machine woven caning, splint, rush, and Shaker tape weaving–and get a good foundation for working with advanced materials and patterns. Beginners are welcome and experienced seat weavers are encouraged to attend to refine their methods and learn new patterns. Also, learn structural repairs and seat weaving for furniture design or as a business.

Kaleidoscopes (August 2-15, 2026)

Kaleidoscopes
with Sheryl Koch & Marc Tickle

Would you like the opportunity to spend two weeks exclusively focused on designing your own kaleidoscope masterpieces? 

Embark on a deep-dive journey steered by your individual creative freedoms and ideas. Discuss the fundamental nuances of using front-surface mirrors and reflective and non-reflective surfaces to bounce light around and influence images within your kaleidoscope pieces. As ideas start to develop, your instructors will be there to share other aspects such as cell design, object use and creation, glues, solutions, hacks, and Apps in support of crafting your magical mastery of this intriguing instrument. Be encouraged to discover your own innovations as you are launched to the next level and beyond!  

 Be mentored by two instructors with a combined experience of 70+ years designing kaleidoscopes who have a shared discipline in glass and whose strengths are deeply represented within this medium. Students are encouraged to work in any media that they desire providing that it is practical in the framework of a studio setting. 

This class is best for those who have a degree of comprehension about kaleidoscope making and have previously experimented with making some designs. Students should have a passion to learn and a desire to contribute to the future of kaleidoscopic innovations.  

Nature Studies (August 2-15, 2026)

Botanical Medicine Making 
With Trevor Clark

This two-week herbal immersion offers a hands-on exploration of botanical medicine making, drawing from commercial formulation practices and traditional herbal wisdom. Blending practical manufacturing knowledge with folk plant wisdom, this course invites students to engage with plants through direct experience in the field, forest, kitchen, and garden. 
 
Each day focuses on deepening your connection with plants and unlocking their medicinal secrets through plant walks, hands-on formulation, and detailed instruction in extraction methods. The kitchen will serve as a central classroom for transforming herbal ingredients into effective, professional-quality preparations. 
 
Expect to create a comprehensive toolkit of handcrafted herbal remedies to take home filled with tea blends, tinctures, topicals, liniments, and encapsulated extracts. Learn proper extraction techniques, product standardization, quality control, and for those interested in selling products, FDA DSHEA compliance basics. Field trips to nearby forests and herbal spaces will offer opportunities for plant identification and deepened plant connection.