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)

Nature Studies
This two-week herbal immersion offers a rich, hands-on exploration of herbalism through the rhythms of the field, forest, kitchen, and garden. Blending folk plant wisdom with everyday practicality, and a dash of science, the course invites students to engage with plants through direct experience. Using National Geographic Herbal as a guiding framework, move through key themes including sensory herbalism, kitchen herbalism, weed wisdom, woodland plant medicine, topical preparations, global traditions, and the evolving role of the herbalist in community care. 

Each day focuses on a theme brought to life through plant walks, hands-on preparation, creative projects, and cultural reflection. The kitchen will serve as a central classroom for learning how to transform herbal ingredients into vibrant, healing preparations. Field trips to nearby forests and community herbal spaces will offer opportunities for observation, inspiration, and deepened plant connection. 

Expect to create a personalized toolkit of handcrafted herbal remedies to take home, filled with tea blends, tinctures, topicals, and a variety of small-batch plant preparations made throughout the course. 

Throughout the immersion, explore what it means to be a community herbalist in today’s world, including practical guidance on the business of herbalism, such as sourcing, product labeling, ethical marketing, networking, and small-scale herbal entrepreneurship.