Spring peepers sing their nightly song, and dusk moves gently toward dawn, welcoming those new and familiar to the Folk School campus. As blades of green bend to the wind, students come and go like the seasons, learning, growing and creating with ebb and flow.  

The John C. Campbell Folk School is embracing a moment both reflective and forward-facing. From the year-long jubilee to the 50th Annual Fall Festival, campus is not only engaged in celebration, but also the question: what comes next?  

Looking towards the future, the school turns to the people who make campus what it is, asking them to consider what the Folk School experience may look like 100 years from now. 

The responses, varied and heartfelt, suggest a collective vision grounded in possibility, to awaken, enliven and enlighten the surrounding world just as founder Olive Dame Campbell intended. Board member Maritza Maxwell says in 100 years, the Folk School campus may look different, but there’s something that will always stay the same.  

“What will never change is the special and unique sense of community that encourages us to be creative, learn new skills, and step out of our comfort zones, all of which make us more interesting, valuable people,” Maxwell said. 

This theme of fellowship echoes in Field School participant’s Stacy E. Van Buskirk’s reflection, “Brasstown itself is a place of resilience; a beating heart for those who work hard and love hard, too. I believe the Folk School will continue to hold the same values and beliefs of its founders and continue to be a safe spot in a world of chaos,” she said.  

For the Brasstown Carvers, the future is filled with legacy and grace, as a century of knowledge and practice are passed down from generation to generation, held between pages of carving patterns. Richard Carter is part of that legacy, sharing it with one of the newest Brasstown Carvers inductees, Angela Wynn.  

Board member Reverend Wil Posey looks toward future generations. “I smile when I think of the future community stewarding the school’s mission in ways that are creative, joy-filled, and beyond what we can imagine now,” he said.  

Taken together, these voices suggest while campus may grow, and the tools may change, the heart of the Folk School will remain. One hundred years from now, it will still be shaped by hands, held by the community, and carried forward by imagination.