A
Guide to Residential Craft Schools That Teach Weaving
By Karen Donde
If you are looking for a break in your daily routine consider visiting one of America’s craft school listed below. The focus of this directory is on schools that primarily offer short-term (two weeks or less) classes
on specific weaving subjects, taught by visiting instructors. The list includes
the largest and most familiar schools that teach weaving, and a few that may be
less familiar, but is by no means exhaustive. The schools and their websites are
the primary sources of information.
The schools are ranked by the average number of weaving classes
offered per year.
John C. Campbell Folk School
Brasstown, North Carolina
www.folkschool.com
Location: Western North Carolina, two hours north of Atlanta, two hours
east of Chattanooga, Tennessee, and two hours west of Asheville, North Carolina.
Nearest major highways are I-75 and I-40.
History: Founded in 1925 in the tradition of Denmark’s “folk
high schools,” which helped transform the Danish countryside into a vibrant,
creative force, the Folk School is named for its visionary. John C. Campbell and
his wife, Olive, travelled to the southern Appalachian mountains in 1908 to survey
social conditions. They dreamed of improving the quality of life through education
while sharing the mountain people’s crafts, techniques, and tools with the
rest of the world. After John’s death in 1919, Olive and her friend Marguerite
Butler collaborated with Fred O. Scroggs, Brasstown’s local storekeeper,
and the people of Cherokee and Clay counties to build the school on 75 acres of
land donated by the Scroggs family. The campus now includes 360 acres.
Character and Atmosphere: The rural, wooded, mountain setting makes
unplugging from the stresses of daily life to focus on a creative pursuit easy.
In the studios, learning is not about the product but the process, which emphasizes
its founders’ goals of providing noncompetitive, supportive, hands-on instruction.
Opportunities for social interaction bring students from all crafts together for
family-style meals, trail walks, music, and dance.
Weaving Curriculum and Faculty: Offering forty-five to fifty weaving
classes per year, with an average of ten to twelve students per class, the Folk
School welcomes more than 400 weaving students annually. Most classes are one
week, with a few five-day and weekend classes. Subjects range from beginning to
advanced techniques.
Schedule: Year-round. Register at least three months in advance, sooner
for popular instructors.
Costs and Logistics: A week-long class, including on-campus lodging
and meals, runs between $900 and $1,100, depending on lodging type selected: dorm,
shared bath or in-room bath. There is also a campground with RV and tent sites
at the school and a variety of rental cabins, bed-and-breakfasts, and motels a
short drive away. Scholarships and work-study programs are available. Facilities
are accessible for people with disabilities, but the terrain is hilly and uneven.
Parking is available right outside most studios.
Beyond Weaving: Lots of choices for a spouse or travelling companion
who comes along: spinning, dyeing, knitting, felting, quilting, doll art, papermaking,
surface design, woodworking (a new woodturning studio), cooking, pottery, jewelry,
music and dance, painting, book arts, or blacksmithing.
Also Nice to Know: The weaving studio is well stocked with looms and
weaving tools. Students either bring their own yarn and materials or can purchase
what they need for class. The Folk School has a gift shop but does not sell equipment
or supplies. A residential six-month student host program is offered.
The Mannings
East Berlin, Pennsylvania
www.the-mannings.com
Location: In Adams County, Pennsylvania, along the winding Conewago
Creek, The Mannings is halfway between York and Gettysburg and about four miles
from U.S. Route 30 in Abbottstown. The nearest airport is Harrisburg International.
History: Founded by Osma and Milo Gallinger under the name Creative
Crafts, the business moved to its present location in 1949. Osma was a pioneer
in the reawakening American craft movement in the 1930s, publishing numerous leaflets,
a magazine, and books about handweaving. After Milo’s death, the business
was sold to Harry and Katherine Manning in 1960 and became The Mannings Creative
Crafts Handweaving School and Supply Center. Since then the business has continued
to expand, with current owners Carol and Ron Woolcock, who bought it in 1985,
staying true to its motto: “If it’s for weaving, the Mannings has
it and you’ll have it in a few days.” Each management change has increased
the focus on teaching. A 2002 addition brought the facility to more than 12,000
square feet of display and classroom area.
Character and Atmosphere: Tucked into the rolling hills of rural south-central
Pennsylvania, The Mannings is a destination for yarn, supplies, tools, equipment,
books, and education. The owners and staff try to create a relaxed learning experience.
They structure classes so many students leave with a product versus samples.
Weaving Curriculum and Faculty: Between forty and fifty weaving classes, ranging
from one to five days long, are offered during the year. Class sizes vary from
six to fifteen students and are usually full. About ninety percent of weaving
classes are staff-taught, most of those by Tom Knisely, a popular conference instructor,
who is often featured in Handwoven.
Schedule: Year-round. Most classes, especially Knisely’s, fill
early. Sign up at least six months in advance.
Costs and Logistics: Fees vary with class and instructor but usually
range from $80 to $125 per day. A few lodging rooms are available on site, with
motels about five to ten miles away. Students have access to kitchen facilities,
including a microwave and refrigerator. The store and classroom are accessible
for people with disabilities, but the housing facilities are not.
Beyond Weaving: Other fiber classes include spinning, knitting, dyeing,
kumihimo, and special subjects like temari and crochet when teachers are available.
Also Nice to Know: Looms are provided, but weavers are encouraged to
bring their own shuttles. The school houses the Helene Bress Coverlet Collection,
consisting of samples used in The Coverlet Book. The shop includes equipment
from all major manufacturers so students and customers can try before they buy.
Sievers School of Fiber Arts
Washington Island, Wisconsin
www.sieversschool.com
Location: Just off the northernmost tip of Wisconsin’s thumb on
the Door County Peninsula, Washington Island is the setting for Sievers School.
It is a two-hour drive, plus a thirty-minute ferry ride from Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Austin Straubel Field is the nearest commercial airport.
History: Sievers’ fiber tradition began more than thirty years
ago selling plans for build-your-own looms and then loom kits. The weaving school
opened in 1979 and has expanded to include all fiber arts. To its original space
in the historic Jackson Harbor Schoolhouse, Sievers has added a renovated barn
that houses a studio and dorm. Teaching is now done in two modern well-equipped
studios, one of them designated primarily for weaving.
Character and Atmosphere: The island atmosphere contributes to a true
get-away experience, which the staff enhances by providing a sharing, homey atmosphere.
Weaving Curriculum and Faculty: Sievers offers twelve to fifteen weaving
classes per year, most of them are five days long. Classes are usually full, with
an average of eight students. All instructors are visiting professional fiber
artists, some locally and others internationally known.
Schedule: May–October. Registration begins February 1, with some
classes filling in the first few days.
Costs and Logistics: Fees are based on length of class with week-long
classes running $360 and weekend classes $200, plus materials fees. Partial- and
full-tuition scholarship programs are offered based on artistic merit and financial
need. Women-only dormitory includes twin beds with privacy curtains, a fully equipped
kitchen, and two bath/dressing rooms. Meals are not provided. The island also
offers motels, rental houses, bed-and-breakfasts, resorts, and camping. Sievers
facilities are accessible for people with disabilities. The island itself has
limited sidewalks, ramps, and outdoor lighting.
Beyond Weaving: Curriculum includes spinning, knitting, felting, basketry,
quilting, sewing, surface design, beading, stitchery, rustic furniture making,
and papermaking.
Also Nice to Know: Looms and equipment are provided. More than two-thirds
of Sievers students return each year or on a regular basis. The Sievers Shop offers
a wide range of books and supplies and features original arts and fine crafts
from more than 120 of the school’s students and teachers.
Harrisville Designs Weaving Center
Harrisville, New Hampshire
www.harrisville.com
Location: In southwestern New Hampshire, off Route 101 between Marlborough
and Dublin. Harrisville is about two hours from Boston, Massachusetts, and Hartford,
Connecticut, and about five hours from New York City. Manchester and Boston Logan
are the closest airports.
History: Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1977, the small
brick village of Harrisville is the only industrial community from early nineteenth-century
America that survives in its original form. Woolen yarn has been spun there since
1794. Harrisville Designs has been in business since 1969.
Character and Atmosphere: The staff strives to make student experiences
unforgettable. Providing a setting where friendship and creativity can flourish
among people from different walks of life complements its educational mission.
Class size is limited to maintain a studio versus classroom feel.
Weaving Curriculum and Faculty: Between twelve and fifteen weaving
classes, averaging thirteen students in size, are scheduled each year, all taught
by visiting instructors. Most teachers are nationally or internationally known,
but the school has found a few local instructors it considers exceptional. Occasionally
a staff member will teach a Saturday workshop.
Schedule: Five-day classes are offered from May–October. Some
classes fill a year in advance, but registration for available space is accepted
until class starts. Information is available on the website or in a newsletter
sent to those on its mailing list.
Costs and Logistics: A five-day class costs between $375 and $450,
depending on instructor and topic. A campus boardinghouse with a full kitchen,
where students can prepare their own meals, holds nine people. Other local accommodations
include private residences, bed-and-breakfasts, motels, and campgrounds. The Mark
Nelson Scholarship is awarded each year for one student’s tuition, with
Harrisville Designs covering the boardinghouse fee. With the classroom on the
second floor and boardinghouse on the third floor, this historic building does
not have elevators.
Beyond Weaving: Specializing in fiber crafts, Harrisville offers spinning,
dyeing, felting, and knitting classes.
Also Nice to Know: Generally all equipment and materials are provided.
The studio is open to students twenty-four hours a day while attending a workshop.
Students can also expect invitations to enjoy wine and cheese with the owners,
a tour of the spinning mill, and a history talk about Harrisville. Harrisville
manufactures and sells its own looms, equipment, educational toys, and yarn. The
shop also stocks books, weaving accessories, and gifts.
Peters Valley Craft Center
Layton, New Jersey
www.petersvalley.org
Location: In the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area along
the Delaware River, Peters Valley is in the northwest corner of New Jersey, near
its borders with Pennsylvania and New York. It is two hours north of Philadelphia
and seventy miles northwest of Newark Airport.
History: Established as a craft education center in 1970, its focus
is on weaving, blacksmithing, surface design, woodworking, photography, and fine
metals. It inhabits historic former farmhouses and barns.
Character and Atmosphere: The rural wooded setting helps create a bucolic
atmosphere, far different than one might expect in New Jersey. With TV reception
and high-speed Internet limited, there are few distractions. Studios are open
after dinner for student use, with Friday night slide presentations and a Sunday
afternoon auction among social highlights.
Weaving Curriculum and Faculty: Between eight and nine weaving workshops
lasting three to five days are offered each season. They are taught by nationally
known guest instructors, with an average class size of six to eight people.
Schedule: Mid-May to mid-September. Nonmembers may register beginning
February 1, and early registration is recommended. Late applications will be accepted
as long as space remains available.
Costs and Logistics: Generally payment is based on length of class,
ranging from $335 for a three-day class to $460 for a five-day class. Fees can
vary according to instructor. On-campus lodging is limited and ranges from $40
per night for dorm-style shared room with shared bath to $110 for a single room
with private bath. Meal plans and individual meals are available for purchase.
There are numerous off-campus motels, bed-and-breakfasts, and campgrounds nearby.
Peters Valley offers scholarships for college students and work exchange, which
can be short-term or long-term. The summer assistant program provides room and
board. Although certain buildings have ramps, the weaving studio and dorms are
not yet accessible. With prior notice, arrangements can be made for people with
disabilities.
Beyond Weaving: Dyeing, felting, quilting, basketry, machine knitting,
and wire weaving round out the fiber curriculum. Other crafts include blacksmithing,
ceramics, fine metals, photography, wood, and special topics, among them flame-work
glass, painting, and stained glass.
Also Nice to Know: Almost all equipment and supplies are provided.
Mendocino Art Center
Mendocino, California
www.mendocinoartcenter.org
Location: On the Northern California coastline along Highway 1, Mendocino
is about four hours from major airports in Oakland, Sacramento, and San Francisco.
It is 100 miles northwest of Santa Rosa.
History: The Mendocino Art Center celebrates its fiftieth anniversary
this year. The fiber-arts department evolved from a three-year apprenticeship
program begun in the early 1970s by Lolli Jacobsen, who continues to be the primary
teacher for classes offered through College of the Redwoods.
Character and Atmosphere: The center reflects the atmosphere of the
small community of Mendocino. The headlands setting and rugged coastline offer
artistic inspiration and tranquility. Beaches, redwood forest walking trails,
and a friendly atmosphere add to the environment.
Weaving Curriculum and Faculty: The center offers seven to ten weaving
workshops per year, taught by nationally and internationally known visiting artists.
Classes of about twelve students last from one to five days, with longer classes
scheduled during the summer.
Schedule: Year-round. Students can register three months in advance.
Costs and Logistics: Fees vary by class length and instructor. A one-day
class might be $75, while a five-day class might range from $300 to $500. On-site
studio apartments are available in the summer. Lodging is available in Mendocino
or Fort Bragg at other times. Food is not included in lodging, but a variety of
restaurants and a grocery store are within a few blocks. The center is accessible
for people with disabilities.
Beyond Weaving: With about thirty fiber-art classes per year, the center
also teaches surface design, basketry, paper crafts, and millinery. Other media
include jewelry, digital art, fine art, and sculpture.
Also Nice to Know: Equipment is provided for most classes, although
for classes such as Navajo weaving, students often bring their own. An artist-in-residence
program can last up to nine months. Two fifteen-week weaving classes are offered
through College of the Redwoods.
Penland School of Crafts
Mitchell County, North Carolina
www.penland.org
Location: Penland is in western North Carolina, one hour north of Asheville
and about twenty minutes from the Asheville Regional Airport.
History: In 1923, Lucy Morgan formed Penland Weavers, which provided
looms and materials to local women and marketed their handwoven goods. She invited
guest instructors to teach weaving classes for the women. In 1929, when requests
for instruction began coming from other parts of the country, Penland School of
Crafts was born. The campus is part of the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area and
in 2003, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Character and Atmosphere: Having grown to forty-nine buildings on 400
acres, Penland is a destination for 14,000 visitors a year, in addition to its
average 1,200 students. The focus is on intensive study designed to help students
make significant artistic progress. The rustic mountain surroundings, work in
other studios, and good company help provide inspiration.
Weaving Curriculum and Faculty: At least seven weaving classes are offered
each year, on a wide range of topics for varying experience levels. All are taught
by visiting professional studio craftspeople or college-level educators. Maximum
class size is twelve, including one studio assistant.
Schedule: The summer session offers five two-week classes, one one-week
class, and one two-and-a-half week class. In fall and spring, one-week classes
often include weaving, and eight-week concentrations are offered. Class information
is available in early January, with registration for summer classes beginning
in February. Many fill early.
Costs and Logistics: Students should expect to pay $740 for a two-week
class, plus $682 for room and board in a dorm-style room. Other housing options
are available. The campus includes a dining hall and coffee house. A bed-and-breakfast
is nearby for those who choose not to stay on campus. A variety of scholarship
opportunities is available. The two textile studios are only accessible by stairs,
but otherwise the hilly campus is generally accessible, with assistance available
for those with special needs.
Beyond Weaving: Other textile classes include surface design, hat making,
felting, and shibori. Classes are also offered in books and paper, clay, drawing,
glass, iron, metals, photography, printmaking, letterpress, and wood.
Also Nice to Know: Looms and most equipment are provided. Students sometimes
are instructed to bring small items and/or materials or pay a materials fee. A
campus store with some supplies and materials is available. Penland also offers
a juried two-year Core Fellowship Program, as well as a three-year Resident Artist
program. College credit for Penland classes is possible through Western Carolina
University.
Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts
Gatlinburg, Tennessee
www.arrowmont.org
Location: Arrowmont is in the heart of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, located
adjacent to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. McGhee Tyson Airport in Knoxville
is about an hour away.
History: Dating to 1912, when it began as the Pi Beta Phi Settlement
School, Arrowmont incorporated weaving and other crafts into the curriculum in
1915 to maintain the traditional skills and as a means of support for mountain
families. In 1945, the first Summer Crafts Workshop was held there in conjunction
with the University of Tennessee. It adopted its current name in 1970. A related
business, the Arrowcraft Shop, which was established in 1926 to market the students’
crafts, was recognized as the largest cottage weaving industry in the United States,
employing 242 women weavers between 1935 and 1945. Although Pi Beta Phi ended
its involvement with Arrowcraft in 1996, the shop still operates under the direction
of the Southern Highland Craft Guild.
Character and Atmosphere: A walk to class is a walk through Arrowmont’s
galleries, featuring up to ten exhibitions each year. Studios are close together,
facilitating interaction and collaboration between artists in different media.
Arrowmont strives to provide workshops that are not intimidating in a comfortable
environment for students of all interests and abilities.
Weaving Curriculum and Faculty: All instructors are guest artists, often
with national or international reputations. About six weaving classes, with an
average of eight students, are offered each year.
Schedule: Usually one or two weaving classes, lasting a weekend, one-week,
or two weeks, is offered during each of Arrowmont’s spring, summer, and
fall sessions. Class descriptions are usually available three to four months prior
to class.
Costs and Logistics: Course fees are $250 for a weekend, $440 for a
week, and $970 for two weeks. On-campus room-and-board prices vary according to
class length and room style. For example, a one-week class in a dorm-style room
with shared bath would be $312, while a single room with private bath would be
$682. Scholarships, studio assistantships, and work-study programs are available
to offset costs. All studio and housing facilities are accessible for people with
disabilities. Other special needs can be addressed with the staff.
Beyond Weaving: Other fiber classes include surface design, quilting,
machine embroidery, dyeing, shibori, marbling, and basketry, in addition to ceramics,
metalsmithing, fused glass, drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, woodturning,
woodworking, sculpture, and paper/book arts.
Also Nice to Know: Equipment is provided, but materials are the responsibility
of the student. A campus store sells weaving supplies and yarn. An eleven-month
(June–May) artists-in-residence program includes housing, studio space,
and a monthly stipend.
Haystack Mountain School of Crafts
Deer Isle, Maine
www.haystack-mtn.org
Location: On the Atlantic Ocean in mid-coast Maine, Deer Isle is connected
to the mainland by a bridge over the Eggemoggin Reach. Haystack is seventy miles
from Bangor, which is the nearest airport. It is 160 miles from Portland and about
250 miles north of Boston.
History: In business for fifty-eight years, Haystack has been a leader
in craft education. In 1987, it received the gold medal institutional award from
the American Craft Council for its "trailblazing leadership" and "longtime
service" in education. It is listed on the National Register of Historic
Places.
Character and Atmosphere: An intensive and supportive community learning
environment and stunning natural setting invite serious exploration of craft,
ideas, and imagination. The unique campus was designed by award-winning architect
Edward Larrabee Barnes.
Weaving Curriculum and Faculty: One two-week weaving class, with a maximum
enrollment of fourteen, is usually offered each summer. It is taught by a nationally
known visiting artist.
Schedule: June to early September. Summer enrollment deadline is April
1, but some openings may be available after that.
Costs and Logistics: Priced according to class and on-campus living
accommodations, average cost of a two-week class for tuition, room and board in
the least expensive accommodation is $1,000. Shop fees for materials in common
use range from $5 to $75 per week. Full scholarships are available for technical
assistants or work-study students. Although the weaving studio is not wheelchair
accessible, accommodations can be made for wheelchair-bound students.
Beyond Weaving: Other fiber classes, such as surface design, basketry, mixed-media
work, quilting, felting, knitting, and dyeing join ceramics, glass, blacksmithing,
jewelry, printmaking, artists' books, papermaking, and woodworking.
Also Nice to Know: All equipment and supplies are generally provided.
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