Participation Type
Paper
Session Title
Session 5.05 Folklore and Folkways
Presentation #1 Title
The Craft Revival: Preserving Culture, Changing Lives
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
The Progressive Era was a time of change—educationally and socially—in Appalachia and across the country. And it had a profound effect on the Arts as well. Arts and crafts were seen as a tool of social and even educational change—using culture to sustain the heritage, the self-image, and the economic conditions of the populace. By the turn of the century, many of the Appalachian mountaineers no longer practiced the skills handed down by their parents and forebears—carving, making furniture, weaving bedcovers and household linen, crafting tools. Appalachian women in the Progressive Era enriched the lives of their neighbors by helping them discover the intrinsic value of their culture. North Carolina women were among those who encouraged their neighbors in the mountains of North Carolina to perpetuate their native arts—women such as Olive Dame Campbell of the John C. Campbell Folk School, Frances Goodrich at Allanstand Cottage Industries, Eleanor Vance and Charlotte Yale at the Biltmore Estate Industries, and Lucy Furman at Penland School of Handicrafts. Establishing craft schools, they encouraged the production of traditional artistic work and helped market the products created, thereby inspiring a craft revival that contributed to the preservation of folk culture of Appalachia.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Elizabeth M. Williams is a Research Librarian and Associate Professor at Appalachian State University. She has Master’s degrees in Library and Information Science and Appalachian Studies and has published an edition of Olive Dame Campbell’s diary, Appalachian Travels, journal articles, book reviews, and encyclopedia articles.
The Craft Revival: Preserving Culture, Changing Lives
Smith Hall 108
The Progressive Era was a time of change—educationally and socially—in Appalachia and across the country. And it had a profound effect on the Arts as well. Arts and crafts were seen as a tool of social and even educational change—using culture to sustain the heritage, the self-image, and the economic conditions of the populace. By the turn of the century, many of the Appalachian mountaineers no longer practiced the skills handed down by their parents and forebears—carving, making furniture, weaving bedcovers and household linen, crafting tools. Appalachian women in the Progressive Era enriched the lives of their neighbors by helping them discover the intrinsic value of their culture. North Carolina women were among those who encouraged their neighbors in the mountains of North Carolina to perpetuate their native arts—women such as Olive Dame Campbell of the John C. Campbell Folk School, Frances Goodrich at Allanstand Cottage Industries, Eleanor Vance and Charlotte Yale at the Biltmore Estate Industries, and Lucy Furman at Penland School of Handicrafts. Establishing craft schools, they encouraged the production of traditional artistic work and helped market the products created, thereby inspiring a craft revival that contributed to the preservation of folk culture of Appalachia.
