I arrived home last night around 8:30 ending a fabulous week at the Campbell Folk School, sort of like being on a small college campus. I will have pictures later. We arrived at the school last Sunday around 4pm. After picking up our registration packets we drove over to our assigned housing to park the car for the week and get unpack. The grounds cover several acres of hilly wooded land intersected with gravel or chipped wood walking paths. Buildings are mostly farm and barn like structures that house the various studios.
After a brief orientation in the main admin building Keith House, we went next door to the dining hall for dinner then each class group met with their instructors to walk to their studio buildings to get started on the week. There were five of us in the wood carving class; four men and myself ranging in age from me at 60 to 76. Me and one other retired librarian from NC State were both beginners. The other three had wood working experience.
We were up each morning at 7pm. Our house was quarter of mile or so across the road and up a hill from the main part of the campus. We walked over to Keith House where Bonnie attended morning song while I sat in the small library to read. Breakfast was at 8:15. We all assemble for meals on the big porch of the dinning hall until they ring the big bell to enter. Tables are set for 8 places, sit where you like. Food for each meal is served family style with about 45 minutes to eat. They had vegetarian options at a station and another window for those who needed special diet meals. If you did not like the main course they offered chicken and/or fish, a veggie or two and gluten free bread. I ate from that window a couple of times instead of the main offered course.
After meals we all dispersed to our various studios. The wood caving studio was across the road up the hill. We worked from 9am to 12:00 on our projects then walked back to the dinning hall for lunch then back to the studio by 1pm to work until at least 4:45. The school has some late afternoon activities or you can stay in class. We all stayed to work on our projects until 6:00 at which time we walked back to the dinning hall for dinner. If your instructor is willing to go back to the studio you have the option of continuing to work or take part in the evening activities. I went back to work on my project until 8:30 or nine each night. Then I walked the quarter mile or so back across campus to our house. That was pretty much my week. Bonnie was in a print making class in the basement of Keith House, I was doing the wood carving. We met up at meals and in the room at night. She was often later getting back then I was.
It rained almost all day Monday and Tuesday and off and on showers Wednesday. If the sun came out it was hot and humid. There were approximately 120 or so on campus for this round of week long classes who came from as California, New York, etc. Ages ranged from about 55 to at least 85 or older. All types from doctors and teachers to artists, bankers, and other professionals.
Friday morning we met at our studios for a couple of hours to clean up and get our work then we all met in the common room at Keith House to display our work then at the dinning hall for lunch. Bonnie and I left around 1:15. We stopped in Dillsboro about an hour and half back toward home to walk around and then outside of Asheville at Cracker Barrel for dinner.