APPALACHIAN CRAFT: THEN AND NOW

APPALACHIAN CRAFT: THEN AND NOW
6 WEEK ONLINE ZOOM COURSE
JUNE 3 - JULY 8
TUESDAYS 12:30PM - 2pm ET
$149 JRACRAFT MEMBERS | $189 NON-MEMBERS

Discover the true story of craft in Appalachia in this six-week online course led by artist-scholar Michael Hatch. Through guest speakers, oral histories, and enriching presentations, explore the complex ways in which craft has been a part of Appalachian identity, and how makers past and present have defined the region on their own terms. Encompassing Cherokee artists, Black potters, and studio craft pioneers, this is a rich, nuanced look at a vibrant cultural legacy.

Topics will include: 

• What is Appalachian Craft?
• Cherokee craft
• Evolution of Asheville as a center for craft, especially from 1995-2025 and beyond
• Black Mountain College and Black Mountain College Museum & Arts Center
• Hurricane Helene and its aftermath

​In celebration of the the 20th Anniversary of its foundation grant program in craft scholarship, the Center for Craft is offering free memberships to anyone who signs up for JRACraft classes.

meet your instructor: Mike Hatch

Michael Hatch is a maker and a scholar. He has worked with molten glass for over thirty five years, and has run his studio/gallery Crucible Glassworks in the Asheville area since 1998. He received a BA Sociology & Anthropology from Virginia Commonwealth University where he was first introduced to glassworking. He received an MA in Critical Craft Studies from Warren Wilson College, and has since added independent researcher, curator, adjunct professor, and conference organizer, as well as other accolades to his resume. He has presented his grant-funded research through exhibitions, writing, conference presentations, and sound and video projects. His glass work has been exhibited in galleries and museums throughout the country. Mike became a member of the Southern Highland Craft Guild in 2005 and has served on numerous committees, two terms on the Board of Trustees (with two years as vice-president), and currently manages the organization’s archives when he is not working in his studio.

Michael Hatch

Wade Martin: Wood Carver (SHCG Member) Mountain Figures

thank you to our partner: