The malleability of hot iron has always intrigued local artisan Karen Rudolph. “As a child, I was captivated by the blacksmiths at county fairs and craft festivals,” she says. “I could stand and watch them for hours as they worked pieces of glowing yellow-orange metal – bending them, twisting them, hammering them. I knew that I wanted to learn their craft.”
“…you go to the campus, focus on art, music, or a particular craft for a week, meet new people, and return home feeling absolutely rejuvenated.” – Karen RudolphAnd so she did. After studying blacksmithing at Warren Wilson College, Rudolph moved on to the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, North Carolina, honing her craft as the school’s resident blacksmith. She thrived in the hands-on environment surrounded by talented blacksmiths, craftsmen and artists and soon ventured into other workshops to learn additional skills. Today, Rudolph works with tin, copper, and glass in a small downtown Chattanooga studio she shares with other artisans.
“The folk school is beloved to me. I describe it to friends as a year-round summer camp for adults,” she laughs. “Really, you go to the campus, focus on art, music, or a particular craft for a week, meet new people, and return home feeling absolutely rejuvenated.”
She’s not alone. Everyone who has taken one or more classes at the John C. Campbell Folk School raves about it, describing it as a vacation destination for lifelong learners – a place to study the vanishing arts, crafts, and ways of life of Southern Appalachia.
On any given day, the 300-acre campus pulses with activity.