Featured Artisans
Saturday, September 21
The following is a sampling of the arts and artisans featured at the Appalachian Festival. The products represented here draw from the deep wells of human creativity and tradition to connect with and reflect a sense of culture, community and place.
Artisans
Tatting
Carolyn Groves
Carolyn Groves, of Frostburg, brings an updated look to the traditional art form of tatting. Tatting or lace making is done by knotting and with a shuttle or needle. The two techniques produce slightly different results, with needle tatting resulting in a slightly thicker lace. Groves crafts intricate decorative pieces, including jewelry and pendants. To learn more, contact the Western Maryland Gallery at 11425 Upper George’s Creek Rd. SW, Frostburg, MD 21532.
Pottery
Teddy Latta
Teddy Latta has been a potter for 15 years. She focuses on functional pottery such as plates, cups, bowls and mugs. Latta works with stoneware and porcelain clay, and her decorating techniques include carving designs directly into the clay, manipulating the clay while it is still soft and using a combination of color glazes to achieve a layered look.
Pottery
Bobby Croft
Bobby Croft’s work incorporates everyday ceramic wares. A traditional potter, Croft focuses on stoneware pottery with strong glaze combinations and nontraditional techniques.
Glass
Keen and Bright
Dwight Yoder lives in Garrett County, MD along with his wife Jenelle and their three children. He's always had a natural bent towards crafting things and a love for the way things were done in early America. In 1999 he started apprenticing as a glassblower for Simon Pearce, a well-known company that specializes in high-end, clear glass. It was there that he fell in love with glassblowing. After twenty three years of working for Simon Pearce, Dwight and Jenelle were feeling the urge to get out of the fast-paced corporate world and maintain a simpler family-centered lifestyle. In 2021 they started their own little family business, Keen and Bright. The desire is to remain small but to produce items that reflect the raw and magnificent beauty of nature, along with bringing elegance into the home. When not blowing glass, you might find Dwight in the woods or in a canoe with his family singing the old folk song, “My paddle’s keen and bright” or simply paddling along, keeping with the rhythm of a simpler life.
Needful Things Steampunk
Brenda Caldwell
Brenda Caldwell, a resident of Fort Ashby, W.Va., was drawn to the steampunk and industrial art movement through her love of Victorian-era antiques and design aesthetics. Now what started as a mere hobby has blossomed into a successful business venture as more and more people discover the wonderfully whimsical world of steampunk.
Jewelry Making, Knitting and Basket Making
Nancy and Avalon Folmsbee
Nancy and Avalon Folmsbee are a mother-and-daughter team specializing in jewelry making, knitting and basket making.
Sunnyland Music and Multicultural Arts
Brenda Ambush Harrison and Slim Harrison
Brenda Ambush Harrison and Slim Harrison provide a rich line of traditional art and music, including African American face jugs, ceramic African masks, gourd banjos, washboards, limberjacks and more.
Candy Wrappers
Hats, scarves, wrist warmers and shawls are just a few of the delicious crocheted treats Candy has cooked up for this year’s festival. Wrap yourself in cozy, colorful confections. Be the best dressed for Halloween in one of Candy’s stylish crocheted witch hats. Ponchos, sweaters, capes and more!
Pastor Paul McNalley
Pastor Paul McNalley, a retired United Methodist minister, moved to Frostburg to be close to his son and family. He makes woven pot holders, an art form he learned when in the hospital as a young boy. Stop by his booth for a demonstration and chat.
Uhl Art Studio, Stained Glass
Karen Sarles
Karen Sarles is a Frostburg-based artisan focusing on whimsical stained-glass creations.
LG Goods
Lucas Geasey, Leatherwork
The Geasey family enjoys life at a slower pace, touring the country in their tiny home and making their goods. Each piece is handcrafted along their journey with care. When you buy from LG Goods, you are not only supporting a family and local business, you are helping to preserve the art of the maker movement.
Charcoal Prints
Tony Pinardi
Tony Pinardi’s artistic experiences range from simple line drawings and illustrations to 9’ x 20’ x 3” relief wall carvings, which he’s produced for several national corporations.
Mountain Cards and Crafts, Watercolors
Maureen McGann
Retired teacher Maureen McGann is the owner of Mountain Cards and Crafts in Western Maryland.
Quilted Cards and More
Janice Beall
Janice Beall’s pieces are constructed using machine piecing, hand appliqué and machine quilting. She sells miniatures, traditional quilt designs scaled down to inches, small wall hangings, full-size quilts and note cards with small patchwork inserts.
Two Plant Docs Hempery and Natural Wellness
Two Plant Docs Hempery and Natural Wellness got its start out of necessity. The owners started making CBD hemp topical pain relief and skin care products because they used a lot of them and they were expensive! They’ve been involved with hemp in Maryland since its inception in 2018, so they decided to take the hemp they were growing for research and make the products they needed themselves! They make topical oil, butters and balms for pain relief, dry skin, chafing and other skin woes.
Séamus Muir (Jim Zoller)
Local author Séamus Muir will have his books available. Come meet the author and learn a bit about his writing process.
Emma's Reel Legendary Lures
Emma McCumber will be selling her fishing lures she custom paints. She will also have a table set up so kids can design their own fishing lures.
Always Faithful Taxidermy
Jason McCumber and his daughter, Emma, will be mounting a deer. They’ll start from the beginning with the form preparation and go through the process of setting the eyes, mounting the antlers, placing the cape on and sewing/tucking the hide. Please ask questions!
Jahan “Ruba” Afroz
A brilliant watercolorist and a skilled potter and jeweler, Jahan Afroz has also been producing stunning quilts. She’ll be showing the wide collection of her work.
Garden City Bees
Love expressed through soap. We use natural ingredients, and products from our own hives
Wildcraft Print Shop
Gabriel Echeverri, printmaker, wildcraftprintshop. Gabe makes block prints inspired by resistance movements, folklore, flora and fauna, queerness, and struggles with mental health. As a former member of the Frostburg and Western Maryland community, as well as a graduate of the FSU ethnobotany program, he’s excited to be coming home.
QCK Remedies
QCK Remedies was started by owner & Ethnobotanist, Larry Hatchet. Growing up in a family creative in the ways of survival he took his Romani and Appalachian backgrounds out to Western Maryland. There, he studied the likes of biology, forestry, cultural anthropology and ultimately earned a degree in Ethnobotany. Using old family cures and what he studied in University he began formulating and developing home remedies for both himself and his fellow students. Eventually Larry began creating workout elixirs, immune boosting teas, and plant extracts. He would run nearly every day from campus up through the surrounding mountain area and on the way back pick a variety of flowers, leaves, and roots, bringing them back to his dorm room to experiment with different combinations in tinctures, teas and soaks. Larry began using his formulas to create products and used them to aid in his performance in the weight room, boxing ring, and wrestling mat. He began selling these products to other students, specifically the athletes who approached him. Building from these experiences, Larry officially began QCK Remedies, providing unique and potent all natural supplements.
Doll Club with Salvation Army Women’s Auxilary
Selling dressed dolls and doll clothes. For 40 years the Md Mtn Doll Club held an annual show at the Salvation Army in Cumberland to benefit the Women’s Auxilary. Any Sales will be used to help fund programs for the Auxilary and Salvation Army.
Autistic Tiger
Eleven year old Tiger, is famous for being able to draw any cartoon character in any orientation, He is a master of pen and ink drawings and even dabbles in Acrylic Pop Art. Tiger has been showing at the largest comic-cons in the USA since he was 8 and made his NY Comic-con debut at 9. He has been featured on network TV numerous times and had his t-shirts in Walmart stores nationwide last year.
Also Participating
Wynter’s Haven
Laura Lee Creations
Chelsea George Art
Mountainside Monster
Christina’s Yarn Shop
Dragon Leather
Joe McKenzie, Kristin Lennox, McKenzie Agosta
Organizations
The Nettle Patch, LLC – Organic Herbs and Herbal Products
The Nettle Patch, LLC, is an herb shop and community herbalism hub located at 14 Broadway St. in Frostburg. The shop sources its bulk dried herbs from organic growers and ethical wildcrafters and supports local growers and gatherers whenever possible. It carries a variety of herbal products made in house, including natural soaps and bath and body items, herbal teas and tea-making supplies, botanical-themed gifts, books, herbalist supplies and more. The shop also has a Tea Bar where teas and a variety of other herbal treats are served. Herbalist and owner Andrea Lay also teaches classes and workshops on many aspects of herbalism and herbal medicine-making.
The Western Maryland Chapter of the Archeological Society
The Western Maryland Chapter of the Archeological Society will display artifacts and information on excavations conducted under the supervision of Dr. Robert D. Wall of Towson University. The Barton Village Site, a 30+-acre site along the upper Potomac River, has been the focus of the chapter’s field work for more than 20 years. The site is the location of a multi-component occupation by Native Americans from the 1700s, dating back in time 12,000 years.
The Frostburg Museum Association
The Frostburg Museum Association acquires, documents, catalogues, preserves and displays artifacts and other items related to the history of Frostburg, its people and its environs and provides access, information and education to those interested in the research and study of the area.
The Brownsville Project and FrostburgFirst
As part of the Frostburg Arts and Entertainment District’s strategic plan, FrostburgFirst, a Maryland Main Street Community, Inc., is facilitating a new public art installation in collaboration with The Brownsville Project to highlight the often-overlooked impact of the Brownsville community on the history and culture of Frostburg. A public art installation in the Frostburg Arts and Entertainment District, which honors the requests of the descendants while highlighting the importance of the contribution of the community to the history and culture of Frostburg, will be a strong step forward in addressing reparations and encouraging a more diverse, inclusive representation of the Frostburg community as a whole.
Appalachian Laboratory
Founded in Frostburg in 1962, Appalachian Laboratory scientists advise state, national and international leaders on air and water quality, wildlife management, forest and agricultural management, and biodiversity conservation while also training and engaging tomorrow’s researchers and environmental stewards through advanced degree offerings, citizen science initiatives and K-12 curriculum development.
The Nature Conservancy
From Western Maryland’s Central Appalachian forests to the nation’s capital and beyond to the Chesapeake Bay, The Nature Conservancy is working on the ground to deliver large-scale, science-based conservation projects that will help people and nature adapt to a changing climate.
Choose Civility: Allegany County
Choose Civility: Allegany County is a grassroots initiative to improve and enrich Allegany County by promoting civil conversations and kindness toward others.
The Evergreen Heritage Center
The Evergreen Heritage Center’s staff believes in learning by doing. Using its 130-acre historic farm and surrounding forest as an outdoor classroom, the Evergreen offers opportunities for hands-on learning about the world around us. Its abundant natural and cultural resources provide a meaningful place for children, youth and adults to learn, grow and thrive.
The Jane Gates Heritage House
The Jane Gates Heritage House located on Greene Street in Cumberland, Md., is a nonprofit museum and community center started by John and Sukh Gates to honor the spirit of John’s third great-grandmother, Jane Gates (1819-1888). Jane lived most of her life enslaved, most likely in or near Cumberland. She obtained freedom when slavery was abolished in Maryland in November 1864.
The Maryland Chapter of The American Chestnut Foundation
The Maryland Chapter of The American Chestnut Foundation has been formed to support the efforts of the national organization to restore the American chestnut tree, to identify and preserve American chestnut survivors in Maryland and to promote educational and scientific research efforts directed at restoring American chestnuts in Maryland.
Allegany and Garrett Counties’ Bird Club
Stop by and learn about the local organization for the Maryland Ornithological Society. The Allegany and Garrett Counties’ Bird Club is for people interested in promoting conservation and birding in Allegany and Garrett counties in Maryland and beyond. Activities include field trips, bird walks, meetings with presentations, seasonal bird counts and censuses, and more. All activities are open to the public at no charge.
The Women’s Action Coalition, Greater Allegany County
The Women’s Action Coalition, Greater Allegany County began following the participation of a number of women in the Women’s March in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 21, 2017. A number of people wanted to come together for mutual support in increasing understanding of the current political situation and taking action to bridge divides and acknowledging the inherent value of each person, without exception. All genders are welcome.
The Mountain Maryland Alliance for Reproductive Freedom
The Mountain Maryland Alliance for Reproductive Freedom is a grassroots advocacy alliance organization of volunteer citizens from Allegany and Garrett counties, which began its work in June 2022 and has been a presence in the landscape of Mountain Maryland ever since.
The Women's Health Center of Maryland (WHC MD), situated at 17204 McMullen Hwy SW in Cumberland, began operations in September 2023 to provide reproductive and sexual healthcare, including abortion services, to the Mountain Maryland region. Alongside medication and procedural abortion care, WHC MD offers a comprehensive range of services, such as annual exams, birth control, gender-affirming hormone therapy for the LGBTQIA+ community, STI testing and treatment, and pregnancy confirmation. For more information, to schedule an appointment, or to stay connected, visit their website at www.womenshealthmd.org, call (301) 709-5101, or follow them on social media @womenshealthmmd.
UUFGC (the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Greater Cumberland)
The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Greater Cumberland comes together to create an open and accepting community to help ourselves and others develop ethical, spiritual and intellectual lives.
Split Acres Maple of Grantsville will discuss techniques for boiling maple syrup and making maple sugar by combining old and new methods. Stop by their tent to sample a variety of maple products.
The Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area (AFNHA) is currently hosting a series of Indigenous Voices in Appalachia as programming for its 2024 exhibit Creating Home: Indigenous Roots and Connections in the Appalachian Forest. This program seeks to engage with citizens of Native Nations whose homelands and connections include the regions where AFNHA now operates including the Haudenosaunee, the Shawnee, the Lenape, the Cherokee, the Monacans, and the Wyandot.
Regional Media Center Dr. John Lombardi, professor within the Department of Communication recently received an Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) grant to establish a “community media center” at Frostburg State University. The center is intended to be a space where regional partners and community members can receive training on various aspects of digital media content creation, to access professional audio and video production facilities and equipment, and to network with others within the region. Lombardi will be present at the Appalachian Festival to speak with individuals about the center and to gather information about how the center can best serve individuals, non-profits, and businesses large and small. Stop by to offer input and to share ideas.
CREED (Center for Regional Engagement and Economic Development)
CREED strives to contribute to regional economic development by promoting interactions between regional stakeholders and the faculty and students of the College of Business, Engineering, and Computational & Mathematical Sciences.
Cumberland Marbles Program
The Cumberland Marbles Program focuses on developing skill at the game of marbles in a supportive, community, sportsmanship based environment.
Capering Kids Goat Club will host a “goat-painting” area where children can exercise their creative flair by painting goat-shaped silhouettes. The group will also bring goats and offer milking demonstrations throughout the day. In addition, soaps made from goat’s milk will be available for sale.
Festival Foods
Hey Crazzie Kitchen
Brian's Hot Dogs
The Pursuit Juice & Smoothie Bar
B & B Country Meats
The Fat Squirrel Ice Cream & Eatery
Frost Bite Freeze Dried Treats
Honey’s Fudge
Steeple City Coffee