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Featured Artisans

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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.

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 it while it’s still soft and using a combination of color glazes to achieve a layered look.

Brenda Caldwell - NEW

Brenda Caldwell offers handcrafted industrial-style sculptural pieces, functional decor and accessories, and wearable works of art with a vintage steampunk feel. An artist and business owner, she designs and creates each piece by hand, so no two items are identical. Her creations feature a wide variety of rather unconventional materials. A drawer handle becomes an elegant necklace. Vacuum tubes and wire combine to create an intricate bird sculpture. Bullet casings become pocket-sized touchscreen styli. Antique typewriter keys, light bulbs, clock works, cogs, gears, cabinet hinges, masonry nails, skeleton keys and miscellaneous metal findings are transformed and repurposed in delightfully unexpected ways. 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.

Creative Needles

Creative needles quilt group is an evening group that meets once a month on the fourth Thursday of the month from September through June.

Bobby Croft

Bobby Croft’s work incorporates everyday ceramic wares. A traditional potter, Croft’s work focuses on stoneware pottery with strong glaze combinations and nontraditional techniques.

Schoolhouse Quilter Guild

On Nov. 1, 1977, several quilting friends formed Schoolhouse Quilters, a nonprofit organization that became affiliated with the National Quilting Association in 1978 and is a member of the Allegany Arts Council. The guild meets monthly to exchange ideas and experiences in quilt making, quilt collecting and related topics. The organization strives to preserve the heritage of quilting, further the interest in and awareness of quilts and their artistic value, serve as a source of information and inspiration and perpetuate excellence in workmanship. The guild has sponsored the largest quilt show in the tri-state area for more than 30 years, as well as numerous educational and community service programs and workshops featuring some of the best professional quilters in the business. Schoolhouse Quilters welcomes new members. Come to a meeting even if you don’t quilt and find out about the guild

Lita Havens

Lita Havens is a local fiber and watercolor artist. She enjoys working in a variety of mediums and using recycled materials to create her unique designs.

Decorative Gourds and Fiber Arts

Sarah Riffey

Sarah Riffey creates many items, including jewelry boxes, gourds in various shapes and sizes and knitted items.

Folkways Tent

LG Goods

Lucas Geasey

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.

Jewelry Making, Knitting and Basket Making

Nancy and Avalon Folmsbee

Nancy and Avalon Folmsbee are a mother-daughter team specializing in jewelry making, knitting and basket making.

Sunnyland Music and Multicultural Arts

Brynda Ambush Harrison and Slim Harrison

Brynda 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, limber-jacks and more.

Baskets - NEW

Kathleen Beauchesne

Maryland resident Kathleen Beauchesne weaves many types of baskets but is especially drawn to the style of the Appalachian region. She is conducting a two-year study of Maryland basketry, supported in part by the Maryland Traditions program of the Maryland State Arts Council.

Pastor Paul McNalley - NEW

Pastor Paul McNalley, a retired United Methodist minister, moved to Frostburg three years ago 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.

Stained Glass, Fused Glass - NEW

Brenda Gross

Brenda Gross is a lifelong lover of stained glass. Since retiring from a nursing career, she has pursued stained glass as a hobby. She has taken classes on working with stained glass using lead came, copper foil and more recently, fused glass.

Stained Glass - NEW

Karen Sarles

Karen Sarles is a Frostburg-based artisan focusing on whimsical stained-glass creations.

Cigar Box Banjos

he Rev. Frankie Revell crafts cigar box banjos that look and sound great. Each banjo sold directly benefits regional charities.

Fiber Art

Candy Ramble

When she isn’t dancing, Candy Ramble is busy knitting and crocheting scarves, hats and shawls. Be sure to check out her Halloween creations.

Slate Paintings - NEW

Lori Lewis

Multi-talented artist, Lori Lewis, will focus on her slate paintings at this year’s event.

Dragonfly and Company - NEW

Dragonfly and Company has been creating all-natural soaps and body products since 2006. All recipes are carefully crafted using the finest ingredients.

Finian Stroup - NEW

Come learn about the importance of protecting honey bees from Finian Stroup. Fascinated with honey bees since she was a child, Stroup is using her passion for beekeeping to help raise public awareness. Proceeds from the sales of her honey-bee-themed bath bombs and chocolate pretzels will go toward bee research activities.

Yarns - NEW

Yarns is a small yarn and sock producer in Finzel, Md. Its flock of 12 sheep is a mix of naturally gray Blue Faced Leicester, white Long Wool Leicester, gray Swedish Gotland and dark brown Finnsheep breeds. They lead an idyllic life on Possibility Farm with lots of room and plenty of love. Their wool is milled in Halifax, Pa., by Gurdy Run Mill. Socks using their wool are machine-made in Minnesota. They hand dye their yarn and socks using acid dyes that are machine washable. Using a vibrant palette of colors they have a lot of fun creating beautiful yarns and socks.