Arts Education

Through targeted partnerships with organizations who have built exceptional programs, South Arts has expanded access to folk and traditional arts for K-12 students throughout Kentucky, North Carolina, and Tennessee. From tactile arts such as quilting and basketry to clogging and fiddling, we are dedicated to ensuring future generations have access to traditions rooted in Central Appalachia.

Partner organizations and funded programs during the 2019-2020 school year:

Hindman Settlement School 

Hindman Settlement School

  • Knott County, KY – Pick and Bow, Blacksmithing
  • Floyd County, KY – Pick and Bow, Appalachian Foodways, Clogging and Square Dancing
North Carolina Arts Council 

North Carolina Arts Council

  • Stokes County, NC – Traditional Arts Programs for Students (TAPS)
  • Yadkin County, NC – Traditional Arts Programs for Students (TAPS)
North Carolina Folklife Institute

North Carolina Folklife Institute

  • Swain County, NC
    • Cherokee Pottery
    • Cherokee Plantlore
    • Cherokee Foodways
Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM)

Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM)

  • Claiborne County, TN
  • Grundy County, TN
  • Hancock County, TN
  • Monroe County, TN
Upper East Tennessee JAM

Upper East Tennessee JAM

  • Washington County, TN
  • Unicoi County, TN

 

It feels right to see students who live in the heart of Appalachia engage with the traditional arts of our region, and to know they're receiving instruction from skilled teaching artists.

Sam Gleaves, Traditional Arts Director, Hindman, KY
A young musician explains the importance of the TAPS program at the Yadkin Cultural Arts Center's Willingham Theater as part of the Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM) program's year-end showcase December 2019. Video credit: Lindsey Terrell

JAM year-end showcase

A young musician explains the importance of the TAPS program at the Yadkin Cultural Arts Center's Willingham Theater as part of the Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM) program's year-end showcase December 2019. Video credit: Lindsey Terrell
Gabe Crow observes and offers guidance as his student weaves a mat using leftover strips at a Cherokee basketweaving class in Cherokee, NC in 2019. Photo credit: Jackson Hall

Cherokee basketweaving

Gabe Crow observes and offers guidance as his student weaves a mat using leftover strips at a Cherokee basketweaving class in Cherokee, NC in 2019. Photo credit: Jackson Hall
Students learning from their instructor, Blaine Wagoner, at the Yadkin County, NC TAPS program in 2019. Photo credit: Jackson Hall

Yadkin County TAPS

Students learning from their instructor, Blaine Wagoner, at the Yadkin County, NC TAPS program in 2019. Photo credit: Jackson Hall
To prevent the quilt top, batting, and backing from shifting during the final stitching process, Reta Smith and her student feed safety pins through each square of fabric at the Knott County, KY Common Threads: Quilting class in 2019. Photo Credit: Jackson Hall

Common Threads: Quilting Class

To prevent the quilt top, batting, and backing from shifting during the final stitching process, Reta Smith and her student feed safety pins through each square of fabric at the Knott County, KY Common Threads: Quilting class in 2019. Photo Credit: Jackson Hall