*2008 Workshop Series*
Class offerings and descriptions are now up. Sign up early before classes are full!


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Spruce Forest Artisan Village, An Appalachian Gem

 The one-hour DVD documents the history of Spruce Forest Artisan Village, its founder Dr. Alta Schrock, and her visions and projects.  The DVD includes interviews with Village artisans and historians, and shows rare footage of Alta Schrock herself.  The film was made by James Egan and Dr. Kara Rogers-Thomas.  Rogers-Thomas, Frostburg State University Folklorist narrates and brings to life this story which spans nearly 50 years.

Purchase the documentary by sending $18 ($15 for DVD and $3 for postage and handling) to: SFAV DVD, 177 Casselman Road, Grantsville, MD 21536

 

 

 

 

 

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Spruce Forest Artisan Village is an arts and  heritage center located in the Appalachian Mountains of Western Maryland.


With its mission to preserve and showcase Appalachian culture by educating and promoting crafts people, the Artisan Village is a home to the living craft tradition in the Allegheny region.



Visitors are able to meet the artists inside their studios and glimpse some aspects of a lasting lifestyle in Western Maryland .  Integral to a viable home- and studio-based economy in the region, the uniquely American mountain craft tradition survives and evolves at Spruce Forest Artisan Village .  Permanent resident artisans open their cabin studios to visitors, sharing such crafts as metal-smithing, blacksmithing, pottery, loom weaving, bird carving, slate painting, and stained glass.  Visiting artisans in various media, including quilting, collage, woodworking, drawing, printmaking, doll-making, and fiber arts stay for one-month residencies during the summer season (May through December).


Living History programs and Historic House Museums interspersed among the cabin studios set a context for viewing the craftspeople.  Storytellers in the Miller House, House of Yoder, and  Compton One-Room School introduce visitors to the history in the area, to Amish and Mennonite traditions, to the development of the National Road and the settlement of the Alleghenies, and to the conditions which led the region to develop such a distinct and ever evolving craft tradition. 


Special events include the annual Summer Quilt and Craft Festival, Old Time Music Jams, a Weekend Workshop Series, the Fall Celebration, and Christmas in the Village.


Located on the banks of the Casselman River , adjacent to the Old National Road (Route40), the Artisan Village is part of the Little Crossings community which also includes a soap maker, gift shops, the Historic Casselman Bridge , Stonebow Inn Bed and Breakfast, Penn Alps Restaurant and Craft Shop, and Stanton 's Mill, a working grist mill.

 

A visit to the Village is FREE, but tours are available for groups at a $3 per person fee.  Every day promises something different.  Check the calendar page for events and hours of various studios and museums.

 


 

Call for Artists

Spruce Forest Artisan Guild seeks Guest Artists for one-month residencies in Alta's Cabin and John's Little House, both centrally located studios in the Artisan Village.  Interested artists may contact the guild at 301.895.3332 or

or DOWNLOAD Visiting Artist Application here.

 

Spruce Forest Artisan Village is supported by grants from the MD State and Garrett County Arts Councils, agencies funded by the State of Maryland and the National Endowment for the Arts.
301-895-3332
artisans@spruceforest.org