Lunch and Learn: Appalachian Makers and Arrowmont: The Settlement School, Arrowcraft, and its Women Weavers

Appalachian Makers and Arrowmont: The Settlement School, Arrowcraft, and its Women Weavers

Kelli Fisher, curatorial intern for the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, will explore the early history of Arrowcraft, an important facet of Gatlinburg’s history and the history of Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts. Building on the knowledge of Frances Fox, historian and past apprentice to the Master Weaver for Arrowcraft, and using materials from Arrowmont’s collection and archives, this presentation will tell the stories of some notable Appalachian women who worked and shaped Arrowcraft and, in turn, Arrowmont as it exists today.

Opened in 1926, the Arrowcraft Shop continued the project established by the Pi Beta Phi Settlement School of meeting the needs of those who lived in the Smoky Mountains. The shop also allowed Appalachian makers the opportunity to make and sell their crafts for more equitable prices than they could find on their own. Their wares—including handmade baskets, coverlets, and chairs—were incredibly popular, in part due to the revival of the American Arts and Crafts movement, which prized high-quality workmanship.

This Lunch and Learn event is in-person in the Museum’s Digital Learning Center at 12:00 p.m. No RSVPs are required to attend this free event. It will also be livestreamed on the Museum’s website at TNMuseum.org/Videos.