Townsend Artisan Guild presents 8th annual Smoky Mountain Fiber Arts Festival this weekend

Fiber Arts by Deborah Adams. Image by artist.

TOWNSEND, TN – The eighth annual Smoky Mountain Fiber Arts Festival is set for April 21-23, 2017 at Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center in Townsend. The weekend event, organized by the Townsend Artisan Guild, offers over 40 instructional classes by fiber arts professionals, family activities, demonstrations, live animal displays such as Angora rabbits, sheep and goats, and the always-popular Marketplace of Vendors. Scheduled are 34 vendors from East and Middle Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, Indiana, and North Carolina.

Nearly half of the 40 classes are new for 2017. These include more extensive instruction on crochet, including crocheting socks and Get Squared™; lace, mosaic, and double knitting; Southwest and Russian spindles; fiber fusion; plant based dyeing; weaving; e-commerce for the artist and more. Eleven popular instructors are returning, including Geri Forkner, and three instructors new to the event.

Visit www.smokymountainfiberartsfestival.org for a complete list of classes including the new and returning classes and instructors.

Among the new programs in ​2017 are Girl Scout and Youth Workshops, including outdoor art, drawing and Textile Art for Seniors ages 15-16. While designed for Girl Scout groups, these programs are open to all youth. All interested youth are asked to register early as the number of participants is limited. Visit www.townsendartisanguild.org/girl-scout---youth-programs.html.​​

At the Textile Artist Badge Workshop, participants will interview a fiber artist who works with natural fibers, and learn how they are modernizing traditional techniques; examine different types of fleece and how fleece becomes thread, then fabric for clothing or for art. Collect samples, and develop a chat about their origin, texture, dye, and use. Up to Steps 1-2 will be completed for the Textile Artist badge.

The 2017 Smoky Mountain Fiber Arts Festival is presented by the Townsend Artisan Guild and the Tennessee Valley Handspinners Guild and recognized by the Arts and Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville, the Tennessee Arts Commission, and USBank.

In 2015, the Guild opened a Gallery to exhibit and sell the original works of its artists. The Gallery is open Tuesday-Saturday, 10am-5pm and Sunday, 12pm – 5 pm and is located at 7719 East Lamar Alexander Parkway in Townsend, TN.

Published April 21, 2017