(energetic music) Hey there, welcome to "Monograph."

I'm your host, Jennifer Wallace Fields.

This weekend we're at the Alabama Folk School at Camp McDowell in Navu, Alabama, which is basically summer camp for grownups.

But instead of canoe races and bug spray, you get fiddles, blacksmithing and basket weaving and maybe some bug spray.

To start the weekend, we joined the other campers and instructors for a little wine and cheese.

Once I got my name tag sorted and my cheese secured, I sat down with Caitlin Lawler, the director of the Folk School, to hear more about what makes this place tick.

Hi Caitlin.

Hey Jennifer.

How are you?

I'm good.

How are you?

I'm good.

Thank you so much for having us at the Folk School today.

Thank you so much for being here.

We're really excited.

It's a really special place.

It is a special place.

I love it so much and I'm so excited to share it with you.

Great.

Would you like to start off by telling us a little bit about the history of the Folk School?

Sure.

Yeah.

So the Alabama Folk School is housed at Kent McDowell where we are right now.

And Kent McDowell itself has existed on the site since the 1940s.

The Alabama Folk School was founded in 2007.

And so we host mostly adult programming and traditional arts and crafts.

And then in the summer we also have youthful camp, which is for rising fifth through 12th graders.

Okay.

And then how many weeks or weekends out of the year would you say that you do have adult programming?

We have five different adult events throughout the year.

So we have From Scratch, which is for true beginners.

It's usually sometime in February or early March.

-We just finished it.

-(energetic music) And then we have Bluegrass and Gee's Bend, which is usually in April.

And then we pick back up in the fall with September sampler, which is just a day long workshop.

It's great for people who've never been to come get a taste of what we're doing.

And then old time in Gee's Bend, which is music and the Gee's Bend cultures come back.

And then we have one final retreat in November, our creatives retreat, which is where instead of us offering workshops, we invite makers from all around the state to come with their own projects and just be in community with each other.

Nice.

What would you say your favorite part about the Folk School is?

My favorite part about the Folk School is watching people come from all different backgrounds and enjoy being in community together around a creative practice.

And I really love seeing the overlap of all the different types of makers who come and those people learning from each other's creative practices, so musicians and quilters, basket weavers, all sitting down at a meal together and watching what comes from that community time.

Caitlin, could you walk us through what a typical day or weekend would be like if someone did sign up for a class?

Yeah, sure.

So most of our events are four days long and we begin every event with a social hour with refreshments right before dinner.

It gives everybody a chance to meet their instructors and see their faces, have dinner, and then we have our first class session that evening.

And then for the full days you'll be in class for about two, two and a half hours at a time.

But then there's also lots of time mixed in for hiking, for visiting the farm.

We usually offer a tour, also just to relax.

People love to sit in the rockers like we are right now.

So you're highly creative and you're learning a lot and you're focused within class time, but then you get a chance to breathe in between.

Wow.

Well, I am so excited to be here again and I wondered if you could take a little time and give me a tour around campus.

Yeah.

So I'd love to show you around our spaces.

Let's go.

Great.

-(warm music) -Let's go.

As Caitlin and I wandered the campus, I kept noticing how peaceful it felt here, the kind of atmosphere that makes you wanna slow down, meet new people and let your hands start working on something creative.

(water babbling) I decided to drop in on Sarah Bell's basket weaving class and check out Quinn McKay's Blacksmithing workshop.

(indistinct speech) -(hammer striking) -(indistinct) Again, a bit closer, but you want to hit it.

(student laughing) -Yeah.

-Here's more about Quinn.

(energetic music) It's kind of a weird dichotomy of you have this mined material, metal, that is in a lot of ways very separated from what we think of as the natural world, but it is a natural material that is in rocks and in the earth.

(metal striking) Everything I do, I try to relate it back to something in nature that I am thinking about at the time, but trying to make something that's an artistic representation slightly cartoonish, that isn't trying to perfect something that's already perfect.

(metal striking) I'm Quinn McKay.

I am an artist blacksmith here in Birmingham, Alabama.

To me, blacksmithing is the manipulation of metal, hot or cold, but it's a bunch of techniques and physical properties of the metal that you apply force to as the blacksmith to create objects, shapes, textures, profiles.

(energetic music) I discovered blacksmithing back in 2016.

In my high school, there was a project where every sophomore had to learn a new skill and I figured blacksmithing was the most applicable to that criteria out of all of my crazy ideas I had at the time.

I took some classes back in North Carolina where I grew up and then I was in a video production class in high school as well, and my teacher of that class saw a video that I made of the blacksmithing as she gave us an assignment to show off a hobby that we have been learning.

And then she came up to me later that day and told me about a college that she learned about, the American College of the Building Arts.

And I decided to apply and rather than go to architecture school, which I'd always planned, and I went through a four year program in artist blacksmithing, (warm music) I think blacksmithing clicked with me when I realized how extremely creative it is.

Almost debilitatingly creative.

Like there's, you can do literally anything with metal that you can visualize or draw.

It can either be sheet metal or a solid bar, or you can forage pipe or you can, you can weld things together in the fire, you can weld things together with an electric welder.

Possibilities are endless and that was really enticing and a little daunting.

But I really enjoy the process that that gives me.

When I'm forging, I'm trying to maintain the integrity of the material.

To me that means allowing the material to deform based on the force I'm applying to it.

So that could look like punching a hole and allowing the sides of the material to swell out and to show that there's a hole being punched rather than just a hole being drilled.

That could be done by a machine.

So since I'm not trying to act like a machine when I'm doing my work, I'll leave that element and that's evidence of craft, but it's also the metal doing what it wants to do.

And I find a level of intimacy with the material there that's like I'm doing something to it, but it does something for me and creates its own beauty and I'm not really the one doing it in a way.

Yeah, there's definitely a sense of community.

On any given day, there's gonna be at least two other metal workers coming in and outta here talking to us, sharing material, a lot of sharing material.

People run out of something specific and they're like, "let me go run down there five minutes "and see if someone has this specific bar I need."

I wasn't surprised that there were blacksmith shops here and metal fabrication shops here, but blacksmithing is a little bit more niche, but I've yet to find a city that doesn't have blacksmiths in it, which is very cool as a blacksmith, I feel like I can go most places and have a job and work with a ton of creative people.

It means there's a lot of people that think the way I do about metal and art.

(metal striking) (warm music) I have been on a bit of a journey for the last couple years since graduating from college.

I thought that blacksmithing was, you know, the thing I do forever and that it was the ultimate creative expression and that private commissions working for really great clients, making custom art pieces was exactly what I wanted to do.

And I've learned that that isn't necessarily my end goal anymore.

As an artist, I find myself to be an educator in awe and getting other people to appreciate things and teaching other people to find the beauty in everyday objects and processes.

I've found that creating a sense of awe doesn't have to be through grand exhibitions and large commission pieces.

Educating an artistic medium can bring that same fulfillment for me and also give that fulfillment to other people and that's literally educating how to create something beautiful.

And I don't think there's anything better than that.

I caught up with Quinn between classes to talk more about his role teaching at the Folk School.

-Hey Quinn.

-Hey.

-Hey, how's it going?

-Good.

So you teach blacksmithing here at the Folk School.

Can you tell us a little bit about how you got started here?

Yeah.

My current boss, Brady Jackson in Birmingham who I worked for, he was teaching here for seven years and then he came to me like in like September was like, "Do you wanna take this class over?"

He put me in touch with Caitlin in the Folk School and I came out and shadowed him in October.

And then I took this over in May last year for about this time last year.

Awesome.

What has been the most surprising thing about teaching here?

Well, it's really changed how I view my craft like a lot.

Like it's really been a formative experience teaching here the last year.

I've learned that I think I want to focus on teaching more, which was unexpected.

I didn't really know if I would enjoy it, but I found that it's honestly more fulfilling than doing, you know, private commission work in my opinion.

That's really interesting.

And what different types of blacksmithing classes do you teach?

So I started out doing very basic beginner stuff.

We learn how to do nails, hooks and spoons or bottle openers depending on how I'm feeling.

But everyone really enjoys that 'cause they get a little bit of taste of a bunch of different techniques and processes within this and I taught that three times and now I'm branching out into doing some more creative sculpting with hammers and making faces and those faces are gonna be unique to every student and up to what tools they use and techniques.

-Fun.

-Yeah.

That sounds really cool.

Well, thank you for taking the time to talk to us today.

[Quinn] Thanks for coming.

(thoughtful music) [Jennifer] What struck me was how deeply the teachers here care, not just about their craft, but about this community.

It's about focused pressure.

So figuring out, and if you can stop here... [Jennifer] It's clear that these weekends mean as much to them as they do to the students.

(energetic fiddle music) (thoughtful music continues) After that, I headed back to Sarah Bell's class to see if I could transform this mess of reeds into something that can hold some magazines.

Gonna sandwich these around.

Okay.

Okay.

So like with that?

-Yeah.

-Right there.

You have some (indistinct) and then I'll start a pattern.

I think of it like over three, then back two.

We're gonna go over the rim.

Okay.

And now we're gonna go back two, so one, two.

I like the intersection to happen at the top.

(material clattering) Kind of have a little situation, sandwich.

I got too much bread.

(both laughing) It's the big moment.

(gasps) Ta-da!

-Beautiful.

-It's a basket.

(both laughing) It is a vessel.

-Thank you so much, Sarah.

-You're welcome.

So happy.

After class, we sat down for a chat.

Hi Sarah.

-Hey.

-How are you today?

I'm good, thank you.

Good.

So could you tell us a little bit about the classes that you teach here at the Folk School?

Yeah, sure.

So this is my third year teaching and so far I've taught mainly basket weaving, rib baskets, bark baskets, kudzu, a few different kinds.

And I also have taught one or two classes on Chinese knot tying as well.

-Oh wow.

-Yeah.

That's really cool.

What was your introduction to the Folk School?

How did you find out about it?

I believe Caitlin reached out to me and she was trying to expand the craft classes.

We just knew a lot of the similar people and I guess she took a chance on me (both laughing) and I really love teaching here.

It has been such a wonderful experience.

So what keeps you coming back to the Folk School?

What keeps me coming back is really the intention of the space that, you know, Caitlin and Jordan create for all of the students and participants.

And yeah, the kind of care of making it really special and making their time, making everybody's time, including the instructors, I don't know, this sort of like magical getaway weekend where you can really like dive into, you know, your instrument or your craft glass, whatever it is.

Being able to enter that like next level of creativity and learning.

Yeah.

It's a really immersive environment.

-Yeah, yeah.

-Yeah.

Well, I was fortunate enough to take a class with you this weekend.

You're an excellent teacher and I was just curious, do you find that like teaching, does that affect your personal practice in any way?

I think teaching is actually really integral to being a crafts person or to basket weaving in general.

That's how it is carried on throughout time, you know, is the teaching aspect of it.

So it's really, it's sort of a part of the whole story I think of basket weaving.

Well, thank you so much for your time today and I can't wait to see all the beautiful baskets that turn out this weekend.

Thank you so much.

[Jennifer] Let's learn more about Sarah Bell.

(warm music) Natural materials are so expressive of their own and so like that's why I am always kind of saying that they're more of a collaborator than like me sort of imposing my will on them.

I didn't go to art school, never been surrounded by like art, artists or an art community.

So I was like really struggling to kind of think about like, it makes sense, you know, like in my body.

Being in the south in general, it opened me up to agriculture and the history of farming here in the south.

It just kind of led me to all of these different things, different plants in the woods and the rivers and I think that led me to exploring or like using nature as a collaborator in my work.

The material is a plant and the plant is, you know, often from the woods or from the land.

And then when you get to know that plant, you have to know the best season to harvest it.

You have to know how it grows.

You have to know like when's the best time in its growth cycle to harvest it or process it.

It's like I feel like you just get deeper and deeper into it and then you kind of know, like you have to know where it grows.

You have to know the soil or the things around it or what to look for.

So yeah, you kind of, there's like a lot of layers.

Certain materials lend themselves to those different styles.

Like the sweet grass baskets, you know, you're going to, they lend themselves to the coiling, to a coiled basket or like oak, oak splints, you know, you're gonna do like a twill weave 'cause they're flat.

I do a rib basketry or frame, so if you think of like an egg basket -or like a potato basket, -(energetic music) I make those a lot with kudzu and then I also make a lot of bark basketry.

I take a lot of inspiration from East Asian basketry styles.

I forage kudzu, wisteria, any vines.

Recently been walking around the property looking for a good white oak to fell so that I can split it up this winter.

You can make an average size basket probably in a day or less than a day once you've processed everything, which is really the longest part is processing material.

I think what is so beautiful is that communities have, as they've made a basket over and over and over again, you know, they weave in stories and designs and flare.

Something like about that design aesthetic that I think is so sweet.

(energetic music continues) I started teaching three years ago.

It happened, it happened very organically.

I was very into natural dye and indigo and I held a day workshop here at my house with like mostly friends and I realized how much I enjoyed being creative, like being creative in community and with other people.

It's made me a better practitioner as well, teaching, because it's one thing to sort of know how to do something and then it's a whole other thing to be able to teach somebody else or describe why you're doing what you're doing and have someone else get it and grasp it.

(warm music) It really is such a joy.

I really, I really love it and I love, I just love being in space with people who are like, want to learn something new.

I've been getting really into Chinese knot work.

It's also a very old folk art in Chinese culture.

They had their functional uses, but mainly it was a decorative, something decorative that they would put on, you know, basic like a pouch or on a hairpin or something.

Often a lot of the knots, they will symbolize something or they will look like a Chinese character, but they're also a form of communication for blessings or well wishes.

There's like the true lovers knot that they held at ceremonies.

There's knots that you might give to someone on their birthday.

It's really hard.

(laughing) It takes a lot of patience and you really have to like slow down.

I'm half Chinese and so my mom's Chinese, my dad is white, but my mom died when I was seven.

So a lot of my creative practices and even farming, I think there's always this layer of like grief and healing that I think really weaves its way into why I make the art that I make and what, it guides me I think to certain things.

Chinese knot work was one of those things that, you know, can make me, even though like, she didn't practice Chinese knot work, but it just can make me feel a little bit closer to her and to that side of my family.

The sort of running theme for me and my art practice, there's a grappling with my identities of farmer, mother, woman, biracial, with just wanting to be.

Sometimes identities are self-imposed or externally imposed and sometimes you want to be free from all of that.

In the woods, in nature, being outside, touching soil, I feel like that is a space where people can be, not just be as an individual, but be as in you are connected to everything.

And so while I love sorting through my identities, I also love when I can, you know, just exist as I am and I love yeah, like walking through the woods because there's that moment of slowness and like being in the present.

(energetic music) [Jennifer] On the last night of camp, the music instructors put on a pretty wild joy-filled show for everyone.

It was the perfect ending to an incredible weekend with my old friends and some new ones too.

Before we all say our goodbyes and head home, students shared the projects that they had been working on.

A reminder of just how much can happen in a few short days when you unplug and dive into creativity.

Having a place like the Folk School in Alabama is such a rare gift.

If you get the chance, I hope you'll come experience it for yourself.

I know I will never forget my time here.

♪ I'm going (indistinct) ♪ ♪ I'm a (indistinct) ♪ ♪ I know whoever comes my way ♪ (indistinct) -(audience applauding) -(audience cheering)