The Story of the Flute A Love Story - page 3 The Flute Player in Mythology - page 3 The Flute In History – page 3
Feature Artist Lee Entrekin ―It’s All About the Sound‖
of Dreamwind Flutes
Page 4
New at TAAS Gallery
TAAS Bookstore page 5
New Consumable page 7
Garden Art ! Griffith Garden Art Just In Time For Spring page 7
Murals & Wall Treatments Casey & Tom Kilgore of CK Paints Page 8
Photography Matthew Barnes of Barnes Eye Photography Page 8
ART- Oils by John McKinney page 9
Wood - Gaddy Studios Linda and David Gaddy page 9
Area Hikes
Catawba Falls, Sort Of Story and Photos by Bob Rietz
Native American Art by Donna Mayton page 12
The Hopi Today page 12 Famous Hopi Artisans page 13
TAAS Members Page 14
The Story of the Flute A Love Story The flute came to the People by way of a young man who had nothing. He fell in love with a girl whose father was a leader, a man among men. As the young man had nothing, he could offer the girl and her family nothing, meaning he could not even speak to her. He ran up a hill, sat beneath a tree, and began crying. The wind felt sorry for the young man, and began to gently blow around him, so as to dry his tears. A woodpecker began pecking at a tree branch above the young man's head. Although it was irritating, the young man did his best to ignore the woodpecker. Soon, the wind began to blow through the holes pecked in the tree branch. The branch fell from the tree, and the young man recognized the gift that he had been given. As the young man walked down the hill, a bull elk challenged him with a bugling cry. The elk sang his love song to the cows when he realized that the young man posed no threat. Then the young man learned to play this song on his flute. That night, he sat down behind the lodge of the girl he loved, and played the song given to him by the bull elk. For 4 nights, he did this, and he knew that the young woman he desired was listening, as no one came out of the lodge to chase him away. On the fifth day, he followed the young woman to the stream where she went to get water each morning. He hid in the bushes, and played his song. When she turned, he stood, showing himself for the first time. He told her, "I know I am not much to see, and I have nothing to offer you but myself. I will protect you and provide for you if you will have me. If you can look at my eyes and tell me that you are not in love with the song that my heart makes for you, then I will leave you and say no more". Of course, the young woman was indeed taken by his song, as songs are very powerful when they are sung correctly. And the young couple became the first to come together because of the flute. And the young man, he came to be known as "Flute Boy".
The Flute Player in Mythology Kokopelli is a Hopi word roughly meaning wooden-backed; most of the familiar depictions of Kokopelli are copied from Hopi art, which in turn is derived from ancient Anasazi glyphs. Kokopelli, the mythical hump-backed flute player of rock-art origin, served the Hopi, Zuni, Anasazi and other Native cultures as a symbol of courtship, fertility and peaceful trade. His likeness can be found in the petroglyphs dating back 3,000 years ago. Hopi legend tells us that upon their entrance onto this, the fourth world, the Hopi people were met by an Eagle who shot an arrow into the two "mahus," insects which carried the power of heat. They immediately began playing such uplifting melodies on their flutes that they healed their own pierced bodies. When the Hopi began their separate migrations each "mahu" would scatter seeds of fruits and vegetables onto the barren land. Over them, each played his flute to bring warmth and make the seeds grow. His name -KOKO for wood and Pilau for hump (which was the bag of seeds he always carried) was given to him on this long journey. It is said that he draws that heat from the center of the Earth. He has come down to us as the loving spirit of fertility-of the Earth and humanity. His invisible presence is felt whenever life comes forth from seed - plants or animals. As with most Kachinas, the Hopi Kokopelli is often represented by a human dancer. Hopi Elders of the Flute Clan say it’s to teach the people about the dangers of promiscuity. To many tribes Kokopelli was a symbol of abundance and fertility. To some he was a roving minstrel, to others a magician. He might have been a shaman or a seducer. He might have been a trader or a trickster. It's likely that he held several character traits at the same time. In any case, his image became the most recognizable of the rock-art figures, and an icon of the Southwestern United States.
The Flute In History We may never really know exactly when and where the flute tradition first began in North America. Whatever its origin, the native flute became an important part of the musical heritage of North America. The Native American Flute has been reported to be one of the oldest known musical instruments in the world, with bone flutes dating back over 60,000 years. Wood flutes are believed to be native to North America and pieces of wood flutes dating back 7000 years have been found. Only drums were discovered to be used before the flute. Over time the flutes evolved with different materials being used in its creation – whatever was available in the area. Virtually all types of hardwoods and softwoods were used for flutes at some point in history.
Yuma flute player photo 1865
The flute has been used in ceremonies and as a healing tool by many Tribal Nations. Like many other parts of the Native culture, the flute was “removed” from the tribes for a period of time. Many Elders on rural reservations kept the tradition alive. The flute is so advanced that very few changes have been made in the last 150 years.
Lee has made so many flutes he just “knows” the length a flute must be to get the desired sound (and pitch). Simple flutes take about 8 hours of work and then the times increase from there depending on the complexity of the flute he’s making. Although the drone flutes have two chambers they don’t necessarily take twice as long to make. The most time consuming job of making the drone is tuning the two chambers.
Flutes at TAAS Gallery
Feature Artist Lee Entrekin of Dreamwind Flutes “It’s All About the Sound” Today at TAAS Gallery we have Lee Entrekin and his handmade Native Style Flutes, a modern adaptation to the traditional native flute. Lees’ first experience with the flute was at a local music festival, where fell in love with the sound. After playing the flute for about a year he decided to further his flute abilities and make one on his own. Lee currently has a studio workshop at his home in Old Fort, where he has been handcrafting flutes for about 12 years. Lee primarily makes one chamber flutes (plays one note at a time). He also makes a two chamber or “drone” flute. The flutes are tuned to a pentatonic scale (5 tones) and all the notes on the scale are in natural harmony with the drone note. Drone Flute, Made of walnut w/maple trim
Flute, Key of G, Made of Cherry with walnut and maple end caps and bird.
Lee prefers to use local wood to make his flutes. Sometimes he will use an imported wood just for the beauty of the wood. Soft woods (Cedar, Juniper, Redwood) produce softer tones. Hardwoods (Walnut, Cherry) produce crisp, rich sounds. Lee says “it’s all about the sound”. Lee is self taught. He learned to play by getting together with friends and playing in groups. There is a very active flute community in the Carolinas with well over 100 flute players. They meet in several locations regularly in Asheville, Charlotte, Gastonia, Granite Quarry or Charleston, SC. These groups welcome all players, and those just interested in the flute or playing. Lee says you don’t have to know how to read music to play the flute. He can teach you the basics in five minutes and then you can teach yourself from there. Lee is a member of the International Native American flute Association and the Carolina’s Flute Circle. Check out Lees’ flutes at TAAS GALLERY or look up Lee at www.taasg.com
Kokopelli symbol on a drone flute
New at TAAS Gallery
Stone, Black Horse White Rider, A Time for You, Pieces of the Puzzle, After Many a Summer, and The Sound of Distant Thunder, (the Appalachian Writers Association Book of the Year in 1999). These North Carolina Appalachian writers are tellers of tales, some true, some not. Together, life-long friends, Jack R. Pyle and Taylor Reese coauthored Raising with the Moon: The Complete Guide to Gardening and Living by the Signs of the Moon, and You and the Man in the Moon: how to use the Farmer’s Almanac.
TAAS Bookstore Welcome all Authors & Bookworms This year at TAAS Gallery we have invited Authors to be a part of our Appalachian Artisan Society. New to TAAS Gallery are Authors Jack R. Pyle and Taylor
Reese. They are two of the most fascinating people you could imagine meeting with fabulous stories of their own lives and experiences written in the pages of some of their books.
Taylor Reese was born and raised in Western North Carolina on a tobacco farm. From Here To There A Boy’s Tale and A Picture of the Past are his memoirs of times gone by. If you like a memoir of an ordinary person who is at the same time extraordinary, you will enjoy his books. Also at TAAS Gallery we have Taylors’ books Humor Is Where You Find It, and A Glimpse at Life (poetry).
Jack R. Pyle was born in an Appalachian coal mining town that doesn’t exist anymore. He has lived in New York City, Miami and in St. Petersburg, Florida. He is a life-long writer, but a published writer in the last twenty years. He believes the T in Talent, is not as important as the P in Persistence. Books by Jack available at TAAS Gallery are The Gold Bug of Farrow Point, The Death of Adam
Jack R. Pyle and Taylor Reese books range from planting by the farmer's almanac to memoirs, humor, poetry and fiction involving mystery, history and young adults.
Celia H. Miles, a native of Jackson County in western North Carolina, lives in Asheville. A recent retiree from the NC Community College system, is a teacher by trade, a traveler by design, a photographer for fun, and a writer by avocation. In addition to writing Effective English Skills and co-authoring Writing Technical Reports for the two-year college market, she has published in various genres in various publications. Since retiring in 2000 she has published four works of fiction, all available at TAAS Gallery: A Thyme for Love (romance and recipes on an herb farm near Asheville), Mattie’s Girl: An Appalachian Childhood (a novel of kinship, friendship, and community set in Jackson County in the 1940s), and On a Slant: A Collection of Stories, all of which feature women:"women at their breaking point, turning point, mending point, suffering, surviving, triumphing, coming to terms with their situations, each unique, yet universal." Her most recent book is Thyme Table Mill, a "sequel of sorts" to A Thyme for Love, featuring her enthusiasm for grist mills. Also available at TAAS Gallery; Islands One and All, Sarranda, and two books co-edited with Nancy Dillingham; Clothes Lines, and Christmas Presence, featuring stories and poetry by North Carolina Women Writers. Celia and husband Louis travel as often as possible.
They delight in finding and photographing old mills (as members of The Society for the Preservation of Old Mills) and neolithic sites such as stone circles and burial chambers.
Louis Miles taught history and religion courses at Brevard College and Warren Wilson College, both in Western North Carolina, where he lives with his wife Celia. His books of poems and drawings, Rythyms of the Circling Years encompasses Britin’s Megalithic Monuments, and years of trudging through fields of frightened sheep and cattle—all in pursuit of megalithic sites from Cornwall to Shetland. The Gift To Be Free , a Fictional Shaker Memoir, and Here the Ordered World give us a look into Shaker life. The Floor of Heaven : Discoveries in Italy , and Our Coaming Now is Clover are wonderful books of poetry.
A.C. Heldman from Sevierville, TN. He was born in Queens, New York and raised in Yonkers. After graduation from college, he did his training for ordained ministry at New Brunswick Theological Seminary in New Jersey. He spent his first eight years as a Presbyterian pastor at rural Chester, New York. From there he went to Long Island and ministered for twenty-seven years in the suburban school district of West Islip. In 1997, he and his wife moved to Tennessee where he began work on a series of novels depicting life surrounding the career of fictional minister, Jerry Flynn. The Widow’s Paramour more than an erotic thriller of murder and indiscretion. A Great Murder Mystery. Dive into the details of these two books, beginning with "The Widow's Paramour" and continuing with the sequel, "Blood and Pardon." A third novel is in the works. Each novel stands alone.
See http://www.heldbooks.com
Mindi Meltz Originally from the coastal forests of Maine, Mindi Meltz has lived many lives: as a writer, teacher, counselor and wildlife researcher. She is currently making her home with her husband in Bat Cave, North Carolina.
“Beauty “ "This lyrical exploration of beauty expresses the continually expanding consciousness of a writer, a young woman in love, a solitary whose longing reverberates achingly through its pages. Intimate and reflective, paced through the seasons, Beauty's passages captivate and startle with their revelation of both interior and exterior nature." -Karen Waldron, PhD, author of numerous scholarly articles on American women's literature. "What's remarkable is Meltz's prose. Her narrator...empathizes with animals and thinks like an animal.... She vows, 'I will become the poem I'm writing.' Her poetry is both sensual and knowledgeable, and it does not falter." -- Rob Neufeld, Asheville Citizen-Times
Nancy Dillingham’s poetry, short stories , and commentaries have appeared in a variety of literary journals, newspapers, and magazines such as Asheville Poetry Review, Raleigh News and Observer, and Mountain Xpress. She is a sixth generation Dillingham from Big Ivy and lives in Asheville. Thanks for the Dark, But That’s Not Home, and New Ground are a blend of stories and poems. Calloquy, First Light, and Ambiguity are books filled with poems by Nancy.
New Consumables
Garden Art !
"IT IS PERSONAL" CANCER AND IMMUNE SUPPORT PRODUCTS
Just In Time For Spring
Lorraine Munger of “IT IS PERSONAL”.
With more than 20 years in the medical field, I believe in natural healing. The body has an inherent ability to heal itself, and that the aim of treatment is to stimulate and enhance this caHusband and wife team of David & Tina Griffith create pacity vs. conventional medicine, which is to remove or desome of the most amazing copper garden art. stroy the disease.
Griffith Garden Art
The Griffiths’ work together as a team creating from white sheet copper, plumbers tubing and copper electrical wire.
Having cancer inspired me to make products that give my body the proper resources to promote natural healing. IT IS PERSONAL PRODUCTS are the result of my personal, natural healing process.
Tina and David create garden critters; chickens, snakes, lizards, butterflies, and humming birds to decorate and spruce up any garden. They also create rain gauges, birdfeeders, birdbaths, and wind chimes.
CANCER SUPPORT PRODUCTS - While you are receiving treatment. If you have been diagnosed with cancer, you will probably be receiving chemotherapy and or radiation. While these treatments are designed to kill cancer cells, they also have side effects to the normal body functions. " “IT IS PERSONAL" products are designed to sooth and heal you through any disease process where your immune system is compromised, and take you beyond. Yes, you will go beyond as I have, Lorraine Munger, cancer survivor, creator of these products that have helped me.
They create all these wonderful items in a little shop behind their home.
It all started with Tina leaning some skills at work, then “IT IS PERSONAL” Immune Support playing around with products are biologically compatible with metal , one thing lead the human system, unlike synthetic subto another, and the stances. The blending of plant and essential oils promotes result is Griffith Garhealth, beauty, and well being. It aids den Art. the body’s natural immune system to fight infection. There are no artificial This creative couple colors, fragrances or chemical addilive in Black Mountives. Healing with essential oils is tain, North Carolina, where David works as a Trim Carpenter and Tina works as a Certified Nursing Assistant. They enjoy different from main stream medical sharing talents of soldering and and skin care products. The ingrediwoodworking to create functional ents are designed to nourish both and beautiful works of art. body and soul and to achieve maximum benefits, healing our whole being.
Photography Murals & Wall Treatments Wife and husband Casey & Tom Kilgore of CK Paints create, design and paint wall and canvas murals. Their custom hand-painted murals appear in homes, churches, schools, hospitals and retail businesses throughout North Carolina and neighboring states. From their home/studio in Morganton, North Carolina they travel throughout the mid-Atlantic region. What began as pure fun painting murals, crating and painting wall art and doing wall treatments (faux finishing, trompe l’oeil) for friends and family has become a full time business. They have been doing one-of-a-kind murals, creative wall treatments and complimentary wall art for over 6 years. Casey is a muralist/designer with over 15 years experience working with small business owners and homeowners. Tom studied watercolor and acrylic painting techniques as a vocation for many years before taking early retirement from the graphic arts industry to join Casey in her business.
Matthew Barnes of Barnes Eye Photography Nature and Landscape Photographer Matthew Barns has spent the last 20 years pursuing his passion for the outdoors and the raw beauty of nature. He captures that passion at the end of a lens, and as far as nature‌.she speaks for herself.
The pure unmanipulated result is the product of a fine-tuned eye. One that sees what others don’t,
They offer free consultations, a set of original color sketches and a cost estimate for each project.
one that takes the time to not only capture nature and life at its best, but truly bears the gift of capturing the moment to create an ex-
ART Oils by John McKinney
John McKinney is a local artist. He graduated from McDowell High School. John remembers always drawing or sketching as a child. He knew he wanted to paint for a living since 9th grade. After taking some summer classes at North Carolina School of Art, where he met a teacher that made a profound difference in how he viewed art, he then went on to study at Ringling School of Design. John took a break from art—15 years. He recently began painting again in 2007- “its been a "re" learning process from small paintings to large detailed paintings to small loose sketches - but I'm enjoying the ride.” Portrait by John McKinney
Like most of us, he found himself married and then with children, putting a hold on his painting. He also kept busy with work, he is the Manager and Designer for Red Letter 9, a Christian Apparel company. John is inspired by the outdoors and nature. He loves to go fishing. He sometimes takes photos on his fishing trips. He prefers working with oils because the colors are more realistic than acrylics. Acrylics also dry faster. Oils are better for flesh tones in portraits and for earth tones in nature and woodland scenes.
Roan Mountain View 18x48 oil available at TAAS Gallery
Gaddy Studios Linda and David Gaddy Linda Gaddy was instilled with a love of art at an early age. Is it any wonder with a Grandmother who was an art teacher? She worked designing signs, logos, architectural renderings, and a few commissioned pieces. She took up woodcarving and dabbled in painting winning a Merit Award at a local art show in 2001. Then after miraculously finding the love of her life in January 2009 and marrying him three months later, working together, they are Gaddy Studios. Davids’ love and enthusiasm for nature and the outdoors has rekindled the same passion she always had for the same. Hiking and camping as often as they can, provides many photographs and memories to draw upon while in their studio and workshop creating. Linda, drawing and painting mainly landscapes and nature scenes in whatever medium seems to fit the piece; David, perfecting the craft of fine woodworking both collaborating on live-edge, one-of-a-kind art furniture pieces, carving walking sticks, and wood spirits and creating unique keepsake boxes.
Catawba Falls, Sort Of Story and Photos by Bob Rietz
slippery in other spots and steep in still other spots. The path rises above the creek with several steep drop-offs, but there are also some easy ways to get down to the creek. Be sure to go down to the creek
―What did I get myself into?‖ I asked myself, which was exactly the same question my wife Nancy asked me the previous night. While she was questioning why I volunteered to write a travel photography column for TAAS Gallery, Appalachian Features Magazine, I was concentrating on the fifteen foot creek in front of me. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Catawba Falls is just south of I-40 at exit 73, and the entrance road off Bat Cave Road seems like it’s actually the freeway exit ramp. I passed by this road a couple of times to be sure that it was the road to the falls. Take this road until it ends, park on the left shoulder and walk through the opening at the gate. Our guide was a black lab who met us at the gate and led us on the path to the left of the red building. The path is obvious and leads to a creek, which brings us back to the beginning of this article. I had read on the internet that we’d have to cross a creek, and my friends at the Catawba Vale Café told me the same thing. We watched a couple (one of half a dozen we encountered on our hike) returning from the falls step along some rocks and they managed to cross the creek without slipping. I went first, got partway across, and my foot slipped into the very cold water. When I finally made it to the other side, both boots were soaked. Nancy saw this, took off her shoes and socks and waded through the calfdeep water. She’s apparently both the smarter and better looking person in our family. The falls are about 1.5 miles from the gate, and I’d say this section of the path is relatively easy, and very picturesque. We saw people on the trail from age four to a group in their sixties. There’s a lane where the rhododendrons are about two hundred feet high and several hundreds of feet long – they’ll be spectacular when they bloom! Once across the creek, the route to the falls is rocky in some spots,
two or three times on the way to the falls, and enjoy some of the several rapids. The trail takes you to another crossing, but even I made it across without getting wet. Continue to follow the path for about five minutes, which will take you to an old dam, which I’m told supplied power to the area in the early 1900s. DO NOT WALK ON THE DAM!! It’s at least a thirty foot drop and a fall could seriously injure or even kill you. We turned around here and started back, and I got several pictures of what I thought were the falls just below the dam. It wasn’t until we got back that I learned these were not Catawba Falls, but were merely a very scenic set of rapids. Instead we should have continued another twenty minutes to the actual falls. I’m told that section of the path is moderately difficult, but rewards you with a view of a hundred foot waterfall.
Painting of Catawba Falls By John McKinney
There’s also a difficult trail to Upper Catawba Falls that involves a rope, but that would probably be beyond our skills.
Available at TAAS Gallery
Small Falls on the Trail to Catawba Falls
But all is not lost because this means that we’ll return to Catawba Falls in June when the rhododendron blooms and we’ll go all the way to the actual falls. Meanwhile, the next trip is white-water rafting on the Nantahala River with our grandchildren, so please pick up the next issue of Appalachian Features Magazine to read about those adventures.
The elusive Catawba Falls (Upper Falls) in Old Fort, NC Painting by Bob Travers (framed 54x30) available at TAAS Gallery
Catawba Vale Café has named two of it’s local favorites after the falls. You might need to try them both. Upper Falls: Tuna, bacon, sharp cheddar cheese, spinach greens purple onions on Marble Rye and then Panini grilled. The Catawba Falls Over flowing with flavor! Peppered chicken strips, Monterey jack cheese and crispy bacon with buttermilk ranch dressing, tomatoes and lettuce, you’ll fall for this ensemble. 32 East Main Street Downtown Old Fort. Next to TAAS Gallery.
Native American Art Hopi silver overlay bracelet; clouds and water symbols
By Donna Mayton The Native American Art feature this month is the flute.
Their ancestors, the Anasazi, appear to have been related to the Aztecs of Mexico, and may have arrived in their current location 5 to 10 thousand years ago. In that time, they have developed an intricate ceremonial calendar that has helped them survive and be strong in a place that would not seem to have enough reliable water to sustain life.
The legend of the Flute comes from the Hopi Tribe. Hopis call themselves Hopitu - 'The Peaceful People'. The name Hopi is the shortened form of the title to what they called themselves, "Hopituh Sinom", "the people of Hopi". Hopi is a concept deeply rooted in the culture's religion, spirituality, and its view of morality and ethics. To be Hopi is to strive toward this concept, but one never achieves in this life. This concept is one where you are in a state of total reverence and respect for all things, to be at peace with these things, and to live in accordance with the teachings of 'maasaw'. Village on Second Mesa
The Hopi are a Native America Nation who primarily live on the 1.5 million acre Hopi Reservation in northeastern Arizona surrounded by the Navajo reservation. The Hopi live in northeast Arizona at the southern end of the Black Mesa. A mesa is the name given to a small isolated flattopped hill with three steep sides. The Hopi have 12 villages located in the three regions called 1st Mesa, 2nd Mesa, and the 3rd Mesa. On the mesa tops are the Hopi villages called pueblos. The pueblo of Oraibi on the 3rd Mesa settled in 1050, and is the oldest continuously inhabited community in North America.
Hopi Pueblo Homes: The Hopi live in pueblos that are made of stone and mud and stand several stories high.
The walls of some Hopi houses are constructed of undressed stone fragments bound with mud plaster. The flat roof consists of beams resting on the tops of the walls, pole battens, rod and grass thatching, a layer of gumbo plaster, and a covering of dry earth. Most of the houses are more than single story, some as much as four stories. The upper apartments are reached by outside ladders. Related to people of the various Pueblos to the east, the Hopi are independent villages, sharing with the Zuni and other Pueblos a basic culture and view of the sacred, while sharing among themselves their own (UtoAztecan) language base. Although the Hopi are composed of elements that must have spoken diverse tongues, their speech is readily recognized as a dialog of the Shoshonean language. The Kivas are an underground chamber that they use for meetings and for religious ceremonies. In the center of the floor there is a fire pit. A kiva is only accessible by climbing down a ladder.
The Hopi Today The Hopi population on Hopi land is just under 10,000, occupying 2,439 sq. miles, according to the U.S. Census. There are approximately 7000 more Hopi people living elsewhere around the world. While language, customs and traditions are similar, each village conducts its own ceremonies and has features that are unique from others. The Hopi tribe today receives most of its income from natural resources. On their 1.5 million acre reservation, there is a significant amount of coal mined yearly. Today tourism is very prevalent and important to Hopi life. There is not much set up specifically for tourists with the exception of their Cultural Center and a few campgrounds. Through a grant-loan from the Economic Development Administration and some of the tribe’s own money, the Hopi tribal council constructed the Hopi Cultural Center including a restaurant, motel, craft shops, and
Katsinas are supernatural beings to the Hopi, they are manifested as museum on the Second Mesa. Before arriving, tourists must know the laws and rules of the Hopi reservation. Typically photography is prohib- messengers. ited, as well as viewing certain tribal ceremonies. (To honor this tradition, there are no photos of Hopi in this article.) The Kachinas, (Katsinsa) are beings of a great might and power to the Native Americans. They The Hopi are a relatively poor tribe with about 45% of families falling below poverty level. The Hopi Tribal Government provides 45% of jobs are known to come down to Earth and help the and most individuals make their income from agriculture and livestock Hopi tend their fields bringing wisdom about agriproducts. Many drive long distances into Flagstaff, AZ., or New Mexico culture, law and government. They physically have to work. Others depend on their Art for income. interacted with the people themselves. There are many drawings spanning thousands of years on cave walls.
Famous Hopi Artisans Hopi artisans are famous for their many crafts. Art is a way for the Southwestern Native Americans to communicate their dreams, visions, and beliefs to each other or to people today. Traditionally the Hopi were highly skilled subsistence farmers. With the installation of electricity and the necessity of having a motor vehicle and the other things which can be purchased, the Hopi have been moving into a cash economy with many people seeking and holding outside jobs as well as earning money from traditional crafts such as Coil plaques and baskets, pottery, rugs and textiles, Silversmithing with silver overlay and carving Kachinas or Katsina dolls.
Most Hopi men, at some time must learn to carve Kachinas as part of ceremony. Some go on to carve professionally. Another famous art form is the Silversmithing in the Hopi Overlay. Overlay means there are two layers of silver, a top design is usually a symbol of rain clouds, lightning, flute players, animals, insects, clan symbols, birds, bear paws, pottery designs, plants etc. These designs are cut out with fine cutting blades and soldered onto a second layer, thus referred to as Overlay Jewelry.
The designs are again centered around the universe of Hopi. Other designs are centered around Kachinas and the traditional pueblo symbols or mystical figures you may see in today’s crafts. Pottery: Pottery is made for everyday use, includ- Today more young aspiring artists are working with gold and inlay stones, these stones are cut ing cooking, storage, bathing, and religious ceremonies. They are painted and carved with designs to size and mounted. Each product is handmade. Each design is created by the artist and is usually that tell a story. All pottery is hand made in the the only one that can duplicate the design. The ancient traditions. Hopi families gather their clay personal hallmarks are then stamped in the back from the ground. Usually for markings which usually represent the clan or from sources highly coveted name of the artist. and guarded, the clay is dug from the earth. The artist does not use a potter's wheel. Instead, the clay is rolled into long strings of clay and 'coiled' up to create the vessel's shape. They are then processed, dried, painted, polished and fired. Katsinas: Perhaps one of the best known art forms of the Hopi is the Kachinas or Katsinas. Small brightly painted wooden dolls are what come to mind when people hear the word Katsina.
April Member Listing— Officially we have 76 members that make up the Appalachian Artisan Society. Actually, when we count spouses, families and partners that all contribute or groups like Hospice of McDowell County, there are many more. The numbers not so as important as is the culture that all of these participants bring to TAAS Gallery.
Robin Dickerson, Braided Rugs, Spruce Pine, NC Nancy Dillingham, Writer, Asheville, NC Jennifer East of SouthWest by East, Mixed media, collage, loom and offloom weaving, felting, original s... Marion, NC Lee Entrekin of Dreamwind, Handmade Native American Style Flutes, Made in a full range of keys ...Old Fort, NC
We know that you will be amazed at the talent and the ability of our members in making things that are perfect gifts, collectables, and décor items to enhance your home of office. We also now have specialty departments like locally made products from Old Fort Factories in The Old Fort Store and our growing independent lines of things you will need on a regular basis sold in our ―Consumable Products” section which includes things like; soaps, lotions and skin care. One of the latest additions is the books written by regionally local writers in what’s called the ―book nook‖.
Darlene Fletcher, Spoons by Milbern Painter, Marion, NC
Come check it out, and see what’s new. Please support local arts and crafts, music and writing by making a purchase here at TAAS. Most of our members keep 80% of the retail price and about 99% of your dollars spent here go right back into the local economy.
Cecilia Gilliam of Clever-Craft Gifts, Photos on Canvas, multi-medium Canvas, paintings, Old Fort, NC
The Appalachian Artisan Society Members April, 2010 Hospice of Hospice of McDowell County, Needlework, woodwork, beadwork, Marion, NC Pyle-Reese Book Acco, Writer Author, Spruce Pine, NC Debbie Acrivos of Sassy Bags, Sewn Crafts, Old Fort, NC
Ben Fortson of Appalachian Homestead, Local Furniture- Maker and Tool Sharpener, Black Mountain, NC David & Linda Gaddy of Gaddy Studios, LLC, Drawing/painting, fine woodworking, wood carving, Lake Toxaway, NC Lana Gentile, Acrylic Paintings - Landscapes, seascapes, wildlife, and architecture, Old Fort, NC Gladys Gibbs, Crochet Center Pieces, Old Fort, NC
Cecilia Gilliam of Clever-Craft Gifts, Rustic florals and accents, hand painted flowers, birds, butterflies... Old Fort, NC Judith Grabowski, Stained glass, glass blocs w/ wire, crocheted & sewn baby items, quilts, Olin, NC David & Tina Griffith of Griffith Garden Art, Functional Garden Art, Black Mountain, NC Mark Harrison of Graphic Lines, Original Cards, Asheville, NC A. C. Heldman, Writer - Working on a series of novels, Sevierville, TN Betty Heldman, Crocheting afghans and baby blankets, Sevierville, TN
Matthew Barnes of BarnesEyePhotography, Nature & Landscape PhotogBev Heldman of PINWILZ, Wire creations, Jewelry, wood burning, Old rapher Asheville, NC Fort, NC Pamela & Bryan Barnett of Buckhorn Crossing, Native American and Antler Home Décor, Weaverville, NC Katrina Bass of Appalachia Blue, Jewelry - crochet wire bead weaving peyote, spiral, Old Fort, NC David Beam, Nail Crosses, Nebo, NC Laura Bollinger, Photography, Mill Spring, NC Butterfly Blends, Soy Candles, Soy melting Tarts & Pillar Candles, Old Fort, NC Donna Clark of Nature Maid Soap & Lotion, Homemade Soap and Lotion, Marion, NC Kevin Clark of K & D Fine Handcrafted and Turned Wood, Marion, NC Lesa Clendenin, Handmade Lye Soap, Statesville, NC Mike Cowan, Metal & Ironwork, Asheville, NC Lisa Davis, Jewelry Charlotte, NC Jerry Depew of Spoonin' It With Jerry, Handcrafted hardwood spoons, sculptures & collages, Kings Mountain, NC
Bobby Hughes, Disciple's Cross, Old Fort, NC Faye Huskey of Front Row Beads, Jewelry/Crochet, Marion, NC Harold Hyatt, Silversmith, Swannanoa, NC Jimbos Gourmet Foods of Jimbos Gourmet Foods sauces and jams, Scottsville, KY Karen Allison of Artistic Designs, T-shirts, Old Fort, NC Casey & Tom Kilgore of CK Paints, MURALS Paint wall and canvas murals Morganton, NC Sam Lewis of D&S Rings & Things, Silversmith, Marion, NC Joyce Lewis, crocheted/knitted items, Old Fort, NC Susan Lytle of S L Designs, polymer clay jewelry, Fairview, NC Martha Mauney of Martha Mauney Watercolors, watercolors Valdese, NC Pam McCowen of Little River Crafts, Handcrafts / Quilts/ Wreaths, Mineral Wells, KY John McKinney, Art Paintings, Nebo, NC
Beverly McMillan, Knitting, Old Fort, NC
Debbie Rust of Rust Pottery, Pottery, Gastonia, NC
Mindi Meltz, Writer, Hendersonville, NC
Carol Sheppard of Southern Orchid Glass, Kiln-formed Art Glass, Mosaics, Art Jewelry, Dahlonega, GA
Celia Miles, Writer, Asheville, NC Louis Miles, Author, both poetry & prose, Asheville, NC
Penny Skoog, Japanese Temari Balls and Polymer Clay Designs and Jewelry, Maggie Valley, NC
John Molthen of Jonny Poindexters Closet, Stained Glass, BatCave, NC
Betty Smith of BLS Creations Clay
Gail & Joe Morgan of Reptile Replica Jewelry, Lead Free Pewter Jewelry made from Original Species, Liberty, NC
Susan Stanton, Photography, Horse Shoe, NC Jenean Stone, Photography, Black Mountain, NC
Lorraine Munger of It Is Personal, Consumable items, Old Fort, NC Anne Stone, Locker Hooking, Pottery, Montreat, NC Martha Nelson, Wheel formed and hand-built Stoneware Pottery, Ridgecrest, NC
Bob Stuart of Old Man Carvings Hand Carved Woodland Spirits Cypress Knees, Bottle Stoppers, Summerfield, NC
Rachel Nichols, Jewelry and Wire Crafts, Old Fort, NC Jeff Parker of Parker Hosiery, Old Fort Hosiery Mill, Old Fort, NC Pisgah Yarn and Dye of Pisgah Yarn & Dye, Yarns & Threads for your craft project, Old Fort, NC Lisa Ringelspaugh-Irvine, Fine Art Painting watercolor, Asheville, NC
Helen Sullivan of Big Bear Artisans, painting, sculpture, and florals, Old Fort, NC Jane Sutton of Quinn Music, Music Distributor, Old Fort, NC Darryl Totherow, Native American walking sticks, Dream catchers, Newton, NC Bob Travers of Buck Run Studios, Wildlife and Nature Artist, Fletcher, NC Richard Tuttell of Valentine, Performing Songwriter, Marion, NC Victor Vibs, Winston Salem, NC Katie Ward, Hand wire wrapped pendants - semi precious stones, glass jewels, Morganton, NC Betty Webb, Mosaics, Marion, NC Ann Woodbridge of Altered Works of Nature, Rustic Lamps, Welcome Signs, Chairs, Rutherfordton, NC
If you make a product
that you are interested in selling through TAAS Gallery. Please see our membership program information at www.taasg.com Despite a slow economy in 2009, TAAS Gallery pulled out a 7% increase over 2008. Many galleries have closed in 2009 / 2010, TAAS Gallery now has more members than at any other time in its history and the future looks good. Get your products into the innovation gallery and lets work together to be successful.
TAAS Gallery is a Pinwilz Company
Salads, Wraps, Deli Sandwiches, Healthy choices, delicious coffee and smoothie drink bar. New Ice cream and other deserts begins April 9th, 2010.
Handicap Accessible restroom Healthy choices Kids Menu Green Options
Catawba Vale Café 32 East Main Street Old Fort, NC 28762 Serving it at your place Call us about our neat and efficient Boxed Lunch catering or see our website for all the details, forms and information. Serving Buncombe, McDowell and Rutherford counties in WNC.
828-668-9899 www.catawbavale.com