Bear On The Square Festival’s Mountain Marketplace
Annual Bear On The Square Festival’s Mountain Marketplace
Again Offers Mountain Crafts, Campbell School Demonstrators
An impressive lineup of Appalachian artists, as well as demonstrators and dance teams from the John C. Campbell Folk School, will highlight the Saturday and Sunday activities at the 2010 Bear on the Square festival’s Mountain Marketplace.
The upcoming 14th annual festival, scheduled Friday through Sunday, April 16-18, in Dahlonega, will benefit from having the John C. Campbell Folk School as Marketplace sponsor for the second consecutive year. Open on Saturday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., the marketplace will have a John C. Campbell Folk School section along North Park Street. In this area will be a tent where the work of the the folk school’s demonstrating artists as well as work from the school’s Craft Gallery will be available for purchase. Those artists from the folk school who will be demonstrating their work include Jan Stansell, basketry; Helen Gibson and Carolyn Anderson, woodcarving; Mike Lalone, clay; Paul Garrett, blacksmithing; Joe Kilmer, chairmaking; and Nancy Jones, gourd art.
In addition, several Campbell Folk School dance teams will perform from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Saturday only at the plaza in front of the Dahlonega-Lumpkin County Visitors Center on South Park Street. Dance teams will include the Stiz in the Mud Border Morris, Rural Felicity Garland, and Dames Rocket Northwest Clog Morris.
The John C. Campbell Folk School, located in Brasstown, N. C., offers week-long and weekend classes year round in traditional and contemporary arts and crafts, music, dance, cooking, gardening, writing, and photography. Visitors are encouraged to stop by the 300-acre campus to visit the studios, tour the History Center where 20th Century Appalachia is on display, and browse through the Craft Shop, which features the juried work of over 300 artists. The campus also hosts a concert series with some of the finest regional and national acts performing old-time, bluegrass, folk and Celtic music, as well as community Contra dances. More information is available at www.folkschool.org.
From an overall standpoint, the Bear on the Square Mountain Marketplace will once again be made up of a remarkable collection of one-of-a-kind, handmade art and crafts. Held around the Historic Public Square in Dahlonega, it will continue its tradition of presenting the juried work from an impressive group of top quality artists.
Returning to the Marketplace this year is North Georgia folk artist Billy Roper, Heritage Sponsor for the festival, who plans to both exhibit and demonstrate his work. In all, there will be some 30 artists, including 10 who are new to the Bear on the Square Marketplace and 20 returning artists. There will also be a booth from the SouthEastern Bluegrass Association (SEBA).
Other booths will contain a wide selection of work from painters, including several folk artists, a blacksmith, crochet artists, a broom maker, furniture makers, a gourd artist, honey and soap makers, mixed media artists, a musical instrument maker, a pencil drawing artist, a photographer, potters, quilt makers, a stained glass artist, wood carvers, and exhibits from major sponsors of the festival.
A description of other Bear on the Square major events; schedules of things to see and do including Mainstage Tent music performances, the popular Gospel Jam, the old-time Mountain Dance, the Live Country Auction, family activities, and music workshops; biographical information and photos of the music headliners, and listings of all participating artists and festival sponsors can be found at www.bearonthesquare.org.
This year’s Bear on the Square festivities will kick off with the first session of Master Class Workshops at 10 a.m. Friday morning. Later that day, jamming around the Historic Public Square by local and visiting musicians will begin and will continue day and night throughout the weekend.
Friday night, the annual Live Country Auction, featuring extensive Appalachian folk art and crafts from many of the Marketplace artists and specialty items from Dahlonega shops and restaurants, will be held in a large tent in Hancock Park. Folk artist Billy Roper is donating four paintings and a wood carving to this year’s auction. Attendees will enjoy music from BlueBilly Grit prior to the start of bidding.
Performances by the Mainstage music headliners will take place on Saturday and Sunday at the MainStage Tent in Hancock Park with the lineup including Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper, Jesse McReynolds and the Virginia Boys, The Dixie Bee-Liners, Ginny Hawker and Tracy Schwarz with Kari Sickenberger, Curtis Jones & Mountain Gypsy Project, and John Lilly, as well as other acts.
Bear on the Square Mountain Festival, Inc., which stages the festival each year, is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit cultural arts organization with the mission of preserving and celebrating the culture of the Southern Appalachians through the presentation of music, traditional craft, and folkways. Tax deductible donations are welcome and can be sent to P.O. Box 338, Dahlonega, GA 30533.