Annual Madison County Arts Council Moved to this Weekend

Due to the significant snowfall, the Madison County Arts Council's Annual Holiday Sale will be held on December 15 and 16, 2017 at 31 N Main Street in Marshall NC.

Find additional Mountain Christmas Crafts 

on our NC Mountains Craft Guide

Blowing Rock Art and History Museum Presents Scholars and Scones: Cecil and Maud in the Laurel Valley

December 7, 2017 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM -  Scholars and Scones: Cecil and Maud in the Laurel Valley. Join ballad singer and storyteller Joe Penland as he discusses the journey of song collectors Cecil Sharp and Maud Karpeles, who collected ballads in western North Carolina in 1916.

This talk will complement BRAHM's exhibition of the historic photographs taken by Sharp on his journey through Appalachia.Complimentary breakfast goods and locally-brewed coffee will be served.  Free for members, $5 for non-members.

Joe Penland has appeared at numerous festivals, toured Great Britain eight times, and has been awarded the coveted Bascom Lunsford Award, named for his cousin, the founder of the longest running folk festival in America, for his “significant contribution to preserving our mountain music."

photo courtesy of The Blowing Rock Art and History Museum

Cecil Sharp in Appalachia Exhibition - This is the first US exhibit of rare, century-old photos taken by British song collector Cecil Sharp. The photographs feature some of the singers Sharp visited during his travels. Cecil Sharp and his assistant Maud Karpeles collected variants of English bal-lads between 1916-1918; their collecting work began in Hot Springs, NC, with the help of Olive Campbell, founder of the John C. Campbell Folk School. By the end of their 46-week travels through North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky and Ten-nessee, the pair had collected more than 1600 variants of English ballads collected from 281 singers.  Photos are on loan from the Country Dance and Song Society, with permission of the English Folk Dance and Song Society, Cecil Sharp House, London.

BRAHM (The Blowing Rock Art and History Museum) is located at  159 Chestnut Sreet in Blowing Rock NC.