The early summer months have made way for many events in Morehead. The Rowan County Arts Center is home to many of these activities, including open studio art making classes. On Saturday afternoons in May and June, community members gathered to learn how to sew on brand new machines.
Sewing 101: from Needle to Machine offered four classes to the public, and organizers said each was designed to be a standalone experience. Carolyn Franzini is the instructor of the classes. She said this event and more are possible thanks to the work of the Rowan County Arts Center.
“The arts center got a grant, and they bought sewing machines and scissors and all this stuff. They are going to do a lot of weaving classes, sewing classes, I think knitting. All kinds of textile art. We have four classes, and we will see how it goes, and we will see if there is interest in doing more,” said Franzini.
Michael Hutchinson, Grant Writer for the arts center, helped secure new funding to update the facility. He said the money has made it possible to offer new experiences.
“We had certain little crumbs of the program existing but there was not anything formalized to push it to get the actual equipment that we needed. I found this South Arts grant called In These Mountains, it is an infrastructure grant," said Hutchinson. “It was for $30,000. So, that gave us the funding that we needed to get the tools we needed, formalized training for the instructors we already had, and the technology.”
The South Arts grant is available to Appalachian counties in Kentucky, South Carolina, and Tennessee to preserve folk arts and build community involvement. Hutchinson noted it is important for each textile class on offer to be accessible to all skill levels, and having quality equipment has made that happen.
Shirl Blair was a first-time student at one of the classes. She said she hopes to learn new skills from experienced artists.
“I love the arts center, everything about it. Where I work, and working full time, I do not get to do a lot of things here. I myself, I love textile art. Growing up, I did not learn how to sew. So, with textile arts, I just want to become more familiar with the things you can do with a sewing machine and all the ins and outs about it,” said Blair.
As Franzini taught, she highlighted the value of students being able to take home a physical product of what they learned after each session. Franzini, who has worked in public schools teaching sewing and textile skills, said the ability to create useful items is being lost today and these classes offer an important reminder.
“You know, kids today are so involved in their technology and their gaming. There’s other things we can do with our hands, and I feel it’s just really valuable to learn that. Whether you become and expert and are interested but just becoming aware that you can make a tote bag, you can make a pillow, I think has some value,” said Franzini.
More classes in the textile arts are being offered at the Rowan County Arts Center. The community is welcome to learn about embroidery, basket making, using round looms, and more. Franzini said Morehead usually has more going on than people realize, and creative experiences are a great way to get involved in community.
“I hope people will pay attention if they advertise on Facebook or wherever, of the various classes that are being offered. Sometimes things happen in Morehead, and you don’t know about it,” said Franzini.
Grant Writer Micheal Hutchinson added the communal aspect and response from locals has motivated the arts center to continue offering courses year-round.
“The genuine interest in ‘Hey I want to help you keep this going after the fact, after your grant period is over, I want to make sure that this does succeed as a new program here.’ That kind of outpouring from the community has been amazing,” said Hutchinson.
As people worked making pillows, tote bags, and clothing to take home, Carolyn Franzini and Shirl Blair reflected on the many applications of learning new, useful skills.
“One thing leads to another; you are always changing and evolving with your designs, whatever you are working on,” said Blair.
“Well, everything is related, if you are making it with your hands. You can make many things with your hands. If you understand how this works you can relate that to something else,” said Franzini.
New technologies are being used at the arts center to prepare for upcoming creative events. Officials said more textile courses are coming throughout the summer and into the rest of the year. More events hosted at the Rowan County Arts Center can be found on their website.