Celebrate regional craft with WKMA’s “Music & Makers” festival Saturday, Aug. 7, from 12 – 6 p.m. at William King Museum of Art, Abingdon, Virginia, for a full day of fun. This family friendly event features music, beer, food, demos, vendors and more. Admission to the event and concert are free. Beer and food must be purchased separately.
From 12-3 p.m., join artisans such as Gene Blevins, Melinda Fritts, Audra Rasnake and Michael Dees for demos on flint knapping, wheel throwing, paper piecing and chair caning. Living History Interpreter, Michael Henningsen, presents William King Living History at 12 p.m.
Sit in on a panel discussion “Furniture Design and Function; 19th Century - Now” from 1:30-2:30 p.m. Panelists include Amber (Clawson) Albert, manager of community and academic learning at Reynolds House Museum of American Art in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Curtis Buchanan, historic chairmaker from Jonesborough, Tennessee, and Annie Evelyn, contemporary furniture maker and co-founder of Crafting the Future, a collective of artists working together to provide equitable opportunities in the arts.
Music, presented by Middlefork Records, starts at 3 p.m. with Ron Short and the Possum Playboys, followed by Fritz & Co. Enjoy the bands or check out staff-led tours of the galleries. Current exhibitions include “Tennessee Fancy: Decorative Arts of Northeast Tennessee 1780 - 1940,” “A Painting Tradition,” “Mastering Craft: Contemporary Concepts from Regional Makers,” and the “Betsy K. White Cultural Heritage Gallery.”
Food and vendors will be present throughout the day.
No tickets required. Visit www.williamkingmuseum.org or call 276-628-5005 x113 to learn more.
