Category: Arts

Learn the traditional art of sweetgrass basket weaving, passed down through generations in the instructor’s family. Students will explore coiling techniques using natural materials such as sweetgrass, pine needles, bulrush, and palmetto palm. The workshop emphasizes patience, hand-eye coordination, and attention to detail. Over the week, students will create several baskets, including a traditional rice fanner basket, while learning about material preparation, design planning, and finishing techniques. By the end, participants will take home multiple completed baskets and gain the confidence to continue weaving with natural fibers at home.

TTU students, employees and surrounding county residents get 25% off with the code “ACC26”. Click here to browse workshops!

Participants will explore fabric-based image and surface design techniques while creating a small, handmade fabric book. Using embroidery, fabric painting, stamping, and basic sewing, students will develop a personalized short narrative that fits within a simple book structure. Instruction will include book planning, layout, and construction, with attention to the unique considerations of working with soft materials rather than paper. By the end of the course, participants will leave with a finished fabric book and a toolkit of techniques for future textile-based storytelling.

TTU students, employees and surrounding county residents get 25% off with the code “ACC26”. Click here to browse workshops!

This immersive workshop introduces students to traditional metalsmithing through focused exploration of hammer-and-stake forming. Participants will transform flat sheet metal into dimensional forms using sinking, doming, raising, and fold-forming techniques. Through demonstrations, guided practice, and personal experimentation, students will learn how metal stretches, compresses, curves, and folds under the hammer. The workshop culminates in a self-directed project, allowing students to apply multiple forming methods to create a finished jewelry piece or small object. Students leave with a strong technical foundation and a deeper understanding of the beauty and possibilities inherent in hand-formed metal.

TTU students, employees and surrounding county residents get 25% off with the code “ACC26”. Click here to browse workshops!

The Appalachian Center for Craft is pleased to present Focus on Fine Craft, the inaugural exhibition of work by 8-12 grade students and educators who participated in the Focus on Fine Craft Field Trip Program during the 2025-2026 academic year. On view May 15 – June 5, this special exhibition celebrates the creativity and craftsmanship of students, faculty, and instructors involved in the ACC’s Friday Field Trip Program. The public reception will be May 16th from 5:00- 7:00 pm and will be catered by Meg’s Bread.

Those who are unable to attend in person are invited to view the digital exhibition on the Craft Center’s website, beginning May 15.

Learn to create a platter, sushi tray, and napkin holders on the lathe. We’ll focus on proper bowl-gouge technique and safe, comfortable woodturning practices. This workshop emphasizes both form and surface embellishment, providing opportunities for carving, woodburning, and hand engraving. Students may also explore painting or other creative finishes. Instruction includes demonstrations, guided practice, and one-on-one assistance to help students develop confidence and precision on the lathe. By the end of the weekend, participants will have a collection of functional and decorative tabletop pieces.

Tennessee Tech students and employees AND surrounding county residents can use code ACC26 for 25% off workshop tuition! More info here!

Please join us at the Joan Derryberry Art Gallery, located in the Roaden University Center, on April 30th at 4:30pm for the closing reception of Daniel Esquivia-Zapata’s drawing exhibition.

Tennessee Tech School of Art, Craft & Design student Angela Van Wiltenburg presents her senior thesis exhibition Metastasis, inspired by her mother’s journey with cancer and the ways disease alters the physical body and one’s sense of self. The exhibition will be in the Hilltop Gallery at Tennessee Tech University’s Appalachian Center for Craft, May 2–10 with a closing reception open to the public May 9 from 1-4pm.

Contact the School of Art, Craft & Design for more information: 931-372-3738.

Tennessee Tech School of Art, Craft & Design student Jesse Thompson invites you to experience his newest creation at his senior thesis exhibition – Halcyon: A Cosmic Coming of Age Tale. This immersive art installation takes you on a journey through time, inspired by the 1970s retrofuturism resurgence and campy 70s/80s sci-fi flicks. Exhibition in the Lakeview Gallery of the Appalachian Center for Craft, April 22-29, 2026.

Contact the School of Art, Craft & Design for more information:  931-372-3738.

Join the Appalachian Center for Craft at our champlevé enameling weekend workshop from May 22-24. Learn the essential skills of saw-and-solder champlevé enameling, including piercing, filing, soldering, and both sifting and wet-packing enamel. Students will focus on working with opaque colors to create multiple samples and a finished enameled piece. While some metalsmithing experience is helpful, prior knowledge of the subject is not required. Participants with some prior metalsmithing experience may deepen their understanding, while beginners will gain a solid foundation. This workshop introduces key techniques while encouraging creativity and experimentation.

Tennessee Tech students and employees AND surrounding county residents can use code ACC26 for 25% off workshop tuition! More info here!

Join the Appalachian Center for Craft at our cyanotypes weekend workshop May 22-24. Discover the magic of cyanotype printing, an early photographic process that uses sunlight or UV exposure to create photograms on paper and fabric. Students will learn to select and arrange objects or transparencies as negatives, prepare their materials, set up a workspace, and expose and develop prints. The class covers composition, technique, and options for both digital and manual methods. Participants will gain the knowledge and confidence to continue creating cyanotypes at home, producing unique, high-contrast prints with an emphasis on personal creativity and experimentation in image-making.

Tennessee Tech students and employees AND surrounding county residents can use code ACC26 for 25% off workshop tuition! More info here!