Upcoming events


Maker Series
Mar
16

Maker Series

Join us for an informal discussion with fellow creatives! This month, we will meet Lindsey Ridgeway, our newest Co-Workspace resident artist who specializes in therapeutic arts. Cowee Coffee will open at 9am.

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Where We Live Speaker Series - Women's History Trail
Feb
19

Where We Live Speaker Series - Women's History Trail

On Monday, February 19, the series “Where We Live: History, Nature, and Culture” will present a program about the much-anticipated public sculpture, Sowing the Seeds of the Future, soon to be installed on its site on E. Main St. in Franklin.

The sculpture, by artist Wesley Wofford, was inspired by the research of the late, local historian, Barbara McRae. Barbara was intrigued by the intertwined life stories of three early-19th-century women who lived in what is now East Franklin. The program will focus on one of the three, Salley, an enslaved woman who is the central figure in the sculpture.

The program will begin with an overview of the sculpture project by Mary Polanski, a member of the leadership team of the Women’s History Trail project of the Folk Heritage Association of Macon County.

Mary will introduce the main speaker for the evening, Delphine Kirkland.  Ms. Kirkland has done extensive research into the lives of her ancestors – African, European, and native – in her home state of South Carolina. Her knowledge of the historic interactions of these cultures helps to shed some light on what can be surmised about the life of an enslaved woman here in western North Carolina. Ms. Kirkland was the model for the Salley figure in the sculpture.

The program will conclude with a performance of The Sexton’s Tale, one of a set of monologues written by Barbara McRae. In this brief, haunting theater piece, local dancer Jada Bryson portrays the ghost of Salley visiting the cemetery of Franklin’s First United Methodist Church. Jada, incidentally, was the model for the Wesley Wofford sculpture of Harriet Tubman that stands in front of the courthouse in Dorchester County, Maryland.

The program will be held at the Cowee School Arts and Heritage Center at 51 Cowee School Drive in Franklin beginning at 6:30 p.m. on February 19.

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Speaker Series
Jan
29

Speaker Series

Where We Live: History, Nature and Culture Speaker Series

On Monday, January 29 at 6:30pm,  the “Where We Live: History, Nature, and Culture Speaker Series” will present a program on “Bird Talk: An Exploration of Avian Communication” by Dr. Barbara Ballentine.

Birds use acoustic, visual, and olfactory signals in social contexts allowing for the transmission of information that is important for successful reproduction and survival. 

The beauty of birdsong is one of the joys of nature, and this talk will explore how songs are learnt and performed, why the quality of a male's repertoire can affect his mating success, and how birds use song-matching and countersinging in territorial disputes.

Birds communicate through visual signals too, from the dazzling feathers of a Peacock to the jumping displays a Jackson's Widowbird performs to show off his long tail, to how aggressive wing-waving is used to ward off impostors. Understanding how signals are produced and used by birds to communicate provides insight into the amazing lives of birds.

Dr. Ballentine is an Associate Professor of Biology at WCU. She earned a BS in Biology at UNC Chapel Hill (1996), a MS in Zoology at Auburn University (2000) and a PhD in Biology at Duke University (2007). She worked as a post-doc at the University of Miami and the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center.

Sponsored By:

Larry & Kendra Rasche

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Free Community Art Day
Jan
20

Free Community Art Day

Alarka Expeditions - Black Walnut Ink

Carolina Artworks - Basics of Wet Felting

Carol Conti Studio - Valentine Fingerprint Art

Cowee Textiles - Weave a Coaster

Cowee Pottery School - Try the Wheel & Studio Tours

Inner Woven Wellness - Mini Inspiration Boards

GUEST ARTISTS

Cherokee Beadwork & Basketweaving

Nikki Reese - Carve a Chicken Stick

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