Course Catalog > Folk & Traditional Arts

Folk & Traditional Arts

Celebrate our region's vibrant cultural heritage by attending a folk & traditional arts workshop at Arbutus Folk School. Supported with funding from Northwest Heritage Resources, a Washington state cultural non-profit organization, these workshops are a chance to try your hand at something new while meeting and working with master artists and culture bearers of the Pacific Northwest.

Guizhou Miao Batik
Please click the "Add to Waitlist" button below.
Ages 12 and older

Create your own intricate batik scroll using traditional Miao batik techniques. Miao is one of the 56 ethnic groups in China!

Through this two-session course you will learn about the rich history of the Miao people, who discovered batik and passed it on from generation to generation. You will design your batik while exploring the cultural significance of objects (such as butterflies, flowers, trees, and birds) found in nature, and use traditional Chinese Miao wax knives, beeswax, cloth, and dye to create your scroll.

You will also learn about batik clothing and the different batik garments worn during festivals and other important events. Don’t miss the chance to learn this unique folk art from China!

Appropriate for Beginner skill levels. Previous students are also welcome to register if they would like to continue practicing and advancing their batik skills.

Course is open to students ages 12 and older.

Classes take place at Arbutus Folk School, 610 4th Ave E, Olympia.

All necessary materials will be provided.

Please wear old clothing that can get dirty as you will be using wax and dyes. An old towel would be useful as well.

For students enrolled with OASIS, this class may qualify as a CBI for your arts learning. Please contact us at info@arbutusfolkschool.org to make arrangements for your student.

Show Description
Fee: $180.00
Instructor: Kuen Kuen Spichiger

Capacity Remaining: 0 (Negative numbers indicate the number of people on the waitlist.)
Dates: 3/11/2023 - 3/12/2023

Times: 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Sessions: 2

Days: Su Sa
Building: Arbutus Folk School

Room: Front Classroom

Scottish Waulking
Ages 12 and older

Waulking, or luadh ("loo-ugh") in Gaelic, is the time-honored process of hand finishing woolen cloth in the traditional way. In the Scottish Gaidhealtachd, most especially in the Hebrides, this method survived into the 20th century, and consists of getting a group of people around a large table to thump, rub, and pass the newly woven wetted cloth while singing traditional Orain Luadh (rhythmic gaelic waulking songs). This is still one of the most effective (and fun!) ways to wet-finish hand woven woolens, and has always served the very practical purpose of making the resulting cloth tight, strong, and weather-proof.

This waulking will be led by artist Anne Carroll Gilmour, who began learning about these traditional songs and methods as a child at her grandfather's knee, and with Scottish Master weaver & tradition bearer Norman Kennedy. The weft yarn for the cloth being waulked in this workshop was homegrown and handspun from Anne's flock of Romney/Corriedale cross sheep, and the cloth was woven by Anne at her home in Ridgefield, WA. No need to know Gaelic to participate in the workshop - this is a fun class open to anyone willing to get their hands wet and attempt simple choruses in a foreign language. However, participating students must not be allergic to wool. Come Tae th' Waulking!

Appropriate for all skill levels. Ages 12 and older are welcome!

Classes take place at Arbutus Folk School, 610 4th Ave E, Olympia, WA. Please enter through the door in the alley behind the building.

This folk & traditional arts workshop is supported in part with funding from Northwest Heritage Resources, a Washington state cultural non-profit organization. Thank you!

Show Description

Please do not attend classes if you are feeling ill or have had contact with Covid-19. Please notify Arbutus staff in the event that you test positive for Covid so that your fellow students can be notified of possible exposure.

Fee: $40.00
Instructor: Anne Carroll Gilmour

Max Class Size: 14
Minimum Class Size: 9
Capacity Remaining: 3 (Negative numbers indicate the number of people on the waitlist.)

Dates: 3/26/2023 - 3/26/2023
Days: Su
Sessions: 1
Times: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Schedule Details:
Building: Arbutus Folk School
Room: Ceramic Studio