Visiting artist Ed Woodham in Hiddenite Elementary School
Ed Woodham, founder of Art in Odd Places, was a visiting artist at Appalachian in the spring of 2017. During his residency, he led a roundtable discussion for Alexander County teachers and members of the Center’s staff where he shared his experiences of working with artists from across the globe to present visual and performance art in unexpected places. Woodham also conducted art-making workshops for over 300 students at Hiddenite Elementary School.
Clay Demonstrations
Clay students enjoy getting dirty and bring their wheel-throwing talents to conduct hands-on throwing demonstrations using North Carolina clay for people of all ages at the Center’s Annual Celebration of the Arts Festival and at the annual Explore NC Heritage Fair, which is held in Alexander and Iredell County Schools and at the Center’s Educational Complex.
Professional Development Workshops
Art education faculty Brooke Hofsess, Vicky Grube, and Katrina Plato along with undergraduate art education student Shauna Caldwell '18 developed and facilitated professional development workshops for Alexander County teachers in partnership with the Hiddenite Arts & Heritage Center. These workshops provide continuing education credits for K-12 teachers in our region.
Geology activities and displays at Celebration of the Arts
The Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences at Appalachian State University presents family-friendly, hands-on activities exploring rocks and minerals at the Hiddenite Arts & Heritage Center’s Annual Celebration of the Arts. Outreach Coordinator Marta Toran, along with students Brandon Yokely and Emily Fedders, led free “make and take” crafts and shared geological gear for the youngest guests to try on for fun photos.
"The Rise and Fall of the Program"
The board and staff of the Center came together with public history graduate students and faculty from Appalachian State for the workshop “The Rise and Fall of the Program” led by Alexander Brooks and Jason Luker of the Gaston County Museum. Their presentation covered their successes and struggles in revamping two programs for their museum and included a roundtable discussion with all workshop participants.