Like most Kentuckians, I’ve long been buying brooms and other crafts made by students working for Berea College Student Craft. The students aren’t craft majors. Instead they work for Berea Student Craft as part of their work requirement at the college (which does not charge tuition).
And I’ve visited the Berea Student Craft department a dozen times in the last 20 years. But this year, things were a bit different.
After teaching a chairmaking class at the Woodworking School at Pine Croft (run by Berea Student Craft) the students and I took a tour of the department led by Aaron Beale, associate vice president of student craft.
During the last few years, Berea Student Craft has altered direction. Instead of making traditional Appalachian crafts to sell to the public, the crafts are now designed by the students and reflect the eight “Great Commitments” of Berea College in some way, Beale says.
Example: the Chaos Tote Bag was designed by Dylan Heil to use up surplus yarn. The pattern woven by the students doesn’t repeat for a long time, so each tote is unique. And the bag reflects the college’s commitment to sustainability.
And this doesn’t mean that Berea Student Craft has turned its back on Appalachia. Quite the opposite. One the school’s eight Great Commitments is to support Appalachia. So the wood comes from its great forest; the forms of brooms (such as the turkey wing) are traditional. But the ideas look to the future.
The Community Basket is a good example of this. It’s inspired by Shaker oval boxes, but the bent bands have been staggered and arranged as a basket with some fascinating negative space. And the Dustpan and Broom set (which we love) hit the same chords.
Most of the photos I took were in Broomcraft (I love brooms, and I love a clean shop). The Berea brooms are the best I’ve ever owned, and I own a lot of brooms. They are worlds better than the inexpensive brooms from overseas. And they are well-priced compared to brooms made by individual artisans. (Order some; you won’t be disappointed.)
I found the whole thing so inspiring that I think you will see a Lost Art Press book that embraces one of the new (and amazing) objects at Berea Student Craft.
— Christopher Schwarz
P.S. If you haven’t been to Berea in a while, it is time to go back. The town now has alcohol, and the restaurants have gotten very good. Plus the Boone Tavern and its restaurant, Crafted, have been renovated and are world class. Honestly, a weekend there is just what the doctor ordered.
