"Shape Note Singing, Print Making, Raku Pottery, & Story Telling" Just a Week in April at the Villages Folk School!

    I started toward Bentonsport with much anticipation on Tuesday, April 27. It was to be a night of singing anthems, fugues, and American Hymns from the Eighteenth Century. The night was to be led by Prairie Harmony of Southeast Iowa. I knew from past performances that they would provide a stellar night of singing, but that was not all. To sing the four part harmonies acapella is something I love to do, but this was to be my first time in the historic Bentonsport Presbyterian Church. I am always excited when I can visit historic sites, but this church is like stepping back in time. It is immaculately restored and you just can’t experience any finer setting acoustically for singing. It was truly a night to remember and I look forward to having that opportunity again.

     Thursday morning it was off again and this time it was Pat Crawford’s Print Making class in the Cantril town hall. I am never bored by the drive and today I would watch a wild turkey fly across the highway and land in a nearby field. This is a great time of year! Ever changing scenery makes for a delightful trip across Van Buren County. I arrived in Cantril and Pat was already underway with her class in Print Making. I never realized the number of ways to make prints. Her class covers many mediums for making prints and includes an old style press. Pat was busy explaining the different techniques for stamping which included everything from handmade rubber stamps to etched plates made from such things as plexiglass and aluminum. I spent some time listening in on the class and taking pictures for our weekly blog and then headed for home.

     Friday was to be the second day of Print Making only this day would provide a slightly different weather pattern for the drive. Thunder storms, lightning, hail and the works were on the agenda for today. Never a dull moment in Van Buren County! I proceeded to my destination in Cantril and enjoyed some more of Pat’s class instruction. It is really quite interesting to see the process that produces such incredible graphics from hand presses of yesteryear. Our student had come from Davenport and was enjoying her class as well as her stay at the Hotel Manning in Keosauqua. The beauty of our campus being spread throughout the villages is that it offers people from outside our area a chance to experience all that the Villages of Van Buren County has to offer.

     Saturday morning and this day I would set my course for Bentonsport and a Raku Pottery class at Bill and Betty Printy’s Iron and Lace. This class has become a favorite for many as I spoke with one of the student’s who shared with me that this was her fifth class. Betty was busily going from student to student and making sure that all was going smoothly with the Raku process. I had never witnessed this process before so it was a learning experience for me as well. Upon arriving, Bill gave me the tour from start to finished product. The beauty of it is that no two items will be the same. I think the best part of this process is that it allows the students to take home their finished product the same day. They are offered a choice of many items that have been fired once in the kiln. The next step is to apply a glaze of their choice. Now the fun part! Special kilns that reach 1800 degrees are used to bake the glaze. Once the project has spent sufficient time in the kiln, it is removed with metal tongs and placed in garbage cans filled with wood chips and grasses that allow for a proper timeframe of cooling. Once the item is removed from the wood chips it is cleaned to reveal an incredible finish. I can see why this pottery process can become so addicting. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. Even Bill who’s responsibility was to keep the kilns fired to the proper temperature. You might say he is the official “Keeper of the Fire”.

     My next stop was in Keosauqua at the Congregational Church where Amah Lou Schreiber was busy spinning tales at her Story Telling for all Occasions class. I sat down in the beautiful historic church and enjoyed my time as Amah Lou told story after story. She claims to have literally thousands of stories to tell and some are even true! My day was almost done as I finished taking some pictures of the story telling session. Now it was back to Bonaparte to put together the blog for next week.

     Our classes are always entertaining and offer you a chance to experience first hand some of the folk and traditional arts from some very passionate artists who’s desires lead them to share their gifts and talents with those around them. Come join us for a chance to experience for yourself the joy of living the arts here at the Villages Folk School. Registration is easy. Just call our office anytime Tuesday through Friday from 12 noon to 4 p.m. at 319-592-3700 or go to our website at www.villagesfolkschool.com and print the registration form.

Here is a list of what is coming up in May:

May 8:   Blacksmithing: Tong Making

            Container Candles

May 22: Beginning Card Making

            Spring Bird Watching (a day spent in the wetlands
            enjoying some incredible bird watching with an
            experienced guide) Don’t miss this one!

     Whatever you decide to do with your weekends, make one of your priorities a class at the Villages Folk School. It will prove to be one of life’s great moments as you “Live the Arts” with all of us at the Villages Folk School. Set your sites on a great weekend!!