Winslow’s Ozark Folkways is getting a bit of a facelift this spring, says interim executive director Amanda Cothren. A grant from the Winslow Community Development Center is funding the required nips and tucks for the charming stone building that houses the nonprofit arts organization.
“We’re slowly trying to restore this 1930 stone structure,” says Cothren. A recently completed Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant bathroom was first on the list. “There’s a lot to adjust as we grow. Winslow is so wonderful in that individuals step forward to make things happen so that we can get most construction done at the cost of the equipment and materials.”
Ozark Folkways, says Cothren, “has always been devoted to the preservation and education of arts and crafts. We’ve added music to the mission now.” The building serves as a gathering place for performances, classes, workshops and exhibits — a community hub that celebrates the history of the arts and crafts movement in Arkansas as well as the artists and musicians of the present day.
“We have something going on just about all the time,” says Cothren, as she describes a veritable potpourri of activities. “We do mushroom foraging in the fall, and then participants can come back and cook a four-course dinner [with their mushrooms] — [because] we have a state-of-the-art kitchen. Musicians get together twice a month to practice, and come on Sunday nights. It’s an open night for the community, with a sing-along. There’s a kids’ art camp every summer. In this community, as in others, there are a lot of children that are less exposed to the arts in school, and we have a large home school community as well, so this gives them an opportunity to come and be instruction in basic art techniques.”
Cothren advises people to check the website to confirm open hours for the organization this winter — though they’re scheduling the renovations in a way that will allow them to retain most of their regular business hours, there might days when the hours are changed or abbreviated.
At the culmination of the renovation, the general public can enjoy the changes and improvements made over a long, cold winter — improvements that Cothren hopes will include additional information about the artists featured at the organization.
“It all goes back to, this is why you pay this amount for the basket your neighbor made as opposed to buying it from China. We have so many local artists that it’s truly worth celebrating.”
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FAQ
Ozark Folkways
WHEN — 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday through Saturday; 12 p.m.-5 p.m. Sunday
WHERE — 22733 N. U.S. 71, Winslow
COST — Many events are free
INFO — 634-3791
