A bluegrass picker looking for a music camp has many choices. But Bluegrass and Gee’s Bend is unique in several respects. While it offers beginning and advanced classes in all the traditional bluegrass instruments, a philosophy inspired by the historic Foxfire books has created an experience that includes classes in “lost arts” such as blacksmithing, natural dyeing, soapmaking, foraging, cooking, canning, and quilting classes. This diverse curriculum is taught in a beautiful, secluded retreat only an hour from a major city.
Bluegrass and Gee’s Bend is one of several annual camps offered by the Alabama Folk School at Camp McDowell, an Episcopal church camp and conference center a short drive from Birmingham, Alabama.
“Camp McDowell has been a place where people gather for respite, for retreat,” says Caitlin Lollar, director of the Alabama Folk School. “And so, I think what we're trying to do specifically is promote lifelong learning across all platforms and ways of being creative. And I think that shared experience of creativity really sets us apart.”
Bluegrass and Gee’s Bend is a four-day experience that can appeal to couples with varied interests. While one is taking classes with a celebrated musician, such as banjoist Alan Munde or guitarist Tim May, the other may be studying beginning blacksmithing, basket weaving, goat milk soap making, or sewing with internationally known quilters.
“We have a lot of people who come back even two or three times a year because one person can play music and the other person can pick a craft,” Lollar says. “And our craft classes are almost always beginner level, so that helps a lot, too. You can come not knowing anything and join a craft class.”
The Gee’s Bend in the name refers to a secluded, rural community on the twisting Alabama River with a rich quilt-making tradition. China and Marianne Pettway are acclaimed master quilters from Gee’s Bend who teach at the camp. Lollar says Maryann Pettway has quilts in the Smithsonian.
“The women of Gee's Bend are the descendants of enslaved people and sharecroppers,” Lollar explains. “Once they were freed, the women there began quilting completely out of necessity. They would make them from scraps of old clothing, which is a familiar story to a lot of economically disadvantaged people around the country, I think. But these people--and the quilting tradition that started when slavery ended--those lines are still there. So, it's a really amazing part of Alabama's art culture.”
The setting also distinguishes Bluegrass and Gee’s Bend.
“Camp McDowell sits on the border of the Bankhead National Forest and the Sipsey Wilderness,” Lollar says. “It's quiet at night. You can see more stars than you've maybe ever seen in your life. I think that a really important part of what we do is giving people a chance to slow down, to quiet themselves.”
It’s not all quiet when the sun goes down, however. Since there are classes in all bluegrass instruments, musicians of all persuasions jam late into the night. A “graduation” concert follows a faculty recital on the last evening of camp. It features members of all the music classes and allows the craft class participants to show their work. The applause for the folks marching with their colorful and imaginative quilts is as loud as it is for the fiddle tunes and breakdowns. The concert also features a spirited performance of gospel songs by quilters Marianne and China Pettway, who have been singing since childhood.
Bluegrass and Gee’s Bend use scholarships and grants to keep the experience affordable and the teacher/pupil ratio low.
“We don't ever really want to go over that 12-person mark unless it’s a repertoire class,” says Lollar. “We really want the students to have the experience of getting one-on-one attention from the instructor and leaving feeling like they know that musician that they learned from.
“Our students are primarily from all over Alabama and around the Southeast, especially Mississippi and Georgia. We get a lot of people from Florida and Georgia. Occasionally we get an international student because of the history of Gee's Bend and their renown in the quilting world.”
The Alabama Folk School also offers an Old Time and Gee’s Bend camp in October. It, too, provides four-day craft classes. A weekend “starter” camp for those who have just picked up an instrument and a youth camp are also offered during the year.
The first Alabama Folk School event was in 2007. Attendance is growing again after the pandemic.
“We're at our biggest attendance numbers that we've ever had, but we still have space for more people, especially at Bluegrass and Old Time and at our youth folk camp in the summer,” Lollar explains. “So, we'd love to see more people come and learn about the art culture of Alabama. And then we also have hopes of expanding our craft offerings so that, eventually, there's an equal amount at events. Right now, it's about three-fourths music classes. We would love to see it 50-50 with the craft classes.”
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