The Cherokee County Arts Council presents Crafting Connections: A Serial Dabbler's Journey, an exhibition of handcraft by Tammy Elwell, opening Friday, September 4, 2026, with a free public reception at 5:30 p.m. Tammy will demonstrate her craft through the evening and give a talk about her work at 6:30 p.m. The show is on view through September.

Elwell calls herself a Serial Dabbler. She works across a range of craft mediums, drawn to natural fibers and bright colors, with brooms running through the work as a throughline. Most pieces begin with a particular person in mind. She thinks about how the thing will be used, how long it needs to last, and what colors that person would actually want, then usually gives it away to mark a wedding, a birth, or a move.

In her artist statement she writes: "For me, the act of creation is a conduit for connection. Whether I'm making something in a class or working on my own, the act of making is a vehicle to shape the bonds of friendship and community."

Parts of this show are meant to be handled. Certain pieces are marked for visitors to touch. The gallery will also have postcards, and Elwell invites you to fill one out and take it home to mail to someone you care about.

Elwell grew up on her family's farm in central Minnesota, where volunteering with community organizations gave her an early appetite for gatherings built around a shared interest. After college she found North House Folk School, took classes in woodturning, and went to her first contra dance. A 2014 road trip through North Carolina brought her to the John C. Campbell Folk School, where she entered the Work Study and Student Host programs, worked in the craft shop, and eventually began teaching at art and craft venues around the region. She is now Community Programs Coordinator for workshops at Olive's Porch in Murphy.

Date: Friday, September 4th, 2026 (on view through September)
Time: Reception 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Artist talk at 6:30 p.m.
Location: CCAC Center Gallery, 33 Valley River Avenue, Murphy, NC 28906
Admission: Free and open to the public
Presented by: Cherokee County Arts Council, with Gallery Sponsor EdwardJones
Contact: Rachel Watson, director@cherokeeartscouncil.org, (828) 233-5624

This exhibit is supported by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.