Fall storytimes to get under way at Sylva library

The Jackson County Public Library in Sylva will begin its fall storytime schedule at 11 a.m. on Sept. 10 featuring a volunteer reader from Sylva’s Rotary Club.

The Rotary Readers program is held every Monday at 11 a.m. The theme for the month of September is “harvest time.”

Tuesday storytime at 11 a.m. on Sept. 11 will be devoted to “What grandparents do best.” An afternoon storytime is held on Wednesdays at 1 p.m., with grandparents as the theme on Sept. 12. Fridays will feature two storytimes, one at 11 a.m. (“How to babysit a grandpa” on Sept. 14) and another (“Storytime with Miss Sally”) at 3:30 p.m.

Family night at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 13, will mimic camping with a campfire and s’mores.

There are storytimes on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, with family night activities on Thursday evenings. The event is free.

The programs are co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library.

828.586.2016.

PLAYFEST brings prize-winning playwrights’ works to Cashiers

PLAYFEST, a fully staged reading of eight of some of the best short plays from around the country, goes up at the Albert Carlton Cashiers Community Library at 7 p.m. on Sept. 15.

The hilarious and poignant plays, many written by prize-winning playwrights, include “Martin’s Dilemma” by David M. Sirois of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; “Crisis Line” by Dan Borengasser of Springdale, Ariz.;  “Change of Plans” by Dennis Jones of Powhatan, Va.; “Missed Connections” by Marj O’Neill Butler of Miami Beach, Fla.; “Scripted” and “Misfortune” by Mark H. Levine of Pasadena, Cali.; “An Answer to Their Prayers” by Hank Kimmel of Atlanta, Ga.: and “Forever Young” by Mary Unterbrink of Deerfield Beach, Fla.

Friends of the Library is sponsoring PLAYFEST. Friends of the Library is the major contributor to the daily operation of the Cashiers Community Library. Funds are provided primarily through membership dues and donations. Membership is open to all.

HCC to offer seminar on marketing for artisans

The Small Business Center of Haywood Community College will offer a free seminar called “Marketing for the Craftsperson & Artist Part I” from 2-5 p.m. on Sept. 13, on the first floor of the student center. Part two will be offered from 9 a.m. to noon on Sept. 14 in the same location.

The program will aid the craftsperson or artist in developing a marketing plan aimed at increasing sales and profit and will emphasize excellence in product as well as efficient ways to broaden public awareness through effective advertising.

The presenter is Linda Rozelle of Greensboro. Rozelle has a diverse background in commercial art, has designed hundreds of corporate identity programs nationwide and has been nationally recognized for excellence in advertising. Audiences have found Roselle’s creativity and humor a captivating vehicle as she delivers a strong message for the small business owner and entrepreneur.

828.627.4512.

Free arts and crafts workshop for kids

Elementary school-aged children and their families are invited to a free “Many Cultures” ARTSaturday workshop from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Sept. 8, in the children’s area of the Macon County Public Library.

Make-and-take projects include Egyptian paper beads and Mexican sunflowers. Daughters of the American Revolution will visit in period costume and share some of our country’s history. Keyboardist Lionel Caynon will provide live music. Ice cream treats also will be served.

There’s no pre-registration; children should wear play clothes. Adults must stay with their children. The library is off Siler Road in Franklin, adjacent to Southwestern Community College.

The Grassroots Arts Program of the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources, supports the ARTSaturday series.

www.artscouncilofmacon.org or phone 828-524-7683.

Craft demonstrations at Dogwood Crafters

Craft demonstrations will begin in September at Dogwood Crafters in Dillsboro. Craftsmen will demonstrate their work and discuss their craft at the store through the month of October.

• Betsey Sloan will weave baskets and answer questions from noon to 3 p.m. on Sept. 7. Sloan has written the 2011 book Antler Art for Baskets and Gourds. She hails from New England, where she owned an artisan gallery in Vermont and has been making baskets for 20 years.

• Ron Yount will demonstrate woodcarving from 2-4 p.m. on Sept. 9. A retired educator from Jackson County, Yount has been carving for more than 25 years. He will discuss many types of woodcarving, including relief carving, creative carving, spirit-face carving and “carving in the round.”

• Barbara Spitzer will make scarecrows and share techniques for creating this autumn decoration from 10 a.m. to noon on Sept. 11.

These crafters, along with the future scheduled demonstrators, are Dogwood Crafters and have their works for sale at the shop in Dillsboro. Dogwood Crafters is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with evening hours until 9 p.m. in October.

828.586.2248.

Bates Smith to retell ‘quirky lady’ stories

Actress Barbara Bates Smith has cooked up a new program — a preview of “quirky lady” short stories by North Carolina writers, with musical accompaniment by Jeff Sebens.

Smith will perform the stories at 1 p.m. on Sept. 10 at the Senior Resource Center on Elmwood Way in Waynesville.

The stories are “Derva’s Chair” and “Daisy Wars” by Ruth Moose, “It Had Wings” by Allan Gurganus and “Everett as Bacchus” by Joy Bartlett. A discussion will follow the performance.

828.452.2370

“Mother Jones” play comes to Jackson

The one-woman play “Mother Jones” by local playwright and cultural historian Gary Carden will be held at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 15 in the Community Room at the Jackson County Library Complex.

“Mother Jones,” a.k.a. Mary Harris, was a labor and community activist in the late nineteenth century. She organized mill and coal workers, fighting for the rights of women and children who were exposed to unsafe and unhealthy work conditions. “Mother Jones” will be portrayed by Laura Chew, a storyteller, actress, writer and naturalist who resides in Macon County.

Jackson County Arts Council, which is a part of the North Carolina Arts Council, will sponsor the event. Tickets will be available the night of the performance, one hour prior to show time and are $10 for adults, $5 for students and children. 

828.507.9820 or 828.507.9531.