Tag: Pam Earp

Craftsman and craftswoman of the year named in Village of Yesteryear

A fine-art painter and a porcelain-art maker were honored as the craftsman and craftswoman of the year in the Village of Yesteryear at the N.C. State Fair. Walter Creech, a painter and water-colorist from Saxaphaw, and Gay Lord, who works with porcelain, of Orlando, received the honors. “This award is given to one man and one woman each year,” Village of Yesteryear Director Pam Earp said. “All the members of the village vote for who they view as most dedicated to their craft and the village’s mission of demonstration and education.” Creech has been a member of the Village of…

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The work of the State Fair’s village people on display in the Raleigh Convention Center

Village of Yesteryear crafters, who showcase their work and time-honored heritage crafting skills during the annual State Fair, will have work on display for a year in the Raleigh Convention Center.  On Monday, a number of crafters were moving in pieces of artwork and crafts for the kiosk window displays on the 300 Level of the convention center on both the Lenoir Street and Cabarrus Street sides. The 10-foot-long kiosks are part of the outside walls of meeting rooms, and the exhibits can be seen from outside and inside the rooms.  Wood carvings, handmade guns, tin lanterns, carved wooden bowls,…

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Village of Yesteryear toasts Jim Trantham

After 38 years in the Village of Yesteryear, Jim Trantham is hanging up his tools and calling it a day. The musical instrument maker is retiring after this year’s fair, passing the reins of leadership to Pam Earp, a crafter who creates corn shuck dolls. On Saturday morning before the Village opened, the crafters gathered to honor the Tranthams. Jim’s son Doug and Doug’s children have been fixtures in the Village. With Jim’s retirement, all of the Tranthams will take a break from the Village. The Village crafters have a tight bond, nurtured through years of a shared love for heritage crafts and the annual gathering for…

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