Alleghany Living 2019 - 8

THE ARTS

'Center of Gravity':

The heART of the
Alleghany Highlands

The Clifton Forge
School of the Arts'
Blacksmithing

W R I T T E N BY J OA N VA N N O R S DA L L

A flourishing School of
the Arts. A beautifully
restored Beaux-Arts
theatre. Quilt shops and
concert series. Ironwork
and photography. The
Arts are alive and well in
the Alleghany Highlands.

8 Alleghany Living

Clifton Forge School of the Arts
"The Community Art School of the
Alleghany Highlands"

Here are the facts of the Clifton Forge
School of the Arts (CFSOTA):
*
It occupies two spacious, historic
buildings one block off of Main Street...
*
In each of three "semesters," the
School offers more than 60 classes
and 120 sections of arts classes and
experiences...
*
It has a well-stocked art supply store,
where you can buy paints, canvases
and brushes, pens, quality papers, and
more...
*
It has a gallery with rotating exhibits...

where some nights yoga or bluegrass
music is part of the scene...
*
A destination garden wraps around
one side and the rear of the school,
where painters can come for plein air
work with Smith Creek for background
music...
*
Four blacksmith forges built by Glen
Bryant, who's appeared twice on the
West-Virginia-based DIY television
show, Barnwood Builders, line one wall
of the lower-level Mill.
There's more-much more. If you're near
CFSOTA during business hours, it's a pretty
safe bet you can have a personalized tour
by one of the staff or volunteers. You'll see
the stained glass and pottery studios in the
Alleghany Living 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Alleghany Living 2019
