Spruce Forest Artisan Village

Spruce Forest Artisan Village, Penn Alps, Grantsville, Maryland

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Spruce Forest Artisan Village

For over 35 years Spruce Forest Artisan Village has been a seedbed for those wishing to learn and pursue the traditional arts and crafts of our colonial roots.  It is part of the Penn Alps extended campus which was established in 1957 by Alta Schrock.  Whilst teaching in Indiana, she had a calling to return to her native Alleghenies to serve its people.  The result was a place where they could market the local cottage industries through which they would preserve the area’s arts and crafts as well as its music, history and spiritual values.

Located on the National Pike at Little Crossings, Grantsville in Maryland, the Artisan Village is now home to ten professional artisans.  There are no paid actors, only highly skilled, articulate craftsmen working in beautifully restored log cabins and other restored buildings of historic note.

Spruce Forest Artisan Village, Penn Alps, Grantsville, Maryland

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The Artisan Village has grown from a few cabins to some 12 log and frame structures of early vintage, two of which date to the Revolutionary War Period. Most of these provide studio space for artisans. The Miller House and Compton School have narrating hosts who volunteer time during the summer. Artisans work in various media, including: bird carving, basket making, hand-loom weaving, and hand-thrown pottery.

Spruce Forest Artisan Village, Penn Alps, Grantsville, Maryland

–  Click on the image to enlarge or purchase  –

All of these images are from scanned transparencies which have been imported into Lightroom. After applying basic adjustments to exposure and contrast each of these images were then opened in Photoshop CS6 where any modern trappings such as overhead cables and car parking lines were removed. The cleaned up files were then transferred to OnOne Software’s Perfect Effects where I brightened up the shadows and then applied my old favorite preset – Dirty Money.  I then lowered the opacity of this layer to between 40 and 60% to bring back some of the color from the original file to create the look you see here.  I know that this overall look is too crisp to be a true facsimile of the early days of color but I personally like this effect.

Summary

Article Name

Spruce Forest Artisan Village

Description

For over 35 years Spruce Forest Artisan Village has shown visitors the traditional arts and crafts of colonial times

Author

Mark Summerfield

Publisher Name

Mark Summerfield

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