Meet 2025 Heritage Award honoree Helen Gibson

Meet 2025 Heritage Award honoree Helen Gibson

From Arts Across NC by North Carolina Arts Council

May 29, 2025 · 16 min

About this episode

This episode features an interview with Helen Gibson, a renowned woodcarver and 2025 Heritage Award honoree from Brasstown, North Carolina.

Since 1989, the North Carolina Heritage Awards have honored artists statewide for their contributions to the cultural lives of their communities. The Folklife program of the North Carolina Arts Council is pleased to spotlight the five artists/groups who will be presented with the 2025 awards on June 7, at a public ceremony in Raleigh. In this episode, we head to the far western end of North Carolina to the community of Brasstown, to chat with Helen Gibson, who grew up among the storied Brasstown Carvers at the John C. Campbell Folk School. Helen began carving at age 11 under the teaching of her mother, Dot McClure, and Murrial “Murray” Martin, the Folk School’s craft teacher, to whom the early growth of the Brasstown Carvers one hundred years ago can be credited. Best known for her detailed nativity scene carvings, she has been the Folk School’s resident carver since 1990, a mentor to apprentice carvers, and a teacher at home and through the Tri-County Community College. The honorees for 2025 are: Round Peak Guitarist, Chester McMillian; Lumbee traditional artisans, Herman and Loretta Oxendine; North Indian classical musician, Gaurang Doshi; Brasstown Woodcarver, Helen Gibson…

People in this episode

Guest: Helen Gibson

Topics covered

  • Heritage Awards
  • carving
  • community arts
  • North Carolina culture

Keywords

  • North Carolina Heritage Awards
  • Brasstown Carvers
  • John C. Campbell Folk School

Mentioned in this episode

Products: carving tools

Places: Raleigh, North Carolina, Brasstown, Lumbee

More episodes of Arts Across NC

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Arts Across NC podcast page.