HANDS CREATE.
HEARTS CONNECT.
Heritage Lives On.

At Ozark Folkways, you’ll find a home for Ozark arts, crafts, and music—where neighbors come together to learn, celebrate, and belong.

People square dancing and socializing at a lively indoor gathering at Ozark Folkways in Winslow, AR, with a band playing in the background.
Two young girls are working on a loom to weave fabric during a weaving class taught at Ozark Folkways in NW Arkansas. The room is filled with wooden furniture and craft supplies.
Five people standing outside in front of the historic Muxen House in Winslow, AR, holding banjos and a guitar, smiling
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Three women sitting on a stage, one with a banjo, one with a guitar, and one holding a notebook, engaged in a music session or discussion during a folk music class at Ozark Folkways

What we don’t protect today, we lose tomorrow.

The rich heritage of stories and skills that make the Ozarks unique are at risk.

We’re just two generations away from losing these traditions forever.

That’s why Ozark Folkways exists. Since 1969, we’ve kept the dream alive for artists, makers, and neighbors.

What is a folkway?

A folkway is more than a craft or a custom. It’s the everyday tradition that shapes how people live, work, and celebrate together. Think quilting circles, music jams, shared meals, woodworking, and countless other practices passed from one generation to the next.

At Ozark Folkways, we celebrate these living traditions and keep them alive in the modern world.

Together, We Keep the Dream Alive.

The Ozarks are full of stories, songs, and skills that have been passed down from hand to hand, heart to heart. But traditions only live if we keep practicing them. At Folkways, every quilt stitched, fiddle played, and loaf of bread shared keeps the dream alive for another generation.

Discover

Heritage begins with curious hands.


Wander into Ozark traditions—quilting, foraging, music, food, and stories of place. Discover the skills and stories that give our hills their heartbeat.

Explore Workshops & Events

Connect

Home is where hearts come together.

Gather with neighbors, makers, and musicians who share your love for the Ozarks. From playdays to concerts, every event is a chance to connect in a place that feels like home.

Find Your People

Create

Hands bring heart to life.

Learn from artisans, musicians, and neighbors. Whether you’re shaping clay, weaving a basket, or joining a jam session, you’ll create something real with your own two hands.

Try a Casual Craft Get Together

Cultivate

Heritage grows when we tend it together.

Volunteer, donate, or become a member to help cultivate the next generation of makers and musicians. Together, we keep the dream alive for the Ozarks.

Support Folkways

Patty Baker

“Ozark Folkways is a gathering place, a community, a place to pause in our busy lives and reconnect with the artist inside of us. A place where I have learned new skills such as making a basket out of a gourd, cooking Indian food, growing a mushroom log, and working with clay. There is a supportive, nurturing, and accepting atmosphere where adults and children can feel safe to explore their interests and discover their talents. With its mountaintop setting and native stone building, it is a treasure well worth protecting.”

Two large blue open quotation marks.

Therese & Bill Jenkins

“As lifelong residents of Arkansas, Bill and I are proud to support Ozark Folkways financially and with our volunteer hours. Ozark Folkways' art, education, and entertainment programs benefit not only South Washington County and the community of Winslow but all of Northwest Arkansas...As a venue where local musicians, weavers, ceramic, stained glass, fabric, and visual artists can practice their crafts and where children and adults of all ages can come together and learn new skills and develop community, Ozark Folkways is a historic and valued part of the Arkansas experience.”

A light blue closed quotation mark symbol.
The sun rises over ridges with valley fog in the Ozark Mountains.

Nested in the heart of the  Ozarks

Based in Winslow, Arkansas, Ozark Folkways has been a gathering place for artists, musicians, and neighbors since 1969.

Just a quaint, scenic drive from Fayetteville and Fort Smith, Folkways is a destination for anyone who loves hands-on learning, heartfelt music, and the simple joy of creating together.

Now with Two Homes for Folkways

From the hills of Winslow to the heart of Fayetteville, Folkways is growing!

We’re carrying the torch lit by the Folk School of Fayetteville in the historic Walker-Stone House (207 W. Center Street) starting this fall. We’re bringing music, arts, and hands-on workshops back to the city.

This expansion was made possible by a generous donation from the Folk School founders, Bernice and Bryan Hembree, and a partnership with Experience Fayetteville and the A&P Commission.

Ozark Folkways will continue to host the jam sessions, workshops, and music lessons the community has loved for years—plus new programming in arts, crafts, and creativity.

Decorative border featuring snowflakes and geometric patterns in blue, brown, and white colors.

Gallery Highlights

A colorful, intricate beadwork pattern featuring symmetrical geometric designs in shades of blue, orange, and black.
A painting of white magnolia flowers with green leaves and a background with warm tones.
Collection of handmade ceramic mugs and pitchers on a wooden surface.
Various skeins of multicolored yarn displayed on a surface, with some yarn in tangled bundles and others in skeins labeled 'Serious Fiber.' Two partially completed knitted beanies and a ball of yarn in a plastic container are also visible.
A collage of three photos displaying various decorative items. The main image features a wooden surface with ceramic and stone containers, including a cracked yellowish-brown soapstone with a hole in the center, a blue container with a pentagram desi
Set of stained glass art designs, including a flower, sun, moon, and abstract pieces, displayed outdoors against a stone wall and on concrete steps.
Handmade jewelry including a pendant with red and purple glass mosaic mushrooms, a necklace with a small branch-shaped pendant, and a pendant with a mushroom and mushroom cap made from glass mosaic, displayed on cards and a wooden background.
Embroidery hoops with floral and cactus designs hanging on a white textured wall.
A stained glass window depicting a sun and moon design. The sun with orange and yellow swirls is partially covered by a white moon, set against a background of blue and purple sky with stylized clouds.
Colorful floral textile art featuring red, yellow, and pink flowers with green leaves on a blue background.
Set of five ceramic teaware pieces including a teapot, two bowls, and two cups, arranged on a white surface with a plain background.
A basket of gray yarn skeins labeled 'Amerah' arranged on a red surface.
Clara Muxen, wearing her religious habit, stands outdoors in front of the sandstone building that would become Ozark Folkways Heritage Center, holding a cross in her right hand.

Our story

More than eighty years ago, Clara Muxen dreamed of a school where hands-on skills and community relationships could thrive. That dream became Ozark Folkways, and it still guides us today.

We’ve grown beyond what some might call “arts and crafts.” Here you’ll find:

  • Workshops on gardening, foraging, and cooking

  • Regular jam sessions for musicians of all levels

  • Playdays and gallery space for artists to share and sell their work

  • Festivals and concerts that bring the hills to life

  • Volunteer opportunities for those who want to give their time

  • Donations and sponsorships that safeguard our programs and our historic building

From Clara’s vision to today’s vibrant mix of workshops, jams, and festivals—from her Muxen Building’s folk school in Winslow to the Walker-Stone House’s Fayetteville Folk School—Ozark Folkways is still keeping the dream alive.

Learn More About Clara Muxen
Learn More About Ozark Folkways

People of Ozark Folkways

Meet the artists, neighbors, and teachers who put heart into every stitch, strum, and story. Some grew up in the Ozarks. Others bring folk traditions from far beyond our hills. Together, they make Ozark Folkways a home for heritage in all its forms.

Meet the Artists

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Celebrate the roots that ground us and the creativity that keeps us dreaming. Join us for news, stories, and upcoming events.

Hearts that preserve heritage,

hands that create communities.