May 26, 2007 By Lori Ann Goodwin 3 min read

FARMINGTON – Tears of happiness flowed alongside the stream cutting through the campus of the Touchstone Center for Crafts during the ceremony marking the center’s 35th anniversary on Friday. “Today is a wonderful day for the future, and it is a time of remembrance with great thanks to those who worked so hard to establish the center,” said Agnes Kinard, a founding member of the Pioneer Crafts Council.

“Today is also a day of rededicating ourselves to the new projects at the center,” said Thad Mosley, a sculptor based in Pittsburgh and teacher at the center.

In addition to celebrating the center’s anniversary, three buildings were dedicated in honor of longtime contributors to the center.

The Robert Little Painting Studio was dedicated to the late Robert W. Little, a founding member of the Pioneer Crafts Council and founder of the Nature Printing Society.

“Robert Little was a real taskmaster, and he was always neat, like his work,” Mosely said.

“He really spearheaded this place and was a wonderful teacher and nationally acclaimed artist and craftsman,” said Kinard.

Kinard Hall, a modern dormitory building on the campus, was named in honor of Kinard and her late husband, James, who were founding members of the Pioneer Crafts Council. Agnes Kinard currently serves on the board of directors.

“I am just so thrilled about this,” she said.

She also acknowledged her late husband, who was involved in textiles and weaving, and said how much he loved Touchstone.

Campbell Hall, another modern dormitory, was dedicated and named in honor of Jim and Bea Campbell, who both serve Touchstone in a variety of capacities.

Jim Campbell is associated primarily with Touchstone’s blacksmith program and Bea Campbell’s name is synonymous with the center’s gift shop, which she established in 1982 and still actively runs.

A tearful Bea Campbell commented that she was pretty much speechless with the unveiling of the plaque bearing the couple’s names on Campbell Hall.

“It’s amazing to be honored like this when I have so much fun every day,” Bea Campbell said.

Collette Ridgeway, operations manager, said Bea Campbell makes such a great contribution to the visitors who come to the center.

Early on, the Pioneer Crafts Council, based in Mill Run, conducted its activities at the Mill Run Grange Hall.

Then in 1982, the council purchased Camp Dunneback, which was a camp for boys in Farmington, and the campus was renamed Touchstone Center for Crafts.

Through the years, Touchstone’s class offerings have evolved to include a broad cross-section of traditional, contemporary, experimental and state-of-the-art techniques in blacksmithing, ceramics and sculpture, to name a few.

“We also encourage parents to bring their children, and the family can learn together,” said Madelon Sheedy, a Touchstone board member.

Kinard said she hopes that next year the class schedule booklet will say “35 years and counting.”