Chestnut Creek School of the Arts

The Chestnut Creek School of the Arts is located in the restored 1922 First National Bank building in Galax with 8,800 square feet of classrooms and studios across three levels. Students of all abilities – including beginners – can take classes that cover the spectrum of heritage arts and crafts. Some classes are one-day sessions, while others are more intensive and take place over a two-week period. Galax is a hotbed for traditional and bluegrass music. Thus, the school offers instruction in how to play banjo, dulcimer, fiddle, mandolin and guitar. There’s even a class on flatpicking, taught by noted flatpicker Steve Kilby of Mouth of Wilson, Va. Galax’s Wayne Henderson, considered by many the preeminent guitar maker in the country, is also an instructor. The lineup of classes outside the music realm includes: pottery, glass blowing, weaving, wood carving, metalsmithing, clogging, lapidary, sewing, photography and painting.