Zak Foster

CUTTIN UP! Improvisational Quilt Making

October 25 - 30, 2026

Open to All Skill Levels

Textiles, Quilting

Overview

Forget everything you thought you knew about quilt-making in this improvisational workshop! In this workshop, students will respond to surprise prompts delivered throughout the week, incorporating each creative challenge into their evolving piece. This approach prioritizes play over precision, encouraging the discovery of unexpected possibilities with fabric, color, and texture. Perfect for quilters seeking a more exploratory approach as well as brand-new quilters. Students will complete a quilt by week's end that is unmistakably unique, impossible to replicate, and born from their creative responses to each twist.

Course Fee : $760.00

Scholarships & Material Fees

Need help covering workshop costs? Arrowmont offers financial aid opportunities to broaden access to our arts and craft programs. We believe a diverse community enriches the learning experience for all.

Material fees are not included in our national workshop costs, but are included with the cost of our winter short workshops. A material list with estimated costs will be emailed about 30 days before the national workshop begins.

TUITION & FEES

SCHOLARSHIPS

Cost Breakdown

Registration Fee

$50.00

One Week Workshop Tuition

$760.00

Estimated Cost*
*Fees exclude housing and meal plans

$810.00

VIEW HOUSING & MEAL PLAN COSTS

Artist Bio

Zak Foster

Zak Foster is a community-taught artist whose work draws on Southern textile traditions and repurposed fabrics. He practices an approach to design that is based in narrative and guided by intuition. Zak is especially drawn to preserving the stories of quilts and explores the stories we tell ourselves about the past, present, and future in his work. His distinctive creations have been featured on the red carpet of the Met Gala and exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, as well as in various magazines, websites, and galleries. His book, THE WORLD NEEDS YOUR NEXT QUILT, and the community he hosts, the QUILTY NOOK, connect and inspire quilters and makers all over the world.

Artist Website

Explore the Textiles Studio

Located on the second floor of the Turner Building, the Textile Studio looks out over a sunny hill towards the Wood Building and downtown Gatlinburg. A bright and spacious space equipped for all things fabric and textiles, the workshop rotation in this space is as diverse and wide-reaching as the students and artists that populate our campus. A peaceful atmosphere with intimate corners for quiet sewing and contemplation give way to joy and laughter when the room is filled with the repetitive whir of the sewing machine or the plop of a freshly dipped garment in a vat of dye.

Explore the Textiles Studio