The Upstairs Artspace is offering several educational programs in March that relate to the new folk art exhibit, Looking Back, Walking Forward: Evolution of Southern Folk Art.

On Tuesday, March 9, at 7 p.m., curator Ted Oliver will give a short lecture, Challenging the Definition of Folk Art. Using slides, Oliver will explain the similarities and differences between older artists, who put folk art on the map, and the younger generation of folk artists. His remarks precede a screening of All Rendered Truth, a documentary film about legendary Southern folk artists Jimmy Lee Sudduth, Mose Tolliver, Bernice Sims, Lonnie Holley, Lorenzo Scott, J. T. McCord, R. A. Miller and others. Most of the artists are in the Upstairs show. The gallery is selling DVDs of All Rendered Truth.

The following Tuesdays, March 16 and 23, two more documentary films will be shown at 7 p.m. Mr. Dial Has Something To Say is about Thornton Dial, a leading folk artist from Bessemer, AL. Footage includes Dial in conversation with the famous quilting ladies of Gees Bend. Purvis of Overtown introduces Purvis Young, one of the exciting folk artists to emerge in the 1980s. Young lives in the community of Overtown in Miami, Fl. Art work by Dial and Young is highly prized by private collectors and public institutions. The films are free and open to the public.

On Thursday, March 25, from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., the Upstairs has organized a day trip to Hendersonville and Flat Rock to experience folk art in a variety of settings. Participants will visit a private home with an impressive folk art collection, Olivers Southern Folk Art Gallery, and a unique exhibit at the Center for Craft, Creativity & Design. A gourmet lunch is included. The trip is self driven with car pooling available. Reservations are required by March 22; there is a small fee.