Congratulations on your upcoming workshop at the Hambidge Center! We are delighted to welcome you to Hambidge and look forward to helping make your time on campus a wonderful experience. To help you prepare, we have compiled a few answers to frequently asked questions or concerns. A thorough and detailed list of these and more can be found in the Workshop FAQ section of our website. Anything else? Just contact us and we will be happy to help.
Our offices are open 10am to 4pm weekdays. You may reach us via phone at (706) 746-7324 or email at workshops@hambidge.org. A 24-hour on-call number will be shared for use during your time on campus.
LOCATION
The Hambidge Center is located on 600 wooded acres with streams, waterfalls, and wildflowers in the Blue Ridge Mountains of the Southern Appalachians in the small community of Rabun Gap, Georgia. We are two hours north of Atlanta and about an hour and a half from the smaller cities of Asheville, North Carolina and Greenville, South Carolina. Our physical address for directions, shipping, and your personal mail is 105 Hambidge Court, Rabun Gap, Georgia 30568. UPS and FedEx deliver to Hambidge at the above address. *This is the address you should give friends and family. For any packages or personal mail you plan to receive while on campus, please be sure to include your name.
Our remote location ensures that there is no ambient light coming from streetlights or other interference. The stars and moon are the best nightlights! It also means there is no cell service at Hambidge; however, Wifi is available throughout the Antinori Village, in your room and in the Bunnen Commons.
There is no television service at Hambidge. Radio reception is inconsistent. Due to varying WiFi speeds It is recommended that you download music before your arrival.
The nearest hospital, Mountain Lakes Medical Center, is 10 miles away. Mountain Lakes Medical Center also has an Urgent Care in the same location. www.mountainlakesmedicalcenter.com
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
A group orientation is at 5pm on the date of your arrival. This is mandatory for all workshop attendees, including individuals who have been a part of Hambidge programming in the past. Please plan to arrive between the hours of 1-4pm on the check-in day of your workshop. If this is an impossibility, please confirm any deviation in advance with staff at workshops@hambidge.org. Upon arrival, report to the Antinori Pottery Studio which is the first driveway on the right past the large green Hambidge Center sign. You will be greeted by Hambidge staff and shown to your room.
Orientation will be followed by an introductory presentation by your workshop leader a group dinner in the Bunnen Commons at 7pm.
Departures are by 2pm on the final day of your workshop. Transportation to and from Hambidge is your responsibility. If you are not driving directly to Hambidge, this will require some planning. Please see the extensive transportation information at the end of this document.
MEALS & ACCOMMODATIONS
An architecturally beautiful cluster of buildings nestled into our forested landscape, the Antinori Village features eight guest rooms, a communal workshop and dining space, with decks, covered porches and outdoor spaces. While at Hambidge you can expect to be part of a small group of eight to ten fellow creatives with private accommodations in the Antinori Village.
Each room holds a queen-sized bed and small desk, plus a beautiful private view. Four rooms have en suite bathrooms, and four rooms have en suite half-baths with two shared showers. One room with an en suite bathroom offers ADA accessibility.
Three meals per day will be provided: a self-serve continental breakfast, and communal lunches and dinners. Meals will take place in the Bunnen Commons. Dietary allergies and restrictions will be accommodated, if at all possible. (These should be communicated in the Medical Form we require you to complete.)
Attendees are welcome to hike the campus trails. A trail map will be provided.
Firewood is provided on site for the fire pits. Please exercise caution and respect for our wooded environment. If you are unfamiliar with fire-making, please ask for assistance in advance from a staff member. During times of drought or high winds, the area is put under a No Burn Order, in which case you will be alerted.
The Hambidge Center also hosts a Creative Residency Program on our Rabun Gap campus. Privacy, quiet, and solitude are hallmarks of a Hambidge residency. No one may visit a resident studio without prior invitation. Resident studios are strictly private, as is Lucinda’s Rock House, with the exception of public artist talks which are advertised in advance and begin at the Weave Shed.
PETS
Pets are not permitted. Licensed service animals will be accommodated. If you will be accompanied by a service animal, please notify us and provide registration papers at workshops@hambidge.org.
HEALTH & SAFETY
Before your workshop begins, we require that you complete a Medical Emergency Form.
If you have a chronic health condition that might precipitate a medical emergency considered life threatening, please note that Hambidge is a remote location. The nearest hospital, Mountain Lakes Medical Center, is 10 miles away. They also offer urgent care services.
The Hambidge landscape is hilly to mountainous, roadways are unpaved and much of the ground is uneven. If you have any balance issues, please consider bringing trekking poles, especially if you’re planning to hike our trails.
Smoking and vaping are not permitted in any buildings, including covered porches. Hambidge does not provide alcoholic beverages, though you are welcome to enjoy wine at dinner and other social settings. Recreational drugs are not permitted.
Firearms are not permitted.
WHAT TO BRING
The weather at Hambidge is variable. Our general elevation is around 2500’, but we have lush cove forests, open meadows, and mountain peaks of almost 5000’ that surround our property. In short, you can expect almost anything temperature-wise, but be prepared for rain. Rabun County has one of the highest rainfalls east of the Pacific Northwest. Summers are generally moderate, but can range from cool nights to hot, steamy days with an average high temperature in the mid-80s and lows in the mid-60s. Winters are colder and generally drier, with average highs/lows from the mid 50s to the low 30s and often below. Snow is a possibility from December through mid-March. Our springs and falls are spectacular. Our marked hiking trails range from gentle to strenuous.
Exact needs will, of course, depend on the timing of your visit and your personal preferences, but whatever season, it is always wise to bring a flashlight, raingear, warm layers, comfortable closed-toed shoes and boots, and long pants, especially if you plan to take advantage of our hiking trails. A small daypack and water bottle are also a good idea. Plan to bring a bathing suit for dips in our swimming hole in Betty’s Creek.
General supplies and materials will be provided. In some cases, you will be asked to bring your own equipment. If so, this will be included in the workshop description and may include personal musical instruments, sewing machines or personal computers.
Bring any other items that are relevant to your personal fitness, comfort, or creative practice, e.g.: yoga mat, oil diffuser, bluetooth speaker, etc.
A printer and copy machine are available for use in the main office during weekday office hours. Printing that falls outside of workshop activities will incur a fee of five cents per page.
CELEBRATING DIVERSITY AT HAMBIDGE
We celebrate varied ideas, worldviews, and personal characteristics, and are committed to being an organization that welcomes and respects everyone regardless of age, physical ability, ethnicity, race, religion, philosophical or political beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, nationality, geographic origin, and socioeconomic status. We are committed to the ongoing work to respectfully provide a nurturing environment free of discrimination that proactively works to attract and welcome creatives identifying as Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), as well as learning and addressing people by their preferred pronouns.
TRANSPORTATION: Getting To and From Hambidge
Hambidge is located in a rural area with no public transportation nor ride share companies, so if visiting the surrounding area is important to you, but you aren't driving to Hambidge for your visit, consider renting a car at the airport.
Don’t forget: Plan your travel so that you arrive between the hours of 1-5pm on the check-in day of your workshop.
Transportation to and from Hambidge is the responsibility of the attendee.
RECOMMENDED TRANSPORTATION:
Our recommended routes of transportation are either
1) Drive directly to Hambidge by car.
Hambidge is located on Betty's Creek Road, about 3-1/2 miles west of Highway 441 in Dillard, Georgia. The address is 105 Hambidge Ct, Rabun Gap, GA 30568. We are only a few miles from the Georgia/North Carolina border. The two largest towns near Dillard are Clayton, Georgia, 10 miles to the south and Franklin, North Carolina, 13 miles to the north.
OR
2) Fly to the Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport and either rent a car (from the Atlanta airport, it takes approximately 3 hours to get to Hambidge, depending on traffic) or take the North Georgia Shuttle (see below) to Clayton, Georgia, where we can arrange to pick you up and bring you to campus.
North Georgia Shuttle has a schedule of departures from the MARTA (Atlanta’s public transport system) station in Doraville, Georgia. It drops off at the Clayton Pharmacy in Clayton, Georgia. Rates are $45 (including taxes and fees) for each one-way trip, and the trip takes approximately 2.5 hours.
In order to get to the Shuttle pick-up point, you will need to take the train from the MARTA station located in the Atlanta airport to the Doraville MARTA station. Trains leave from the airport every 20 minutes, and it takes approximately 45 minutes to travel from the airport to Doraville. MARTA tickets cost $1-$3 and can be purchased at the stations. Alternatively, you can take Lyft or Uber from the airport to the Doraville MARTA station.
Prior to your journey, you will need to arrange with our Office for a Hambidge staff member to pick you up from Clayton and take you to campus. The ride from Clayton to Hambidge is approximately 20 minutes. There are no rideshare services in Clayton.
OTHER TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS
BY PLANE
You may choose to fly into Greenville, South Carolina or Asheville, North Carolina. From the Greenville and Asheville airports, it is about a 2-hour drive to Hambidge. Car rentals are available at the airports.
Note: If you don’t want to rent a car, we recommend flying into Atlanta (see RECOMMENDED TRANSPORTATION above), however there are shuttle services you can engage if you choose to fly into the Greenville, Asheville, or Atlanta airports.
Shuttle Services to and from airports – Independent shuttle services are available to and from the airports listed above. The cost of these services ranges from $150-$250, one way. Service providers and phone numbers are as follows:
• Highlands Shuttle Service – Bob Dunn - (770) 402-0423
• Kat Shuttle Services – (706) 982-1313
• RoadRunner Driving Service – Darlene Swofford - (828) 524-3265, cell: (706) 201-7719
If you choose one of these shuttle services, make all arrangements directly with them in order to arrive at Hambidge on the first day of your workshop between 1-5pm. When prior arrangements are made with the service, the driver will usually stop to allow for a quick shopping trick to pick up personal necessities.
BY TRAIN
AMTRAK’s Crescent route runs between New York and New Orleans with many stops along the way, including Atlanta, Georgia. Arrival/Departure times are either 8:43am or 11pm. You will need to reserve Shuttle Service to travel from Atlanta to Hambidge (the North Georgia Shuttle is recommended, see details listed above).
If you take the North Georgia Shuttle, you will need to coordinate transportation from AMTRAK to the Shuttle pick-up point at the Doraville MARTA Station. This may be done via MARTA from the Arts Center Station, public bus, or Uber. You must also coordinate with the Hambidge Office for staff to pick you up at the Shuttle drop-off in Clayton, Georgia.