Debbie Howes has been an artisan at the Rowan County Arts Center since 2019. Although she enjoys weaving baskets, her primary passion is for teaching the craft to others. She takes pleasure in introducing traditional functional art forms and teaching the basic skills for producing items which reflect Appalachian self-sufficiency and creativity in crafts such as basketry, weaving, quilting, and related fiber arts. She feels that it is important to share the history and significance of functional arts across time and to recognize their commonality in all cultures.

Debbie was born in Eastern Kentucky Appalachia. She is a longtime resident of Rowan County where she attended Morehead State University and earned various degrees in Education. Debbie “retired” from the public school system in 2013 after 25 years of teaching high school science and 9 additional years in administration; however, she remains very active in various teaching and learning venues.

Debbie lives in rural Rowan County, with her husband, Fred, a retired Ky Wildlife Biologist who is an avid woodworker. Their time together is filled with gardening and preserving their harvest in the warm months, and birdwatching in the winter. They have passed their love of nature and traditional arts to their daughters and grandchildren, who can often be spotted in the woodshop with Poppy or the RCAC studio with their Meima.