V L ong-time
isions
F all/Winter 2006 school of arts and crafts
news and letters from the creative community of Arrowmont
A rrowmont L ibrarian’s C areer C omes Full C ircle
Now showing in the gallery... Rude & Daphne Osolnik: A Family Portrait Exhibition
October 13 January 6 A retrospective of works by pioneering woodturner Rude Osolnik and his wife Daphne that displays a family portrait of lifelong companionship.
Bette Raymond in her “Dyer’s Nook” dressed in period costume demonstrates spinning at the recent Heritage Festival at the Cliff Dwelllers Gallery in Gatlinburg. Photo credit: Linda Morrow
Bette Raymond’s first experience at Arrowmont was in 1969 as a student of Mary Frances Davidson, author of “Vegetable Dying of Wool in the Appalachian Highlands.” Never did she imagine that her first encounter at Arrowmont would not only blossom her life-long passion for dyeing, spinning and weaving, but also become a place that she could call home in one way or another for the next 37 years. Vegetable dying, a process of creating dyes from native vegetable materials, quickly became something that Bette couldn’t get enough of, and in 1970 she was accepted into the Southern Highland Craft Guild with her hand-dyed and spun yarns. That same year the Guild held their annual meeting at Arrowmont and attendees were privy to a sneak preview of the newly constructed Turner Complex that was nearing its completion. Knowing “they were going to need some help in that big new building,” recalls Bette, she inquired about a job and soon after began working for Arrowmont’s first director, Marian Heard, as her secretary. During that time, she learned as much as she could about all areas of arts and crafts, periodically auditing workshops to cultivate a better understanding of different craft media and materials.
Plan to attend Arrowmont’s Annual
That experience lead to her next endeavor as manager of the 12 Designer Craftsman Shop in Gatlinburg, and over the next several years, she continued to work in her studio as well as at the craft shop. But during that period, Bette still made time for Arrowmont, volunteering in various capacities whenever she could. In 1977, the final year of the 12 Designer Craftsman Shop, she was asked to establish a contemporary craft gallery at Arrowcraft, the oldest craft gallery in Gatlinburg. With Bette’s vast knowledge of arts and crafts and acute attention to detail, she tackled the task with enthusiasm and began to build the on the shop’s history and reputation of fine regional crafts for the next 2 1⁄ 2 years. Over the next 10 years she returned to studio work and enjoyed traveling with her husband. continued on page 2
Saturday, December 16 1:00-4:00 pm
f rom the director This issue of Visions happens to coincide with the kick-off our annual Friends of Arrowmont and Signature Circle appeal, and I find it timely to reinforce why your gift to Arrowmont is so important to us. The cost of operation for Arrowmont grows each year. It’s the many costs beyond our control—rising utilities, insurance and vital repairs—that cut into the necessary funds for programs and staff to implement them, as well as improvements and upgrades to studios, equipment, buildings and grounds. Keeping Arrowmont affordable has always been one of my longstanding goals. Student tuition and fees currently cover only 60 percent of our annual operating costs. The remainder must come from Friends of Arrowmont contributions, Pi Beta Phi Fraternity, grants, endowment funds and our summer auctions. Meeting the technology challenge is constant, as technology affect how we learn, create and communicate. We try to provide as much as technology as we can reasonably afford. However, in order to expand our programming and upgrade our technology to include some of the cutting edge techniques and latest trends in art education, more support is needed. Your Participation in our Friends of Arrowmont program, at any level, will ensure the Arrowmont experience will continue for years to come. Your gifts enable us to maintain and improve the quality of the Arrowmont experience. They also make it possible to provide needed scholarships and to maintain and improve our studios and equipment, as well as our beautiful, but aging buildings and large campus. This needed financial support also allows for enhanced gallery exhibitions and expanded opportunities in our Artists-in-Residence program. Your donations make it possible for us to continue ArtReach to over 4,000 public school children in Sevier County each year. Gifts may be unrestricted or restricted to any Arrowmont program. However, unrestricted gifts allow us to put your gift to work where it is needed the most. Please consider becoming a Friend of Arrowmont. All donations are very much appreciated, as are in-kind gifts and donations to our library and art auctions. Your gift of $1,000 or above will place you in our Friends of Arrowmont Signature Circle, with special benefits and levels of recognition. For more information, visit our website www.arrowmont.org/weneedyoursupport.html where you can make a donation online and view our “Wish List.” With your support, Arrowmont will continue to provide enriching art experiences for you and for the thousands who enjoy all of what Arrowmont has to offer. David Willard, Director continued from page 1 After receiving a scholarship for a spinning workshop in 1988, she began volunteering more regularly in the library to express her gratitude for being able to take the class. After eight years and increasing days of “volunteer” work, Bette once again found herself on Arrowmont’s payroll working three days a week as the school’s librarian, a position she loyally maintained for 15 years. She was also active in a newly formed group of fiber artists called Fiber Creation that opened a cooperative retail space in the Great Smoky Arts and Crafts Community on Glades Road in Gatlinburg that is now known as The Cliff Dwellers Gallery. Education has always been an important part of Bette’s career as a fiber artist and also as Arrowmont’s librarian for over 15 years. “Educating people about the use of vegetable dyes ties into the history of the area, and paints a picture of the way people wove their own fabric and knitted their own garments 150 years ago,” said Bette. She also demonstrated dying and spinning at Silver Dollar City for Dollywood’s Fall Festival until 1992. Bette has come full circle as she heads into retirement, at least as close to retirement as she ever wants to get. She will be missed in the library, but she can be found doing exactly what she wants to be doing at this point in her life, and that’s demonstrating the traditions of dying yarn, spinning and weaving in her new studio, “The Dyer’s Nook,” at the Cliff Dwellers Gallery. “Although it breaks my heart to leave Arrowmont, I have come to a point in my life to turn the next page. I’ll always be an Arrowmont volunteer and will always be grateful for the longtime relationship I’ve had with Arrowmont,” said Bette. And as we closed our conversation for the afternoon, she was eagerly heading home to dye some yarn. 2
Visions
is published twice annually by Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts, P.O. Box 567, 556 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738 865-436-5860 info@arrowmont.org
Editor Kimberly Newman knewman@arrowmont.org Layout & Design Robyn Rainwater Staff Photographer Jill Greene
A rrowmont Residents Receive
E m e r g i n g Ta l e n t R e c o g n i t i o n by American Style Magazine
Two of the nine artists American Style Magazine recently showcased in their August 2006 issue as the “Nine New Craft Artists to Watch” were former artists-in-residence of Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, Tenn. The artists are jeweler Janine DeCresenzo and ceramist Bryan Hiveley. Janine DeCresenzo finished her year-long Arrowmont residency in 2005 after which she moved to Philadelphia, Pa., to establish her jewelry studio. On her list of accolades this year also include the 2006 Niche Award in the “jewelry/silver/with stones” category for Joint cutline for both items with artist names... do you want to put the details her piece Cell Necklace. DeCresenzo graduated from Tyler School of the artwork? Just wondering. of Art at Temple University in Philadelphia in 2000. Bryan Hiveley, with his highly stylized and colorful clay sculptures that reference forms in nature, also made the list. Hiveley completed his residency in 2000 and is currently an instructor of ceramics, sculpture and design at Miami International University of Art and Design in Miami, Fla. Since his residency at Arrowmont, Hiveley has also held a residency at Watershed Center for Ceramics Art in Newcastle, Maine. His work was juried into the American Craft Council’s “Ceramics Biennial Exhibition” in 2004 in Charleston, W.Va. Arrowmont’s Artist-in-Residence Program began in 1990 and provides an 11-month opportunity for five, pre-professional artists to create a new body of work, build skills and immerse themselves into a network of successful artists. The program has been under the directorship of Bill Griffith since its inception. For more information about Arrowmont’s residency program, visit http://www.arrowmont. org/residency.html.
R eflections on Arrowmont... A S t u d e n t ’ s J o u r n a l E n t r y. . .
March 19, 2006 I am now home from a week at Arrowmont in Gatlinburg. It was an experience that far exceeded my expectations. I thought that I would enroll in this random stone carving class, that my teacher and classmates would be relatively nice, and that I would come away from it all unchanged. Instead, it deeply affected me. Our class was one where the human, social interaction piece was primary. Sure, we all carved and we all went through our own personal process. But we shared that process—and observations of that process—with each other along the way. There was an amazing, inexplicable chemistry and group dynamic that was present throughout the whole thing. Everyone deserves credit for that, but the teacher, in particular, deserves credit for facilitating it. He provided just the right environment for that to occur. It was such an inspirational experience for me because that is what human expression and understanding is all about. It is about seeing that the process of creating anything is a social experience. In a society that emphasizes individual achievement to the exclusion of community, reminders that we are all affected by other people are fundamental. By sharing the process of creation and through communicating the individual, internal experiences that accompany it, we move closer towards realizing our humanness and connecting with other human beings. Christina Kaufmann, Asheville, NC
C ontinuing Education
Credits Now Available
If you are a teacher, you already know the importance of Continuing Education Units. The good news is that they are now available to Arrowmont students for all of their workshops through Walters State Community College. The Continuing Education Unit (CEU) is a nationally recognized method of quantifying the time spent in the classroom during professional development and training activities. The primary purpose of the CEU is to provide a permanent record of the educational accomplishments of an individual who has completed significant non-credit educational and career enhancement experiences. The fee is only $20 and is payable the week of your workshop. One week class = 3.5 CEUs; two week class = 6.8 CEUs.
M eet Our 2006-2007 Ar tists-in-Residence Arrowmont is pleased to introduce its 2006-2007 Artistsin-Residence. They began their residency in June and will be on campus through May of 2007.
Jill Baker Gower, metalsmith, grew up in the Chicago area and in 2003 received her BS in Art Education with an emphasis in Metals from the University of Wisconsin - Madison. She recently graduated with an MFA in Metals from Arizona State University. While in graduate school, she taught jewelry and metals at Arizona State as well as a variety of other jewelry related classes at community art centers. Her work has been exhibited in many juried national shows such as Materials Hard and Soft 2005 and 2006 in Denton, Texas, Craft USA 2005 in New Canaan, Conn., and Craft Forms 2004 in Wayne, Pa. Joseph Gower, ceramic sculptor from Madison, Wis., received his BFA from the University of Wisconsin in 2003. He recently graduated from Arizona State University with an MFA in ceramics. Joseph has taught numerous classes at Arizona State University including ceramics and three-dimensional design. His work has been exhibited in numerous national exhibitions including a recent solo exhibition at the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts in Portland, Ore. He was also awarded the 2005 Niche Student Award for ceramic sculpture. Amelia Loehe is originally from Baltimore, Md., and attended Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va. She received her BFA in Craft/Material Studies with a focus in textiles and glass. She has exhibited regionally and has been involved in several community art projects. She is an active teacher, working with children at the Visual Art Center in Richmond and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. She plans to spend her year at Arrowmont further developing a body of work and continuing to teach throughout the community.
Current Artists-in-Residence: (Pictured L-R, front row) Brian Taylor, Joseph Gower, Jill Baker Gower; (L-R, back row) Benjamin Strear, Amelia Loehe
Brian Taylor was raised in northern Utah and completed his BFA in ceramics at Utah State University. Studying with John Neely and Dan Murphy at Utah State brought about an appreciation and love for pots. Before his senior year, he worked at the Mendocino Art Center as a ceramic studio assistant, and the following summer took a similar position at Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts in Maine. He spent the last year as a Juried Winter Resident at Watershed. Brian’s work has been shown internationally and published in Lark Books “500 Cups” and “500 Pitchers.” To see images of the Artists-in-Resident’s work, please visit their web pages at www.arrowmont.org/air-2006-2007.html.
Benjamin Strear, is a sculptor and designer, and is a native of Colorado. He recently received his BFA in Furniture Design from the Rhode Island School of Design. Ben is the recipient of the Robyn and John Horn Woodturning Fellowship. He finds inspiration from a variety of sources, from tools of the industry to cellular membranes.
News f r o m D e v e l o p m e n t Arrowmont’s 2006 Summer Art Auctions for scholarships raised $16,163. Thank you to all who donated work, as well as those who supported the events through purchases. • Arrowmont received $50,500 from the Tennessee Arts Commission for fiscal year 2007. The Tennesseans for the Arts recently held a reception to thank state legislators and the General Assembly for the contributions the Tennessee Arts Commission makes to the quality of life in Tennessee communities. The Tennessee Arts Commission’s matching grants are made possible through an appropriation of state funds by the General Assembly, federal dollars from the National Endowment for the Arts, and by Tennesseans who purchased specialty license plates. · Arrowmont received a $2,500 Arts Build Communities grant from the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Knoxville, TN, a program funded by the Tennessee General Assembly and administered in cooperation with the Tennessee Arts Commission and designated agencies throughout Tennessee. • Recently, an exhibition and reception was held at the Finer Things Gallery in Nashville, Tenn., that featured a selection of works from Arrowmont’s 2005-2006 Artists-in-Residence Annual Exhibition. · The Pi Beta Phi Foundation awarded Arrowmont $45,000 for facility improvements and $3,500 for the development of new ArtSmart initiatives. • An $8,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts has enabled much needed work on Arrowmont’s Permanent Collection. The goal is to achieve a complete digital catalog of the 800-object collection. Arrowmont’s Arts Indulgence Weekend, a special weekend for members of Signature Circle and their guests, will be held Feb. 23-25, 2006. For more information, contact Coleen Thomason, Director of Development at 865-436-5860 ext. 32.
NEA G r a n t E n a b l e s N e e d e d Wo r k o n Pe r m a n e n t C o l l e c t i o n
Over the past two years, two grants from the National Endowment for the Arts have enabled much needed work to be completed on the School’s Permanent Collection. The plan for the work has been divided into three phases and a grant is currently being submitted for the third and final phase. The first award enabled the purchase of essential equipment necessary to process the digital documentation of the collection—a computer, software and digital camera. Great momentum was achieved this summer through the completion of the second phase, which included the creation of a ledger of collection’s 800 objects. Each was identified and information collected when available on it’s condition, acquisition date, artist information, etc., then entered into the database management software, EmBark. Paid intern, Erin Gray, and volunteer Cara Phillips teamed up with gallery coordinator Karen Green who is managing the project. “For the first time, there is a full listing of Arrowmont’s Permanent Collection objects to work with,” said Green. Ongoing during the process, Jill Greene, Arrowmont’s staff photographer has been digitally documenting each object that is then downloaded into the collection database, Embark. As each object is photographed, it will be assigned a catalog number with ID label and location information. She has photographed about a quarter of the collection to date with goals to complete the ceramics portion by year’s end. “The performance of the summer’s teamwork is a true benchmark in Arrowmont’s digitization project. I am now able to proceed with accuracy and confidence, as a foundation has been laid. I am also extremely grateful to Jennifer Brown, development assistant, for her attendance in our annual grant pursuits, Erin and Cara for their steady persistence in obtaining our summer project goals, and to Jill Greene for her ‘camera-eye’ in bringing to light the amazing objects of this historical collection,” said Green. If fortunate enough to receive a third grant, the plan for phase three is to increase the hours available to our photographer to dedicate to photographing all 800 objects, as well as the assistance of another 10-week intern.
A i l e e n We l g a n , E d u c a t o r
and Dedicated Pi Phi Dies at 89 Many pass by and admire the beautiful fountain, Woven Stone Structures, at the upper entrance to Arrowmont that Aileen Alysworth Welgan commissioned Tom Rice to create. In 1998 it was dedicated to Sisterhood and in loving memory of her own sister Hesperia (Hep) Alysworth Henderson. These were Aileen’s words; “Originally, Hep and I wanted to bring the lasting beauty of a fountain to this first new Arrowmont building just as the architect had envisioned. We wanted the fountain in recognition of what sisterhood truly means in Pi Beta Phi. Now, in 1998, I want to add a remembrance to my sister, a dedicated Pi Phi who gave sterling service in the early formative years of Arrowmont.” But Mrs. Welgan will probably be remembered most by the thousands of students whose lives she impacted as a life-long educator and founder of the prestigious University Preparatory Academy, an independent co-educational middle and upper school in Seattle, Wash. An active Pi Phi of 67 years, she was initiated as an Alberta Alpha in 1937. She recently helped support Arrowmont’s preliminary plans to develop a new Administrative and Archive building. Mrs. Welgan died on July 1 following a brief lung illness. Pi Beta Phi has established the Aileen Welgan Sisterhood Award in her honor.
M eet Our New Director of Development Arrowmont’s new director of development, Coleen Thomason, is a native of Knox County, Tenn., and brings years of experience as an Associate Director of Development for the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and as Director of Communications, Internal Marketing and Community Relations for Promus Hotel Corporation of Memphis. “I am very excited about Coleen’s appointment as our new Director of Development. Coleen brings to this position a host of professional experience and her varied background and strong interpersonal skills will be a huge asset in achieving our fund raising and community awareness goals,” said David Willard, Director of Arrowmont. Receiving both her Bachelor of Science degree in music and an MBA from University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Thomason has a personal passion for the arts. “I am very pleased to be part of Arrowmont and to be in a position to make a positive contribution to the school. Arrowmont is also deeply rooted in the history of our area and contributes much to the community,” said Thomason. Thomason is also former owner/operator of Bonnybrook Bed & Breakfast in Sevier County. Thomason received her MBA from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville with an emphasis in marketing.
M eet New Staff... Angela Wiemken, Art Supply Store Manager, is from Sarasota, Fla., a community that instilled in her the importance of art, music and theater. She attended Beloit College in Beloit, Wis., where she majored in International Relations with a minor in Asian Studies. She then returned to Florida and began working in the resort industry, landing in accounting. Last July she moved to the mountains to satisfy her a passion for hiking, and to seek further career options. “I was thrilled with the opportunity to work for an organization dedicated to art education. Being a part of the Arrowmont community is such a wonderful experience,” said Wiemken.
Cynthia Bellacome, Registrar, is originally from Orlando, Fla., and has lived in Sevier County for 11 years. Although she doesn’t have an art background, her retail management experience lends itself well to her position. She had visited Arrowmont’s campus many times to absorb its “aura” and history. “I can’t think of a better way to do that than to have been given the opportunity to work here,” said Bellacome.
Vickie Bradshaw, Office Assistant, is a native of Gatlinburg. She received her BFA in photography from Memphis College of Arts. She and her husband have three children and are currently in the process of building their own house, a process that they have been working on for a year. “I’m excited to be back in a creative atmosphere and excited to start doing my own art again,” said Bradshaw who has enjoyed taking a few classes since working at Arrowmont.
D
onor recognition
Every donation received through Friends of Arrowmont or otherwise is greatly appreciated, and all of our donors are recognized each year in the Spring issue of Visions. At this time, we would like to again recognize members of the FOA Signature Circle, Arrowmont’s new circle of recognition for donors of $1,000 or more annually.
Signature Circle
(June 1, 2005 – October 6, 2006)
Platinum Circle ($10,000 +)
Individuals, Companies, Foundations & Associations Anonymous Jerry & Helen Drown The Haslam Family Foundation, Inc. Roman & Mary Ann Hruska
Pi Beta Phi Fraternity Organizations Pi Beta Phi Foundation Nashville, TN Alumnae Club
Gold Circle
($7,500 - $9,999)
Pi Beta Phi Fraternity Organizations Florida Delta Chapter Louisiana Beta Chapter
Silver Circle
($5,000 - $7,499)
Individuals, Companies, Foundations & Associations Cleland and Sharon Blake Jim & Kati Blalock Citizens National Bank Emily Kunde Sevier County Bank
Pi Beta Phi Fraternity Organizations Arkansas Alpha Chapter
Bronze Circle
($2,500 - $4,999)
Individuals, Companies, Foundations & Associations Adrienne Mitchell Linda Ogle Tom & Diandra Trotter Aileen A. Welgan Geoffrey & Pat Wolpert
Pi Beta Phi Fraternity Organizations
California Nu Chapter Florida Beta Chapter Georgia Alpha Chapter Houston Pi Beta Phi Foundation Houston, TX Alumnae Club Indiana Zeta Chapter Mississippi Alpha Chapter Missouri Alpha Chapter Pi Beta Phi Fraternity Foundation Texas Beta Chapter Texas Delta Chapter Texas Gamma Chapter
Copper Circle
($1,000 - $2,499)
Individuals, Companies, Foundations & Associations
W. Robert & Marie Alcorn Marilyn Anderson Barbara Beville Copper Circle (cont’d) Sandra J. Blain Lynn Bland Anne W. Burton Betsy Cantlie Carolina Mountain Woodturners, Inc Linda Claussen Gene Colley Martha Connell Laurie Contois Kathryn Dettwiller Marcia Docter Esther Dych ExxonMobil Foundation Ann Fetzer Jim & June Gerding Lloyd Herman John Hill Cynthia Hoad Sherry Howard Cathy & Stephen Hunt Emily Kile Susan W. Knowles Lucy Kuykendall Carolyn Lichtenberg Linda West Ligon Sandy Manteuffel Marian Oates Jean Ogle Sharon Roeder Nell Sampson Dottie Schoettle Sevier County Jane Sidwell Mary Smith Phyllis Speer Bill & Pattie Thiele Robin & DeAnn Turner Theresa C. Tyler Tommy L. Walker Penny Webb Carolyn & Ritner Will David & Linda Willard Nancy Winter Stuart Worden Margit & Earl Worsham
Gifts received June 1, 2005 – October 6, 2006
Pi Beta Phi Fraternity Organizations
Alabama Gamma Chapter Arizona Alpha Chapter Bloomfield Hills, MI Alumnae Club California Alpha Chapter California Eta Chapter California Kappa Chapter California Theta Chapter Colorado Alpha Chapter Copper Circle (cont’d) Dallas, TX Alumnae Club Indiana Gamma Chapter Indiana Zeta Chapter Iowa Beta Chapter Kansas Alpha Chapter Kansas City, MO-Shawnee Mission, KS Alumnae Club Louisiana Alpha Chapter Michigan Gamma Chapter Minnesota Alpha Chapter Ohio Eta Chapter Ohio Iota Chapter Oklahoma Alpha Chapter Oklahoma City, OK Alumnae Club Oregon Alpha Chapter St. Louis, MO Alumnae Club San Antonio, TX Alumnae Club South Bay, CA Alumnae Club Tennessee Beta Chapter Tennessee Delta Chapter Texas Alpha Chapter Texas Eta Chapter Virginia Epsilon Chapter Virginia Eta Chapter Correction: The Pi Beta Phi Fraternity was recognized in the Fall 2006 Catalog as Pi Beta Phi Central Office, Signature Circle, Copper Circle. It should have been recognized as Pi Beta Phi Fraternity, Signature Circle, Bronze Circle.
We N e e d Yo u r S u p p o r t to Make a Difference!
Tuition and fees only cover 60 percent of Arrowmont’s operating costs, which continue to rise and encompass such vital expenses as studio/equipment upgrades and repairs, technological upgrades, utilities, etc. To keep Arrowmont affordable, the remainder must come from contributions, grants, endowments and summer auctions. We’ve just kicked off the 2006-2007 Friends of Arrowmont/Signature Circle pledge drive, and invite you to be a part of it – your gift matters! Please visit our website, www.arrowmont.org, and discover the many ways you can make a difference for Arrowmont and those it serves.
Non-Profit Org. US Postage PAID Knoxville, TN Permit No. 309
PO Box 567 • 556 Parkway Gatlinburg, TN 37738-0567 Phone: 865-436-5860 FAX: 865-430-4101 Email: info @ arrowmont.org www.arrowmont.org
U
Enriching Lives Through Art pcoming Events
October 13 – January 6 Rude & Daphne Osolnik: A Family Portrait Exhibition December 16 Holiday Open House 1:00-4:00; Free December 25 – January 2 Arrowmont Closed for Holidays January 13 – February 10 Children & Young Adult Community Classes February 17 – March 3 Sevier County Student Art Show February 16-18 Arts Indulgence Weekend March 11 – April 14 Spring One-Week Workshops
S
p r i n g 2 0 0 7 Wo r k s h o p s
R egister
now for Spring Wo r k s h o p s ! There’s an exciting line up of top-notch instructors who will be ready to challenge your creativity and spark your imagination. Bring a friend or spouse to enjoy all that Arrowmont and the surrounding community of Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park have to offer. www.arrowmont.org