Many years ago, my Aunt Elise Seal told me about the Circuit Rider’s Quilt. In frontier days, preachers were scarce and many would ride from settlement to settlement or town to town. Most Sundays there was not a preacher but, depending on where your little town or settlement was on the preacher’s circuit, the town could depend on the preacher to show up for certain Sundays, Wednesdays, and dinners on the ground. There were no inns or hotels in those days, so the circuit riding preacher stayed with someone in the community where they were preaching. Most folks didn’t have a room, or a bed, or even bedding to spare. So, the ladies in each community would make a square or two for a quilt and, eventually, the squares would be tied togethe,r sometimes with buttons attached as decoration, or perhaps even quilted, maybe at a quilting bee. The finished quilt would be given to the preacher so he could carry his own bedding from community to community. ~ Margie Gallagher, Secretary, Franklin County Arts Guild Margie's memories of her Aunt Elsie Seal sparked an idea for a group art project during the Fall Heritage Festival in Cowan, TN. The event is September 15 through 17; click here for more info. The Franklin County Arts Guild is hosting a "mob art" project at its gallery, the Artisan Depot, in which the public is invited to create pieces that evoke the circuit rider's quilt. Weather permitting, Guild members will be in the courtyard to help with the project, and there will be bits and pieces of art materials from the gallery's new Art Supply Corner. Please make plans to stop by.
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On September 6, a major milestone in the history of the Franklin County Arts Guild was reached: we officially created the Endowment Scholarship Fund of the Franklin County Arts Guild with the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee (CFMT). Members of the board of directors turned over a check for $10,000 to CFMT, beginning the process of making the Guild's scholarship fund self-sustaining for the future. CFMT will also administer the management of the application process. According to Anna Kathryn Anderson, one of the longest standing members of the Franklin County Arts Guild, this is a 30-year dream in the making. In 1986, after having been in the Guild for about 15 yrs, Anderson insisted that a scholarship fund be started for the children of the families in Franklin County. "Arts education was just so important to me," said Anderson. She continued, "Art has always been a part of my life, and the children of Franklin County should have the opportunity to have an education in art if they choose." So in 1986, the first scholarship fund of $200 was given to a student in Franklin County. By 2017, the grant has grown to $2,000 grant, with $1,000 awarded to each of two students. Last Wednesday, Anderson and the Arts Guild met to celebrate this event and to honor Anderson, celebrating her nomination for the 2017 Governor’s Arts Leadership Award. Pat Cole of the Community Fund of Middle Tennessee was there to accept the check. Cole said they would do the best they could to follow the criteria the Guild has set up. An added benefit of having CFMT manage the application process is that, once a child has an application the pipeline, he or she may also apply for other grants from the Middle Tennessee area. Anderson added, "I want to say that the people of the Arts Guild have been the best people to work with. I appreciate all that you have given from your heart all these years to help our children. Now I can be assured that this will continue when I'm not here any longer." Interested applicants among high school seniors who plan to major in art or arts education in college should start the application process at the CFMT website when the process begins in January. For more information about the Guild, click here or visit our Facebook page. The Guild is the parent organization of the Artisan Depot Gallery & Gift Shop in Cowan. The artists of the Artisan Depot in Cowan, Tennessee, begin the offering of art workshops with three classes by popular local artists: Cathy Norrell, Frances Perea, and Carol Vandenbosch. The public is invited to sign up, and beginners are especially welcome. Class sizes will be small; participants are encouraged to sign up early. The workshop subjects include: Mask Making by Cathy Norrell | September 30 | 10:00 am - 4:00 pm The instructor fee is $25; there is no materials fee but students may select items from the Artisan Depot's Art Supply Corner for a small donation. Masks will be created with recycled paper and other materials; a materials list will be provided when students sign up. Class size is limited to a minimum of four students, maximum of eight. Students may bring a lunch. The $25 fee deadline is September 23. Please make checks out to Cathy Norrell and mail to Franklin County Arts Guild, Post Office Box 545, Cowan, TN 37318. For more information, contact Cathy Norrell at 423-242-5775. Brush Doll Collage Mini-Workshop by Frances Perea | October 7 | 10:00 am to Noon The instructor fee is $20; most materials provided but students may select additional items from the Art Supply Corner for a small donation. Students will create a doll with a paint brush and a variety of collaged papers, recycled trims, beads, buttons and found objects. Class size is limited to a minimum of four students, maximum of eight; no experience necessary. The$20 fee deadline is September 30. Please make checks out to Frances Perea and mail to Franklin County Arts Guild, Post Office Box 545, Cowan, TN 37318. Contact Frances at 931-308-9510 with questions, or email her at mail artfest200@gmail.com. Mosaic Class for Beginners by Carol Vandenbosch (two sessions) October 14 | 9:00 am to 3:00 pm & October 21 | 9:00 am In this two-part workshop, students will create a mosaic wall hanging (with or without a mirror) or a stepping stone. The instructor Fee: $65 and includes all materials. The class size is limited to 12 students. The $25 deposit deadline is October 7. Please make checks out to Carol Vandenbosch and mail to Franklin County Arts Guild, Post Office Box 545, Cowan, TN 37318. Contact Carol at 931-925-3041 or carolvb66@gmail.com with questions. How to Sign UpSign up for workshops at the Artisan Depot, 204 E. Cumberland Street, Cowan, TN or at franklincoarts@gmail.com. You may also leave messages on our Facebook pages: Artisan Depot and Art Supply Corner. The Workshop Coordinator is Frances Perea, 931-308-9510. Workshops will be held at the Artisan Depot, 204 Cumberland Street East, in Cowan, Tennessee. The Artisan Depot is the gallery of the Franklin County Arts Guild. For information about membership, click here. A list of shows is here. The evening of Friday, August 4 will be extra sweet: we will be celebrating not one but TWO new shows. Member and gallery gardener Alida Morgan is having a solo show through August 27, and the latest community show, "American Retro," is also opening. The reception is from 5:00 to 7:00 pm at the Artisan Depot. Alida Morgan is a thoughtful, soulful artist with a wide range of skills. She gives many, many hours to the Guild by keeping the Artisan Depot's garden area beautiful. Weather permitting, we hope to be able to enjoy that space during the reception. She has asked a local band to play for us, and there will be nice refreshments. The new community show, also opening that night, is an exciting one. It focuses on the things we love from the past ~ old trucks, real service stations, and other treasures, some of which remain in our community. Come meet the artists and talk to them about their inspirations and techniques. The Artisan Depot is located at 204 Cumberland Street SE in Cowan, Tennessee. The Artisan Depot is open each week from noon to 5:00 pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays and 11:00 am to 5:00 pm on Saturdays. Click here for more information, like our Facebook page, or contact Diana Lamb at 931-308-4130. Frances Perea was born in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Her artistic interests began as a child, evolved into adulthood and continue to this day. In her early 20s, she moved to San Jose, CA, where she focused on developing her skills as an artist at San Jose City College. She became involved in the art community in San Jose and eventually was accepted into the El Gatito Gallery in Los Gatos, CA. In 1985, she returned to her hometown in Santa Fe and was hired by Foreign Traders to paint her designs on furniture, pottery and home décor items. One of her pieces was purchased by Bono from the band U2 and shipped to Ireland. Eventually Frances started a line of ornaments and prints with New Mexico religious icons and sold them through the Palace of the Governors, the International Folk Art Museum, the Smithsonian Institute, Montez Gallery and many other shops and galleries throughout New Mexico and the USA. In 2000, Frances and her husband moved to Winchester, TN. Soon thereafter, she became involved with the Franklin County Arts Guild and eventually the Artisan Depot. Her role with the Guild has included chairing fundraisers, public relations, gallery coordinator and other tasks. The Travelling Art in a Trunk was her conception; it remains a popular travelling venue that helps promote the Guild and Gallery at several events throughout the year. More recently, she has spearheaded the Artisan Depot’s Art Supply Corner and is very excited about the possibilities of making available reusable art materials and bringing in revenue to support the Guild and Gallery projects. Frances' interests in art are diverse, but she most likes the art of collage in varied forms, mixed media, folk art and digital art. Her art is inspired by Latin American artists, most importantly the folk artists of Mexico; she considers Frida Kahlo her greatest Muse. The Franklin County Arts Guild operates the Artisan Depot located at 204 Cumberland St. East in Cowan, Tennessee. Gallery hours are noon to 5:00 pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays and 11:00 am to 5:00 pm on Saturdays. Click here for more information, like our Facebook page, or contact Diana Lamb at 931-308-4130. Volunteers keep the Guild and the Artisan Depot running. If you have some time to be involved, please contact us here. Several times a year, the Franklin County Arts Guild holds community art shows at its gallery, Artisan Depot, in Cowan, TN. Anyone can participate, whether a Guild member or not. The next community art show will be on display August 3 through September 10. The theme is "American Retro," and the public is invited to the opening reception on Friday, August 4 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. Let's meet one of the participating artists, Eva Malaspino... My husband and I moved to the Sewanee area about 10 years ago from Indianapolis. I am a retired nurse and a practicing Reiki Master at Sewanee Holistic Health. Nursing was what I did to put bread on the table and a roof over our heads; art and music are what I do to feed my soul. My husband is a wood craftsman who exhibited in arts-and-crafts shows and fairs in Sewanee and Monteagle and throughout the state until a recent illness. He is a past member of the Sewanee Arts & Crafts Association. I have been involved in the arts in one way or another for nearly 60 years. At various life stages, I have focused on oil or acrylic painting of landscapes, still life, folk art and tole painting. I also was a calligrapher and taught calligraphy. One of my art instructors impressed upon me that, if I was working from a photo and did not personally take that photo, then my painting was not an original. That began my interest in photography (my father was an amateur photographer, too); I have also participated in community theater and am a vocalist. After retiring from nursing in 2014, I began participating in the Sewanee Writers Group that meets at Connie Kelley's home in Sewanee. I decided that I could pair my photos with my poems and essays, and the photo of the pickup truck was my first venture. It is with pride I submit this photo of my Grandfather's pickup truck, bought new in 1941, used in his business, passed on to my father, and then to me. It was lovingly restored by my nephew, who cares for it now. My father courted my mother in it, and my grandfather took us for rides in the country, visiting family, and to the county fair in it. It followed the hearse in my father's funeral procession. It truly is a "Truckload of Memories" and definitely American Retro. It has been my intention for some time to submit art work to the Franklin County Arts Guild but, to borrow a quote, "life is what happens when you are making other plans." The Franklin County Arts Guild also operates the Artisan Depot located at 204 Cumberland St. East in Cowan, Tennessee. Gallery hours are noon to 5:00 pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays and 11:00 am to 5:00 pm on Saturdays. Click here for more information, like our Facebook page, or contact Diana Lamb at 931-308-4130. Members of the Franklin County Arts Guild are showing their work in arts and fine craft at the Tullahoma Arts Center, and the show has been extended through July 29, 2017. Admission to the exhibit is free to members of the Tullahoma Arts Center and $5 for non-members. The Tullahoma Fine Arts Center is open Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 1:00 to 5:00 pm and Saturday 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. The Center is located in the historic Baillett Home located at 401 South Jackson Street in Tullahoma, Tennessee. Click here for more information. The Franklin County Arts Guild also operates the Artisan Depot located at 204 Cumberland St. East in Cowan, Tennessee. Gallery hours are noon to 5:00 pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays and 11:00 am to 5:00 pm on Saturdays. Click here for more information, like our Facebook page, or contact Diana Lamb at 931-308-4130. Franklin County Arts Guild member Alida Morgan has worked hard at revitalizing the sad, neglected garden next to the Artisan Depot gallery; she has turned it into a beautiful, peaceful oasis just off the busy street in front of the gallery. She has planted roses, irises and other flowers, and she has fretted about each one over their ability to survive. Many a time she can be found watering them, coaxing them into thriving, and her efforts have been fruitful. The roses are now in full bloom and are a joy to behold. Alida has donated many of the plants and materials. Many thanks, Alida, for your devotion of time, energy and resources to this lovely little garden that is sure to be enjoyed by all.
Recently Margie Gallagher, gallery coordinator, added some vintage chairs and tables that fit perfectly into the peaceful setting. The garden is shaded and is a perfect place to sit and chat with friends when you visit the gallery. Alida works in mixed media and collage, and her unique art can be found at the Artisan Depot gallery at 204 Cumberland Street East in Cowan, Tennessee. She will be the featured artist in the Member Show August 3 through 27; the opening reception is on August 4. The 4th Annual Winchester Farm to Table Dinner event will be held in downtown Winchester, Tennessee on Saturday, August 5, 2017. The cocktail and shopping hour will be from 6:30 to 7:30 pm, followed by dinner at 7:30 pm. The Winchester Downtown Program's Farm to Table Dinner was created to cultivate a healthy community by promoting locally grown, nutritious food through an intimate dining experience with gourmet food prepared by a local chef and regionally sourced beverages, while supporting a sustainable and vibrant historic downtown. In celebration of over 30 years of giving higher education scholarships in Franklin County and, most recently, establishing the Franklin County Arts Guild Endowed Scholarship with the Community Fund of Middle Tennessee, we will be participating in the event by holding a silent auction featuring arts and crafts with a "farm to table" theme. Artists are encouraged to donate their art pieces for the silent auction. All proceeds will go to the scholarship fund. To donate work, please bring items to the Artisan Depot during business hours on August 3, 4 and 5. Register your piece on the inventory list and fill out a title form; be sure to include a minimum bid. Questions? Call Margie Gallagher, gallery coordinator, at 252-328-0393 or 931-967-0875, or email her at gallagherm@ecu.edu. For more information about the Farm to Table event, click here. Follow the Guild on Facebook and Instagram. New Community Show, Call for Entries The theme of our next community show is “America Retro,” on display at the Artisan Depot from August 3 through September 10. Members of the community who wish to participate should bring their art to the Artisan Depot between July 27 and 30. There will be an opening reception for the show on Friday, August 4 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. If you will be participating, you are invited to send a photo of the artwork you will submit to Judy Grealis at grealis@comcast.net; the image should be a high-resolution JPG file. Or, you may mail a photo to Judy at Post Office Box 98, Winchester, TN 37398. Please include information about the image, including the title, the artist's name, and the medium. Photos are needed by July 17. For questions, contact Judy at 931-967-5299. The Artisan Depot is open Thursday, Friday, and Sunday from noon to 5:00 pm, and on Saturdays from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. It is located at 204 Cumberland Street SE in Cowan. Members of the Franklin County Arts Guild will be showing work in arts and fine craft at the Tullahoma Arts Center, with an artist reception on Saturday, July 8 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm; the show will run through July 22, 2017. Admission to the exhibit is free to members of the Tullahoma Arts Center and $5 for non-members. Guild members should bring their art to the Tullahoma Art Center by 10:00 am on Thursday, July 7. The exhibit will showcase the diversity of the talent and work of members of the Franklin County Arts Guild with a mix of subjects and themes in a wide variety of media, including oil, acrylic and watercolor paintings, works in wood, metal and glass by master craftsmen as well as works in paper by awarding-winning artists. The Tullahoma Fine Arts Center is open Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 1:00 to 5:00 pm and Saturday 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. The Tullahoma Art Center seeks to engage the community in a diversity of quality creative expression and to provide access and opportunity for instruction and fun in a large variety of arts and crafts. The Center is located in the historic Baillett Home located at 401 South Jackson Street in Tullahoma, Tennessee. Click here for more information. The Franklin County Arts Guild’s mission is to support and encourage arts and arts education in Franklin County and the surrounding area. This year it is celebrating over 30 years of providing higher education scholarship to deserving Franklin County students. It also operates the Artisan Depot located at 204 Cumberland St. East in Cowan, Tennessee. Gallery hours are noon to 5:00 pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays and 11:00 am to 5:00 pm on Saturdays. Click here for more information, like our Facebook page, or contact Diana Lamb at 931-308-4130. The Franklin County Arts Guild announces an art show presented by members of The Healing Arts Project, Inc. (HAPI) provides an avenue for persons in mental health and addiction recovery to express their creativity through a wide range of artistic endeavors. Creating art and developing a public show increases artists' self-esteem and self-confidence and gives communities the opportunity to view highly creative work and to learn that people with mental illness are much more than their disease. The Artisan Depot is pleased to exhibit the works of over a dozen artists from HAPI. Franklin County citizens as well as folks from the surrounding area are invited to join us for a special afternoon reception on July 7 from noon to 1:00 pm which will open the show and give everyone a chance to meet the artists. The HAPI show will be on exhibit from July 6 through July 23. The Artisan Depot is operated by the Franklin County Arts Guild and is located at 204 Cumberland St. East in Cowan, Tennessee. Gallery hours are noon to 5:00 pm on Thursdays, Fridays, and Sunday and 11:00 am to 5:00 pm on Saturdays. For more information about upcoming community art shows, the gallery or the Guild, please explore this site, like our Facebook page or contact Diana Lamb at 931-308-4130. At the June meeting of the Franklin County Arts Guild, new officers were elected for the 2017/18 fiscal year: Nancy Wallace, President; Joe Butler, Vice President; Margie Gallagher, Secretary; Denise Miller, Treasurer, and Pat Bishop, Public Relations. A big THANKS! goes to the 2016/17 board members, who work hard for the Guild, often with long hours and no recognition: Mark Ledbetter, President; Joe Butler, Vice-President (thanks for serving another term); Diana Lamb, Secretary; Susan Anderton, Treasurer, Margie Gallagher, Public Relations. Ensuring the Future of the Scholarship Fund In addition to supporting the efforts of working artists and amateur artists in the community, the Franklin County Arts Guild is committed to encouraging up-and-coming art students who plan to pursue a career in the arts or in arts education. It awards scholarships annually, and many of our fundraising efforts support that. To ensure that the Scholarship Fund continues and grows, the Guild membership voted to establish an endowment with the Community Foundation. This long-term commitment will provide a greater return on the monies we currently have and, in a short time, should be self-sufficient. Does this mean we can stop giving to the Scholarship Fund? Absolutely not! It just means that the Fund should outlive us all and, hopefully, we can give even more scholarships over time. This endowment with the Community Foundation also has the advantage that the Foundation manages the paperwork required. A big thank-you goes to Margie Gallagher for researching and recommending the endowment. Getting Better and Better This last year was very busy for the Guild, with strong gallery sales, the best Arts & Ales ever, a new Art Supply Exchange set up (thanks to Frances Perea), a new website (thanks, Kim Phillips), and exhibit opportunities like Trails and Trilliums and the Winchester Wriggle. Next year promises even more: renovation of the gallery, a new student gallery and meeting space... and we need YOU to be involved. Don't wait: send an email now to tell us what you're interested in. Summer Begins with New Community Show “Vacation” The Franklin County Arts Guild welcomes the beginning of the summer with its community show “Vacation.” The show opens at the Artisan Depot on June 22 with an opening reception on Friday June 23 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. Come meet all our community artists and talk with them about their interpretation of the theme. Decide whether you see your idea of a vacation in any of the work on exhibit. Is it the beach, the mountains, a good book, lemonade on a hot day? Or is it something else altogether? The Franklin County Arts Guild invites original contributions from Franklin County artists of all ages in any media for inclusion in its Community Arts Shows at the Artisan Depot. Individuals wishing to submit work for the next community show, “American Retro,” should bring their work at the Artisan Depot from July 27 through 30 during gallery operating hours. Each artist is free to interpret the theme of each show as they wish. The Artisan Depot is operated by the Franklin County Arts Guild and is located at 204 Cumberland St. East in Cowan, TN. Gallery hours are noon to 5:00 pm on Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays and 11:00 am to 5:00 pm on Saturdays. For more information about upcoming community art shows, the gallery or the guild, please check out other pages on this site, visit our Facebook page, or contact Diana Lamb at 931-308-4130. This year the Franklin County Arts Guild celebrates over thirty years of higher education scholarships to deserving Franklin County students who want to pursue art or art education at the college level. As a part of that celebration, the next community art show “Art as Teacher” celebrates art as well art teachers as essential to understanding the world around us. The show features work that epitomizes how arts are used to teach history, science, and even math. One piece is by a teacher who was painting along with her students while teaching body and face proportions and light source using a live model. Interested community members, especially teachers and students of art are invited to the opening reception on Friday, May 12 at the Artisan Depot from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. The show will run through June 18. The Franklin County Arts Guild invites original contributions from Franklin County artists of all ages in any media for inclusion in its Community Arts Shows at the Artisan Depot. Individuals wishing to submit work for the next community show “Vacation” should submit their work at the Artisan Depot from June 15 through 18 during gallery operating hours. Each artist is invited to explore the theme in their own interpretation and to have fun with it. The Artisan Depot is operated by the Franklin County Arts Guild and is located at 204 Cumberland St. East in Cowan, TN. Gallery hours are 12 pm to 5 pm on Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays and 11 am to 5 pm on Saturdays. For more information about upcoming community art shows, the gallery or the guild visit us at www.fcaguild.wordpress.com or www.facebook.com/artisandepot or contact Diana Lamb at 931-308-4130. |
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