The Franklin County Arts Guild, as part of fulfilling its mission to promote the arts, offers workshop on a wide variety of art endeavors, from clay and stenciling to pastels and collage. If you would be interested in leading a workshop, please email us at [email protected].

Nancy Wallace, president of the Franklin County Arts Guild, and Pat Richards, press reporter for the guild, caught up with Carly-Grace Pate, the first recipient of the newly endowed Franklin County Arts Guild Scholarship Fund, on her last day of school. Her father and mother, Gary and Andie Pate, were there to thank the Guild for the gift to their daughter. They said it would be a great help to Carly-Grace as she starts on the next part of her journey into her adult life. Carly-Grace is planning to attend the University of Alabama at Huntsville to major in Arts-Photography. 

We asked Carly-Grace to tell us a little about herself and how she came to pursue art; this was her story...

"I have carried around a sketchbook since I was old enough to hold a pencil, said Carly-Grace," but it was not until I was twelve that I picked up a camera. I was a decent artist when it came to drawing and painting, but I was not passionate about it like I was with photography. I spent the majority of my teen years teaching myself the foundation of photography, for example: how to shoot in manual correctly, how to use photoshop in a natural way, what angles and perspectives are pleasing to the eye, and how colors can make people have different emotions. Even though sometimes I got frustrated when I opened up new photos, and they were not what I had expected, I never gave up because I had people behind me supporting every step."

Carly-Grace continued, "None of this would have been made possible without the love and encouragement of my family. I would especially not be where I am today without the help of my mom. Without hesitation, she would go on long road trips just so I could take a couple pictures, drive me to all my photo shoots, assist me with countless amounts of art shows, and be my number one fan (especially on Facebook). She will forever be my role model. The community as a whole has dramatically impacted this journey I have been pursuing by booking hundreds of sessions with me through the last five years as well as buying my prints at local art shows. Thank you to you all, and I am excited to see where these next four years take me.”

Carly-Grace will be entering art in the Guild's next community art show, "Miniatures," which will run from June 21 through August 12 at the Artisan Depot Gallery in Cowan. Carly-Grace and her family will be at the opening reception at the gallery on July 13 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. The public is invited to the reception, especially those that support Carly-Grace and those that would like to help support others in the community that want to follow their dreams in an art education.

If you would like to know more about our scholarship fund, click here. 

Community members are invited to submit work for community shows; Guild membership is not required. Click here for more information about shows.

​Popular artist and instructor Catherine Norrell will be leading a two-session workshop in her signature clay faces technique at Artisan Depot in Cowan June 23 and 30. The workshop time is 10:00 am to 4:00 pm on both Saturdays. Participants will learn how to construct a clay face using texture and design elements. Basic clay and tool techniques will also be taught, along with various finishes to complete the faces. The workshop is geared toward beginners, but all levels are welcome.

The fee for the two-session workshop is $120 and includes all materials and kiln firing. Participants are encouraged to wear old clothing and to bring a sack lunch. For more information and to register, call Catherine at 423-242-5775 or email her at: [email protected]. Seating is limited; please reserve your space now.

Cathy Norrell's Spotted Crow studio is located in Chattanooga. She currently has a solo show on display at the Artisan Depot. For a full list of shows, click here.

The Artisan Depot is the gallery of the Franklin County Arts Guild and is located at 204 Cumberland Street East in Cowan, Tennessee. It 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.​​​​​