There is something new and exciting happening at the Artisan Depot in Cowan, TN this summer!
The Franklin County Arts Guild is hosting a summer Art Camp for Kids the week of June 24-28, 2019 and there are still spots available!

This camp is geared towards kids ages 8-12 who are interested in getting their creative juices flowing and having fun! The theme for the week is Natural World, Natural Me. Campers will develop observation and imagination skills while learning art techniques that include papier-mache, drawing, painting, printing, mixed media and weaving. To celebrate our time together at camp there will be a Camper Art Show on the last day for families and friends to come support the kids and see their work.

Two local artist/art educators will be leading this camp, Pippa Browne and Tanya Ingvoldstad Otero. 

Pippa Browne is a Fine Artist who has exhibited paintings nationally and internationally for the last 30 years. She taught Art to Middle and High schoolers in Zimbabwe for 10 years and, since coming to the USA, she has designed and lead creativity workshops for adults and young people at schools, libraries, galleries and festivals.

Tanya Ingvoldstad Otero is a creative artist who has taught art to young children through adults in formal classes, workshops and camps over the past 20 yrs. In addition to having fun, her desire is to encourage kids to find joy and meaning in their own creative expression. 

Our hope is to connect with area youth and families and encourage art and creative expression in our community! Please help us share this information!

Camp details are as follows: 
Who: Kids ages 8-12
When: June 24-28, 9am-12noon
Where: Artisan Depot, 204 Cumberland St. E, Cowan, TN 37318

Click here for registration.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Bags may be dropped off at the Artisan Depot during regular hours: Thursday, Friday, Sunday Noon to 5:00 pm, Saturday 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. Meetings for this project will take place at the Artisan Depot on Wednesdays beginning in May at 10:00 am.

Something most of us probably never think about is how uncomfortable it can be for people forced to sleep outdoors. Bedding materials get wet, and people get wet and cold. In the summer, pavement gets really hot. These conditions can be dangerous for people who already struggle and may have health problems, too. 

A dedicated group of ladies at the Franklin County Arts Guild have been crocheting mats that can be used by anyone who sleeps outdoors. The mats are made from “plarn,” plastic yarn made from plastic grocery bags. The mats are easy to make, are lightweight and waterproof, and provide cushioning as well. 

To expand their efforts, the Franklin County Arts Guild group is starting an ongoing workshop to create more mats. The community at large is invited to participate, and there is no charge for the workshop.

APRIL 
Gathering Materials – During the month of April, the Artisan Depot (the gallery of the Franklin County Arts Guild) is gathering plastic grocery bags of the type given at Kroger, Walmart and Dollar General. The bags should be clean and dry, right-side out, sorted by color, folded neatly (to be as flat as possible), and placed in the yellow recycle container located under the Intake Table in the Art Supply Corner at the Artisan Depot. All who plan to participate should bring approximately 100 bags to be used for their sleep mat and, if you crochet, a size Q (15.75 mm) crochet hook, scissors or a cutting board, a straight edge and rotary cutter for construction of their sleep mat.

MAY and forward… 
Beginning Wednesday, May 1, there will be a series of “mini-workshops” at the Artisan Depot to begin constructing the sleep mats. It is highly recommended that anyone who would like to participate in the project attend the first sessions in May. These sessions will run concurrent with the Guild’s “Art Wednesday” group, also open to anyone.  Everyone will learn to do the following steps:

1. Straightening the bags
2. Cutting the bags into strips
3. Looping the strips to make “plarn”
4. Crocheting the mats with a single crochet stitch.

The sleep mats will be distributed to a homeless mission in Nashville by the Harmony Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Winchester, the Belvidere Family & Community Education (a program of the University of Tennessee Extension Service) and The Journey Church in Winchester. Pastor Kelly May of The Journey Church opens its doors to the homeless during freezing weather. 

In addition to being very useful to homeless citizens, making the mats takes plastic grocery bags out of the waste stream. The odd pieces (like handles) left over from the plarn-making process will be taken back to Wal Mart for recycling. 

If you’d like to participate in this project, please contact Joyce Adams at 931-962-0280, a volunteer at the Franklin County Arts Guild and The Artisan Depot Gallery & Gift Shop. There is plenty to do for everyone. Even if you don't crochet, you can collect bags, make "plarn," etc.

The Artisan Depot is located at 204 Cumberland Street East in Cowan, Tennessee. For questions about the Franklin County Arts Guild, the gallery, or this project, please click here to email us.

“Between the Rocks” Exhibit
April 18 through June 2, 2019
at the Artisan Depot
Opening Reception:
Friday, April 26, 5:00 to 7:00 pm

Andy Gay has spent most of his life in southern middle Tennessee where he has been fascinated by the natural beauty of wildflowers, rocks, and woodlands. Now in retirement, he has been free to again pursue his passion for watercolor. He has twice had paintings in the Tennessee All State Exhibit at the Parthenon Gallery in Nashville, an exhibit of a judged competition sponsored by the Watkins Institute.

Although Andy began with acrylics and some pastel chalks, he long ago gravitated to transparent watercolor. Having utilized digital media in local church publications and web sites, he continues to use digital photography for design and reference. But it is the unique capacity of watercolor – to surprise and reveal – that draws him.

All the work in the "Between the Rocks" exhibit seeks to recreate some aspect of the experience of places Andy Gay has been. Two such places where he spends a lot of time are the trails of the South Cumberland, especially Shakerag Hollow in Sewanee and Ghost Ranch in northern New Mexico. Whatever the setting, he looks between the rocks, and all the other “between” places where the great and the tiny, the hard and the delicate, co-exist in beauty, illumined by the multivarious moments of changing light and texture.

Andy Gay is a Tennessee native, living and working in Sewanee, Tennessee. The public is invited to the opening exhibit of his show at the Artisan Depot. The gallery is located at 204 Cumberland Street East in Cowan, Tennessee. For more information about the Franklin County Arts Guild and the Artisan Depot, click here.

​Once again, the community turned out in force to support the arts in Franklin County and beyond. Over 300 people attended Arts & Ales 2019, making it a big success. Proceeds from Arts & Ales continue to fund the Franklin County Arts Guild's scholarship program, the Artisan Depot gallery space for local artists, and art workshops for the community.

Nancy Wallace, president of the Guild, said, "We appreciate the excellent coverage of the event given by our hard-working local media," including The Tullahoma News | Sewanee News | The Herald Chronicle | Busy Bee Trader | Chattanooga Free Press | LightTUBe of Tullahoma | Thunder Radio of Manchester | WZYX Radio, Cowan | VisitCowan.com

Food vendors for Arts & Ales made the event a tasty one: Floyd's Farm Food Truck of Fayetteville, TN | Sweet Ellie's of Cowan, TN | Dirty South BBQ

​She continued, "The Guild is made up of members who give their time, creativity, and financial resources, not only to Arts & Ales but to the many other projects that make the arts an enriching part of life in our community." 

The Guild would like to give a special shout-out to the following individuals for their work at Arts & Ales:

Pippa Browne, Artisan Depot gallery coordinator 
Margie Gallagher, former gallery goordinator and current Guild secretary
Joe Butler, Guild vice president
Denise Miller, Guild Treasurer
Patricia Richards, public relations and social media
Kim Phillips, website and email marketing
Dwain Adams, craft beer server
Mary Ann Morrison, queen of efficient check-out for art sales
Tanya Otero, newest Guild member and check-out helper
Mark Ledbetter, Mr. Arts & Ales, for all of the little and big things he does to put the event together

Thank you to all the talented artists that did demonstrations during the event:
Ken Gould, woodworking
Frances Perea, fairy mob art
Denise Miller, acrylic painting
Melanie Villegas, painting on F\furniture and other neat things
Pat Richards, hollow log making
Margie Gallagher, book making and creating fairy housing with natural materials
Joyce Adams, crocheting bags and moisture mats to be donated and used by the homeless of Franklin County

There were also many people who jumped in and volunteered to help with: setting up tables and chairs and, afterward, cleaning up, sweeping, mopping floors, cleaning bathrooms, and sorting recyclables.

Thanks also to all the volunteers and members who brought art and sold tickets, checked ID's, gave out glasses, greeted guests, and did all the other things that made this event so much fun for everyone.

A party wouldn't be a party without live music and, once again, The Secret CommonWealth and Patton James and The Synchromatics entertained the crowd mightily.

Last, but in no way least, the Guild wishes to thank everyone who attended Arts & Ales. You make it possible to give a $1,000 scholarship to a Franklin County student and have put the Guild well on its way to endowing the scholarship fund in perpetuity. You also help to keep our gallery, The Artisan Depot, the wonderful place it is that serves our community in so many ways.

Arts & Ales is the annual fun-raising event for the Franklin County Arts Guild, so of course there is art -- great art by local artists -- and you can get some great deals on art you will love. And while you are shopping the art and watching local artisans do their thing, you'll be sippin' samples of craft beers from brewers here, near, and far.

Among the brewers bringing their wares to Arts & Ales 2019 are:
Samuel Adams | Lagunitas Brewing Company | Terrapin Beer Company | SweetWater Brewing Company | Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales | Ballast Point Brewing Company | Highland Brewing Company | Fat Bottom Brewing | Singin' River Brewing Company | Chattanooga Brewing Company | Catawba Brewing Company | Yee-Haw Brewing Company | Sierra Nevada... and Tullahoma' very own Ole Shed Brewing.

Making their first appearances at Arts & Ales are Stone Brewing and Gypsy Circus Cider Company. And, the Backwoods Car Boys will be on hand with samples of home brews and a display of steps in the small-batch brewing process.

Arts & Ales 2019
Saturday, March 9 
Noon to 4:30
Monterey Station, Cowan TN

Did you ever look at a piece of art, or a beautiful piece of craftsmanship, and think, "Wow. How'd they do that?" Now you can find out. Several of the creative people in the Franklin County Arts Guild will be plying their trades at Arts & Ales on Saturday, March 9 from noon to 4:30 at Monterey Station in Cowan. You can watch them, and some may even let you try your hand!

​Acrylic pouring is very popular, and it's just one of the mediums that artist Denise Miller works in. It is a technique that produces spontaneous, flowy, soothing images. Said Denise, "I enjoy watching colors swirl around me, making patterns. I find it all intensely satisfying." Come watch create this fascinating art.

Since Arts & Ales is, after all, about craft brewing, the Backwoods Car Boys will be there again this year, demonstrating the art of home brewing. They will also have samples of their creations for tasting. These guys are have a wealth of information about making your own beer, and they have generously supported Arts & Ales for several years. Be sure to stop by to see how they do it.

Melanie Villegas painted and sold furniture in Winter Park, Fl. prior to moving to the Tennessee Plateau with her husband, Tom, in 2006. She will be giving a demonstration of “Charmed Horseshoes” decorative painting at Arts & Ales.

And, Frances Perea, Pat Bishop, and Margie Gallagher will be demonstrating how to create a whimsical fairyland, complete with fairies, fairy logs, and fairy houses. You will be charmed and amazed. Read more about that here.

There will be much more to enjoy at Arts & Ales 2019. There will be two bands, lots of art to shop from, dozens of local and craft beers to sample, Floyd's Farm food truck* and Sweet Ellie's ice cream* ... don't miss it! Your good time will support an arts scholarship and arts participation in and around Franklin County.

​One of the unique things about Arts & Ales is demonstrations by local artists. As you sample the dozens of craft beers, listen to the bands, and shop for original art, you can also watch as artists create their work; in some cases, you can even help. On March 9, at Monterey Station in Cowan, TN, you can meet the Fairies of Lullymore.

The Fairies of Lullymore are the creation of Winchester artist Frances Perea. Come meet these enchanting fairies from Lullymore, County Kildare, Ireland and find out how they came to live in America. They are currently are boarding at the Artisan Depot Gallery, 204 E. Cumberland Street, Cowan, TN, and are seeking forever homes.

​Frances will be offering Arts & Ales attendees an opportunity to make fairie artist trading cards as part of the "mob art" activity, with all materials provided. Also, Artisan Depot gallery member Margie Gallagher will be creating a blue tape "mob art" tree and participants who make the artist trading cards will have an opportunity to show them off by pinning them to the “tree.” Margie will also be demonstrating how to make fairy houses from natural materials and Pat Richards will demonstrate how she creates fairy logs.

This year's Arts & Ales is sure to be a magical event. Don't miss it. Reserve your tickets today. Your good time will make possible the scholarship program of the Franklin County Arts Guild, as well as other arts activities in and around the community.

Monterey Station is located at 104 Monterey Street in Cowan, TN, just off the main road (Cumberland Street/41A) that runs through Cowan. Click here for a map.

​Overcoming Objectives to Promoting Your Work
"Build it and they will come" sounds great, doesn't it? Put your artwork in a gallery and boom! Sold! It's a lovely fantasy. If only life were that easy.

It's pretty safe to make this generalization: artists hate to do marketing. Here's what we say:

"I'd rather be in the studio." Who wouldn't?
"I don't have time." Yes, you do.
"I am not technically inclined." Not necessary.
"Marketing is expensive." It can be, or it doesn't have to be.

Let's address each of these impediments to doing marketing.

"I'd rather be in the studio."
If you're an artist, you probably would rather be in the studio than pretty much anything else. But you have a life. In fact, you probably have another job, because you don't sell enough art to pay all the bills. If you sold more, you might be able to be a full-time artist and, sure enough, that is HARD. But even if you only make enough from your art to pay for a fancy trip every year, or a new car now and again, wouldn't that be great? Selling more art pays for your hobby/supplemental income/art job and, to sell more, you need some marketing. Stuff doesn't sell itself.

"I don't have time."
Can you carve out 10 minutes a day for marketing your art? 30 minutes? An hour once a week? Maybe the time you spend on Facebook, looking at funny cat videos (guilty here) or reading political rants could be redirected to promoting your art. How much time marketing takes depends on what types of marketing you choose to do, and how labor-intensive each marketing method is. 

"I'm not technically inclined."
Let's face it, much of life takes place in the digital world today, advertising most especially. You don't have to be Bill Gates to do online marketing (social media, a decent website, etc.) but you should have at least a comfortable acquaintance with your computer, tablet, and/or smart phone. With the ability to work a little bit with images (sizing, cropping and so on) and knowing how to upload those images to your website, Facebook, and Instagram, you're already pretty far down the pike (and farther than artists who don't promote themselves).

"Marketing is expensive."
First ask yourself, what is the cost of not marketing? Lost opportunities are incalculable, but it's a no-brainer that no investment in marketing means fewer sales. There are many ways of marketing that carry no out-of-pocket cost but do cost in terms of time. There are other ways of marketing that cost something; how much you can afford to spend depends on what you can expect to receive in return.

We will cover some of the more cost-efficient ways of marketing your artwork in the next installment of this blog. In the meantime, be thinking of how much you want to sell your artwork, and why.

Happy (and successful) creating!

Guild member Kim Phillips will be exhibiting her work from March 1 through April 14 at the Guild’s gallery in Cowan. The public is invited to the opening reception on Friday, March 1 at 5:00 pm; refreshments will be served.

The theme of the show, “Olio,” refers to the fact that the exhibit includes many objects that are unalike: paintings, graphite, clay, mosaic, pastels, and more. Said Ms. Phillips, “Most professional artists stick to one medium, and for over a dozen years I did only papercut art. But there are so many things that capture my attention and plenty of good teachers to inspire me.” Teachers are, in fact, given special mention in this art show.

​Ms. Phillips, a Nashville native, moved to the Cowan area about three years ago. "What was so surprising to me," she said, "is how many artists live and work in this area. While our arts guild may be small compared to some, it's mighty. We have shows for students, members and the community at large, we give a scholarship each year, we offer classes, and we get together to do art every Wednesday. We are all volunteers, and you won't find a more dedicated bunch of people." 

​The Artisan Depot is located at 204 Cumberland Street East in Cowan, Tennessee. More information is available at www.franklincoarts.org

​On Saturday, March 2, the Artisan Depot in Cowan will host Huntsville pastel artist Jodi Nuttall for a landscape workshop. The class, which runs from 1:00 to 4:00 pm, will cover various techniques with different pastels, with a choice of landscape scenes for reference. The cost for the workshop is $35 plus materials fee(s). For more information and to register, click here.

​A native Huntsvillian, Jodi shares studio space with her artist husband, David Nuttall, at Lowe Mill. In 1979, she was encouraged by a professional artist teaching a painting class at the University of Alabama at Huntsville to get a degree in fine art and paint for a living. Instead, she decided to work and just paint on the side. Painting was always there in the back of her mind and, after nineteen years at a local company, she quit to paint full time.

Jodi's current passion is painting landscapes and still lifes with soft pastels on “Pastelbord.” She also dabbles with abstracts and takes commissions. The immediacy  velvety texture of the soft pastels, along with the directness of moving the pigment around with her fingers, are what she likes most. An oil painter for several years, she got tired of mixing paint and mediums to get the desired colors and consistency. To see more of her work, click here.

Class size for the Pastel Landscapes workshop is limited to 10 people, and pre-registration is required.

​​​The Artisan Depot is the gallery and gift shop of the Franklin County Arts Guild and is located at 204 Cumberland Street E in Cowan, Tennessee. Questions? Email workshop coordinator Kim Phillips at [email protected] with "Workshop Question" in the subject line.

On Saturday, February 9, textile artist and educator Christi Teasley will lead participants in a print-making workshop at the Artisan Depot in Cowan, Tennessee. The workshop, Stamp It!, runs from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. Participants will discover how to carve blocks of linoleum and use those--and other materials--to create one-of-a-kind artwork. Images will be printed on items including tea towels, notecards, and other substrates.

Please visit www.franklincoarts.org/workshops to register; pre-registration is required.  
​

From her studio in Monteagle, Tennessee, ​Christi's practice centers on crafting works of cloth and paper, utilizing new and traditional processes of natural dyeing, printing, mark-making, stitching and constructing. Dish towels, valentines, tuffets, and large works for walls share her time, attention, and space.

​Christi discovered her love of repeated patterns and printing fabric as a high-school student at St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School (SAS) and honed her study of textile dyeing, printing, surface design, and construction at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). Christi received a BFA from RISD and later returned to earn a MA in Art Education. She taught studio art and directed SAS Gallery and Visiting Artist Program at St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School. She now continues to work on the leadership team for Shakerag Workshops, a top-notch series of studio workshops for adults which are held on the SAS campus each June. 

​​The Artisan Depot is the gallery and gift shop of the Franklin County Arts Guild and is located at 204 Cumberland Street E in Cowan, Tennessee. Questions? Email workshop coordinator Kim Phillips at [email protected] with "Workshop Question" in the subject line.

​The Franklin County Arts Guild has invited local schools to display the work of their art classes at its Artisan Depot gallery in Cowan. The first show of 2019 showcases work by students at North Middle School. The show goes up January 10 and there is an opening reception for the public on Friday, January 11 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. The students are from the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade classes of teacher Emily May-Ragland, and the show will be on display through January 27.

Other 2019 student shows at the Artisan Depot include:

• Broadview & North Lake Elementary Schools | February 1 - 28
• Franklin County High School I | March 14 - April 12
• Rock Creek Elementary School | April 18 - May TBD
• Winchester Wriggle Winners (all schools) | May 9 - June 30
• Healing Arts Program | July 11 - 31
• Decherd Elementary | September 5 - 30
• North Middle School Veterans Tribute | November 7 - 24
• Franklin County High School II | December 5 - 22

The Artisan Depot, as part of its mission to promote the arts in Franklin County and the surrounding area, also hosts both Community Shows and Member Shows throughout the year. The first Member Show shares an opening with the North Middle student show on January 11 at 5:00 pm; the public is invited. For more information on Community Shows and Member Shows is at www.franklincoarts.org/shows; the first Member Show is a joint show with Mary Ann Morrison and Betsy Coyne Rung.

​The Franklin County Arts Guild is an organization of local artists and supportive members who are interested in promoting fine arts and crafts in Franklin County and the surrounding area in Tennessee. Its gallery, the Artisan Depot, is located on Cumberland Street in Cowan, Tennessee.

​The Artisan Depot has announced four art classes scheduled for January 2019.
 
On January 5, painter Bradley Wilson will lead a workshop, “Acrylic Painting for Everyone.” While the workshop is appropriate for beginners, experienced painters will find inspiration and enjoyment in the class.

Durinda Cheek, noted watercolorist, will lead a day-long “Watercolor Bootcamp” to teach basic watercolor techniques. The workshop will be lively and filled with information, and participants will do their own paintings in the last part of the class.

In preparation for Valentines Day, Nashville collage artist Pam Larson will be leading class geared for fun and creative exploration in “My Crazy Valentine.” Participants will discover a looser, more whimsical style of working. This workshop includes a bonus envelope-making portion.

January 22 is the next in a series of “Paint & Sip” events with Carolyn Evey of Mountain Painting Parties. Easels, acrylic paints, and 11 x 14 canvases are included with the registration fee. Participants may bring their favorite wine or beer; water and iced tea will be available. The gallery will also provide light snacks.

Pre-registration is required for all workshops at the Artisan Depot. Online registration is available at www.franklincoarts.org/workshop-details and people age 14 and up may participate (except for Paint & Sip events, for which participants must be age 21 or older.)

​The Artisan Depot is the gallery and gift shop of the Franklin County Arts Guild and is located at 204 Cumberland Street E in Cowan, Tennessee. Questions? Call workshop coordinator Kim Phillips at 615-829-0772.

Bradley Wilson, who recently taught an abstract painting workshop at the Artisan Depot, is returning to teach two sessions of "Acrylic Painting for Everyone." Both sessions take place on the same day, January 5, 2018. The first session will be from 9:00 am to noon, and the second session will be from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. Participants can sign up for either session or both. 

Pre-registration for the sessions is required; click here to register. The class fee for each session is $55, payable at registration. The materials fee of $15 per session is payable at the workhop.

​The Artisan Depot is the gallery and gift shop of the Franklin County Arts Guild and is located at 204 Cumberland Street E in Cowan, Tennessee. Questions? Call workshop coordinator Kim Phillips at 615-829-0772.

​The next "Paint & Sip" night at The Artisan Depot in Cowan is Tuesday, December 11, from 6:00 to 8:30 pm. The event will be led by artist Carolyn Evey, who is locally well-known for her popular Mountain Painting Parties in Tracy City. Everyone from beginning painters to professional artists are invited to participate; pre-registration is required.

Participants will paint a lovely winter mountain scene; easels, acrylic paints, and 11 x 14 canvases are included with the $30 registration fee; click here to register. Participants may bring their favorite wine or beer; water and iced tea will be available. The gallery will also provide light snacks.

Carolyn Evey has taught elementary art in the public school system and for homeschool tutorials. For more than 15 years, she has created original home portraits in pen and ink for realtors and clients in the Nashville/Brentwood area. Since moving in 2017 to Monteagle Mountain, she began instructing Mountain Painting Parties on a regular basis, in and around Tracy City. She says, "It is a privilege to be involved in the community, encouraging creativity and providing artistic inspiration for participants, even those who may have never before held a paintbrush to canvas!"