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.

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.

​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.
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​​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.

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 [email protected].

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 [email protected]; 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.