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The Healing Effects of Art

Artist and educator Joida Evans marked her 20th consecutive year of coming to Arrowmont this summer. She first learned about Arrowmont as an art educator at the National Art Education Association conference in 1987. She was in charge of creating the art program at her school and took a different workshop at Arrowmont each summer as a way to augment her school’s program. “At Arrowmont, there’s something in the air, there are creative juices dripping in the atmosphere,” said Evans, who is now retired from teaching.

Arrowmont has always held a special place in Joida’s heart, but even more so recently with her annual trips to Arrowmont serving more as therapy and a place for inner healing than for a specific goal. In 2005, her house in Pass Christian, Miss., was completely decimated in the wake of Hurricane Katrina’s massive storm surge. “Losing a lifetime of sketchbooks, journals, notebooks and paintings is like losing your fingerprints,” tells Evans.

Little did she know that when she and her husband went to stay with their son in Monroe, La., to ride out the storm, that they would soon be riding out a different storm. They were to learn that their son had cancer. “What Katrina did give us was two quality months with our son before he passed away,” said Evans.

Ultimately they inherited their son’s friends and also renovated his home, a beautiful Arts and Crafts style house. They now live in what she calls the perfect neighborhood. “When my four other boys come home, they tell me coming to Monroe is like coming home to Mayberry,” said Evans. They’ve learned to live very minimally now, and after losing all of their possessions, “things” just don’t hold as much stock. “I try to collect as little as possible these days,” says Evans.

Joida just spent a week in Linda Arbuckle’s majolica class. “I've been retracing my steps and have repeated some classes just to be su

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Screen Print Fun(draiser)!

Who can resist a unique, screen printed T-shirt? Students in Wendy Huhn’s summer workshop “Screen Printing: Simple to Sublime” June 21-27 created several designs to be screened onto shirts, or any other fabric that could be printed on, and offered to print them for any student at Arrowmont for a donation. The money raised was given in support of the school, a total of $251. Thanks Wendy and your class for the great idea and support of Arrowmont! This was obviously a lot fun, too!

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Reconnect with Your Inner Artist
Register Now for Fall Workshops

At the moment we’re the enjoying creative buzz of our summer workshops, but fall is right around the corner. As the heat of summer gives way to the cooler nights and clear days of fall, there’s just something in the air of the Smoky Mountains that makes it the perfect backdrop for creative adventure. We have a great line up of weekend and one week workshops to challenge and inspire the beginner to advanced artist.

World renowned woodturner Betty Scarpino will be instructing a master workshop, “Wood & Words: Building a Vocabulary for Expression,” Oct. 16-18 and will also be giving a lecture as part of the Women in Wood Exhibition opening reception taking place that weekend.

If you’ve ever been to the Smokies in the fall, you know the air is crisp and the light is magnificent and perfect for painting on location. If the thought of treks into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park get you excited, then you will enjoy Don Lake’s workshop Oct. 4-10, “Painting on Location with Watercolor.”

Also at Arrowmont this fall is internationally acclaimed potter Fong Choo, who is recognized for his exquisite miniature teapot forms with gem-like glazes. His class, “Teapot Form: Utilitarian vs. Diminutive” will run October 4-10.

Register for these and many other exciting workshops in clay, fibers, metals, painting, wood, and more at www.arrowmont.org.

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New Schedule for Workshops in 2010

Arrowmont is making some exciting changes to its 2010 program schedule! The changes will primarily impact the timing of our workshops that will now begin in late May and will run continuously through the end of October. Arrowmont’s workshop format will remain the same and the schedule will continue to include workshops in a variety of disciplines for which Arrowmont is known, taught by our exceptional faculty.

The length of our workshops will also stay the same with one, two-week and weekend workshops. We will also be saving paper by printing only one catalog instead of three. You can expect to receive the 2010 program catalog in January that will include the entire year’s program schedule including community offerings and new children’s programs. Arrowmont is forging a new path and is excited about the possibilities for expanded and enhanced programming throughout 2010. Also be sure to check our website, as all new information will also be available there! www.arrowmont.org


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Arrowmont Artist Outfitters
Back to School Sale!

Become a Friend of Arrowmont

Your gift to the Friends of Arrowmont Annual Fund helps us provide life changing, hands-on art experiences for adults and children from all walks of life. Your contribution helps us hire the best instructors, maintain and equip our professional studios, bring arts education to local school children, and keep the lights and air conditioning running! Please consider a gift to Arrowmont this year. A letter of request was recently mailed to you asking for your support. If you have already made a gift, thank you. If you would like to make a gift today, click here to make a secure donation.



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