Dear Arrowmont community,
We are reaching out with an important update from our Programs team. After 12 incredible years of leadership, Nick DeFord has decided to step down as our Chief Programs Officer. In his time at Arrowmont, Nick always putting the school’s mission of enriching lives through arts and crafts at the center of his work. Under his leadership the Programs team expanded its work by creating the Appalachian Craft program, which connected students and teachers across six Central Appalachian states. Nick’s expertise and vision helped Arrowmont continue to fulfill its mission through the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 Pandemic. And in 2022, Arrowmont opened its first off-site gallery in downtown Knoxville. Nick leaves a legacy of supporting artists in their careers and pushing Arrowmont to new levels of community engagement. Thank you, Nick for all you have given to Arrowmont.
While we are saddened to see Nick leave our team, we are equally excited to announce our new Chief Programs Officer: Lindsay Rodgers. Lindsay has over twenty years of experience as a ceramic artist, educator, and leader in the craft field. Her most recent position was Associate Professor of Ceramics at East Tennessee State University, where she also served as the Ceramics Area Head for nine years. You can read Lindsay’s full biography here. Lindsay will be joining Arrowmont full-time on September 16th. We are very excited about the passion and vision that Lindsay will bring to this important role at Arrowmont. Please help us make Lindsay feel welcome the next time you are on campus.
As this transition takes place, Nick and Lindsay want to share the following messages with you our Arrowmont community.
“I joined Arrowmont as a full-time team member in July of 2012 as the Program and Studio Manager. However, my history with Arrowmont actually starts ten years before that – when I took my first summer workshop in the summer of 2002. Since that time, I have been an Arrowmont student, a work study, a studio assistant, a community class teacher, a national workshop instructor, an instructor assistant, and had roles in three different full-time positions. Needless to say, Arrowmont has been a constant in my growth as an artist and arts administrator. As people who have had the Arrowmont experience know, it is all about the people you meet while here – and I am privileged to have met hundreds of incredible artists during my time here at Arrowmont. I look forward to staying in touch with all of them after my departure from the campus. I also look forward to the stewardship and leadership that Lindsay will bring to the programming and creative direction of Arrowmont.”
“As a ceramic artist and educator, I have centered my life around a profound love of art and craft. For twenty years, the excellence in programming at Arrowmont has repeatedly shaped my own path, offering me spaces of inspiration, education, and connection. Thus, I am beyond thrilled to join Arrowmont as the Chief Program Officer at this exciting moment of growth and innovation.
One of the most exciting parts of stepping into this role is the opportunity to celebrate and amplify Arrowmont’s already robust offerings. The depth and breadth of the regional, national, and gallery programming are unparalleled. My excitement also resides in the outstanding quality of the team I will work with to perpetuate a vision for programming that is unique to Arrowmont.
I am deeply convinced that successful programming is naturally expansive. It is an open invitation to participate. It is creative and responsive while honoring its roots and traditions. As a practicing artist, but more specifically as an educator in the arts, a commitment to broadening access is a foundational value that I put forward. I could not be more honored to serve an organization that has positively impacted my life and the lives of so many others. Enriching lives through art and craft; what an extraordinary mission.”
Nick and Lindsay will be collaborating on our 2025 programming, and we are excited to share more information with you soon.
Best,
Trudy Hughes
CEO, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts
