Our History
Arrowmont’s history is rooted in Appalachian craft and culture. From its founding in 1912 as a settlement school to its transition as a full-time arts and crafts school in 1945, Arrowmont has served both as a reflection and mirror to the changes in Gatlinburg over the last century.
An auspicious beginning
Arrowmont’s history is inexorably entwined with the history of Gatlinburg and the evolution of this area from secluded mountain hamlet to popular tourist destination. In the early 1800s, the lack of roads and infrastructure meant that Gatlinburg was a secluded community. Making things by hand was a necessity as mass-produced goods were not introduced to the region until the mid-20th century.
In 1912, the Pi Beta Phi Fraternity for Women founded the Pi Beta Phi Settlement School in Gatlinburg, TN as a service project to mark the fraternity’s 50th anniversary. Modeling themselves after the Jane Adams’ Hull House in Chicago, they decided an educational project in the form of a settlement school would be an ideal project. While the initial class was small (14 boys and girls in all), interest in the school rapidly expanded.
In addition to the education and health services provided to residents, the PiPhis saw an opportunity to develop a market for the region’s handicraft goods, opening economic opportunities previously unimagined by the residents.
The early days of craft – 1910s
In 1915, Pi Beta Phi – Caroline McKnight Hughes, was hired to oversee business and industrial work at the settlement school, with a focus on the revival of traditional mountain crafts. While many residents had gifted exquisite handmade goods to teachers and staff, these traditions of sewing, woodwork, basketry and weaving were being lost to time. Caroline hired community members to teach the students handicrafts alongside their other educational pursuits. Including the beloved Aunt Lydia Whaley and Aunt Lizzie Reagan.
A craft school is born – 1940s & 1950s
As the US emerged from World War II, the growth of tourism around the National Park and changes to educational governance, lead Pi Beta Phi to explore additional programming, refocusing their mission on arts education. The first summer arts and crafts workshops were held on the school’s grounds in June 1945. The two-week session saw 50 students from 19 states, and established a collaborative relationship the University of Tennessee’s school of art which would last for over 30 years.
Foundations at Arrowmont – 1960s & 1970s
In 1965, after two decades of continual summer workshop programming, Pi Beta Phi officially transitioned all programming of the settlement school to the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts. Ground was immediately broken on a new studio and administration complex, the Emma Harper Turner Building.
Drawn by the summer craft workshops and Arrowmont’s evolution into full-time arts and crafts education, a new artisan community developed around Gatlinburg. This new generation of Appalachian makers spurred on renewed interest in the techniques and practices used by the original settlers in the region.
Fostering the Arrowmont community – 1980s & 1990s
The 1980s helped to further establish Arrowmont as a premier arts and crafts destination. Additional studios were built to accommodate the growing demand for workshops in new and emerging media, and the addition of internationally renowned artist-instructors in clay and wood energized programming and interest in the school.
By the 1990s, Arrowmont had begun hosting popular exhibitions, symposiums (like Utilitarian Clay) and introduced the early-career artists-in-residence program. In addition, the establishment of the Central Appalachian youth arts program, ArtReach, further connected Arrowmont to its Appalachian heritage and set its course as the standard bearer of arts preservation in the region.
The future looks bright
Today, Arrowmont is an internationally recognized visual arts education center. Hosting over 200 creative experiences each year, Arrowmont remains the cultural hub of Gatlinburg with programming that includes workshops, gallery exhibitions and symposiums, and ArtReach classes both on-campus and on the road.
Our mission of enriching lives through arts and crafts is the foundation from which all of our programs flourish and grow, and our commitment to Appalachia remains as strong as ever.
