For its first gallery exhibition of 2024, the Southern Highland Craft Guild will partner with the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts to host the eponymous show Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts. Located in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, Arrowmont is a renowned institution dedicated to fostering creativity and craftsmanship. The school’s roots harken back to 1912, when the Pi Beta Phi Settlement School was established as a center for education and community development. “The early years were about general education,” a press statement notes. However, in 1945, the school’s name changed, and the curriculum expanded to include mountain handicrafts as a means of preserving heritage skills and providing “vehicles of livelihood for area residents.” In the decades since, Arrowmont has gained recognition for safeguarding Appalachian craft traditions while embracing contemporary art practices. The upcoming show at the Folk Art Center will feature work by 50-some instructors from the school. Mediums range from abstract ceramics to functional chairs to quilts.
Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts: January 27-May 1
Folk Art Center / Milepost 382, Blue Ridge Parkway