Once housing the Fountain City Public Library, this wonderful parkside building is the new home of the Fountain City Art Center.

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213 Hotel Avenue Fountain City, Tennessee 37918 865-357-ARTS (2787) fcartcenter@knology.net

About Us

MISSION STATEMENT
In the fall of 2002, a member of the Fountain City Art Guild casually commented, “Wouldn’t it be grand if we could use the old Fountain City Library for a community art center! Think of the possibilities!” That casual comment by Lanelle Holley caused a spark of excitement amongst us. Over the next year, we began to research and plan in earnest. Before long, we realized that what at first seemed to be an improbable, quixotic dream was actually a goal within our grasp if we were only willing to work for it.

Our vision for the Art Center is to bring about a nexus of our community’s most talented, creative, and energetic individuals who share in common a love of the arts and an enthusiasm for the endless possibilities of such a facility. Through their efforts, we expect to provide a stimulating environment where many members of the community will be drawn to take part in a wide variety of visual art experiences. To our knowledge, our community has never had a conveniently located art center; we are on a kind of cultural crusade to see this project through because we truly believe an opportunity of this kind does not arise very often.

Some members of our Guild visited the Oak Ridge Art Center (established in 1954) and, on several occasions, spoken with its executive director, Lea Marcum-Estes. We were able to gather essential information about the functions of an art center. We found especially impressive the friendly, relaxed, community atmosphere. Members were on a first-name basis with one another and were enthusiastically involved in some form of artistic project from oil painting and figure drawing to viewing exhibits and engaging in lively discussions. Why shouldn’t we be able to offer the same culturally enriching environment to our community?

Indeed, we have enlisted an impressive group of artists who teach weekly classes and periodic workshops in watercolor, oil painting, acrylics, drawing and cartooning, and sculpture. We have begun to collect art books for the lending library and eventually plan to extend that collection to videos as well. We are working with several local public school art teachers to plan programs which will benefit their students. But one of our most important long-range goals will take some time to develop: we want to acquire — gradually and deliberately — the very best local artwork to create a permanent museum in the Art Center for the enjoyment of the public. What better way to nurture our community’s talent while preserving local art treasures as well?

Our art center continually seeks out guest speakers, originates discussion groups, arranges relevant field trips, and provides newsletters to keep members informed about upcoming events. Once the word spreads and our membership increases, the members themselves will become actively involved in designing programs that fill their needs and their visions. Volunteer staff from our Guild guide the daily activity for the Art Center, but we anticipate volunteers from the community will be joining our efforts as well.

While most of our operating budget is generated by the art classes and our membership fees, we are also  provide space for an art gallery. Local artists are able to display their work for sale. A portion of the sales price is donated to the Art Center while individual artists retain the balance. This display of art not only generates revenue but also provides support and encouragement for local talent. The community has the chance to view a wide variety of styles and media through this exhibit that offers new work every quarter. Due to the abundant space in the old library, we are able to encourage area student art displays, and to host numerous exhibits showcasing the often overlooked and underestimated area talent. Part of our mission is to search continuously for such hidden treasures and to share our finds with the community.

While the Fountain City Art Guild is very proud to be the designers and creators of the Art Center, we want it to become a living, growing organism composed of and controlled by the members of the community for whom it was designed. We hope that our creation will foster many lasting friendships and prove to be a valued asset instilling pride in our community.

NOTE: The Fountain City Art Center is a non-profit organization as recognized by the IRS and state of Tennessee.  All donations are tax deductible.

Note: We will close for snow on the same schedule as Knox County Schools.
Classes will be made up in such cases.

Note: We will close for snow on the same schedule as Knox County Schools.
Classes will be made up in such cases.