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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Please consider donating any unused art books you may have to the
center. Other books that can be traded for art books will be gladly
accepted as well.
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213 Hotel Avenue Fountain City, Tennessee 37918 865-357-ARTS (2787) fcartcenter@knology.net |
There are so many new activities and events at the Art Center, it is a challenge to keep up with all of them. But, this is a good challenge. In just a little over three year the Ftn City Art Center has become one of the most recognized venues in east Tennessee for artists and students alike. As the FCAC has grown, so has it's website. Feel free to send suggestions (and articles) to our webmaster.
..."From the Director"
The new Winter 2008 Schedule is available for online viewing or downloading please be sure to checkout the "Classes" section.
..Past Events...Take a look at Previous Events and Showings
Latest edition of the
WINTER SUN STRIKES NEW ANGLE
The Fountain City Art Center is the perfect place for an art show. The windows are high and let in glorious light at this time of year. The focus beginning February 8 will be on beautiful, almost electric watercolors presented by the Knoxville Watercolor Society.
This organization was formed in 1963 by a group of Knoxville artists who
participated in an exhibition of watercolor paintings at the
University’s McClung Museum. During the opening reception, the late
Kermit “Buck” Ewing, head of the UT Art Department, noted that the
Knoxville area did not have an organization for artists who shared the
common interest of painting in watercolor. He suggested the artists
exhibiting in the above show could be a nucleus for such an association.
The purpose of the organization is to educate the members as well as the community in an understanding of watercolor as a significant art form. This portrayal is evident in the new show opening Friday with a large reception 6:30-8:30 pm. The members of the KWS have been busy since their last show at the Fountain City Art Show last year at this time.
The watercolor on the right is an excellent example of “electric” watercolor. The values from white to black range in about ten values, and the colors actually glow. To learn how to do this takes a lifetime of searching for the right palette, the best composition, and classes that specialize in this type of painting.
The artist of this piece, was so effective in the use of watercolor in this painting that you wanted to pluck off a grape and take it along with you as you viewed other paintings in the show. Notice how many colors are brought into the painting which this artist saw. Are these colors actually in the grape vineyard? Yes they are. But it takes an artist to see them all. The amount of water the vines have, the way they are pruned at just the right time, and the amount of sunlight all create the balance of color seen here, as well as the taste of the wine made from these grapes.
Be sure to come out on February 3 to see this excellent watercolor show. You will not be disappointed.
ARE YOU ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE?
Because of the Fountain City Art Center’s new program, “Sponsor a
Student,” and the Monday grant which has been renewed this year, there
is a big difference in many of our children’s lives. Not only is the
Art Center able to expand their curriculum, they also have been able to
meet some of their long range goals in reaching and teaching more young
people. The Monday grant offers scholarships to many of the children
wishing to attend classes.
“Sponsor a Child’s Art Education.” is also a program to help further the art education of area youth. If you, your business, church, or civic organization would consider sponsoring one or more children for 5 to 6 weeks of art classes and a membership for the child’s family for one year, you could help FCAC fulfill a real need in our community. The cost for one 6 week session of classes, and a year’s family membership would be $150 per sponsorship, regardless of the class chosen by the child. Below are a few of the classes.
WHAT IS A WORKSHOP?
The Fountain City Art Center is offering several new workshops, but many readers don’t know what a workshop is. So we thought we’d take this opportunity to give some clues about workshops.
First, a workshop is usually a bunch of adults who want to learn a new skill. It is held on consecutive days in order to keep the momentum for learning. Second, the group of people can be at any learning level. Some of them may have had no art training in anything but just wish to participate. Others may have had many classes in different kinds of art: painting, pottery, jewelry making, crafts, etc. All skill levels are accepted, and in some workshops materials are provided.
Third and best of all are the results. Sometimes you can attend a two or three-day workshop and find out immediately whether or not you are interested in classes that last a lot longer. You meet new people who can relate to your desire to become more proficient in a new skill, and you have a teacher who knows how to concentrate his/her abilities into a short time frame to expand the student’s knowledge fast. Working all day on new skills for a couple of days is an added bonus because people may learn faster this way.
FCAC has four new workshops planned for the winter session. The first is Feb. 1-2 from 9:30-1:30 with Jon Houglum, Franklin, NC, who will come over and conduct an oil workshop for portrait painting, landscape or seascape. Students will finish their paintings in the two-day session. The second workshop is a Jewelry Workshop conducted by Penny Berridge. You will learn how to make “Fused Dichroic Glass Jewelry,” fired in a kiln and all supplies are provided. Finish 5 to 7 pieces of eye catching fused glass creations from 10:00-noon during this 3-day event beginning January 8th.
Fountain City Art Guild Welcomes the New Year!
Jean Loupe, left, is the incoming President of the Fountain City Art Guild. Next to her is Joan Ward, outgoing Guild President.
Outgoing Fountain City Art Guild President, Joan Ward, hands over the
traditional Guild Wooden Gavel to newly elected President, Jean Loupe,
and possibilities inherent in her position. She has vowed to work
toward a more involved membership and to recruit new members. If you
have an interest in joining an association of 2-D media artists
who exhibit
twice a year at the Fountain City Art Center, come by the Center for
more
information.
2007 Guild President, Joan Ward, can frequently be found at the Fountain City Art Center because she is on the Center's Board of Directors! The Guild and the Art Center wish to thank Joan for the many, many hours of service she has dedicated toward making the Art Center a better and more well organized non-profit business.
Other officers for the Guild, 2007, were VP Sylvia Williams, Secretary Jean Loupe, and Treasurer Shirley Keaton. In 2008, Joan Ward will be Guild VP, while Victoria Simmons will take over as Secretary, and Shirley Keaton will continue in her job as Treasurer.
If you have not seen the Guild' s "Annual Holiday Show and Sale," make time to visit the Art Center before "The Show" comes down on Dec. 20 and 21. The exhibit, judged by Bobbie Crews and Eric Smith, features an outstanding array of quality artwork for sale. The award winning artists for this exhibit were: Best of Show and 1st Place, Aurora Harrison-Bull; 2nd Place, Victoria Simmons; 3rd, Sylvia Williams; Honorable Mentions, Mary Secrist, Alberta Dyer, and Sylvia Williams.
We also have limited edition, signed and numbered Fountain City Lake prints, hand-painted tree ornaments, and calendars featuring Mary Secrist's watercolor students. But wait! There's more! You must check out the one-of -a- kind gift ideas in our art market, the Parkside Open Door Gallery. We feature the work of 30 artists and craftsmen: paintings, pottery, jewelry, wood works, and so much more with new items coming in every week
GIVE A GIFT OF LEARNING
Have you seen the undeveloped talent your child has in Art? If you, your business, church or civic organizations would consider sponsoring one or more children for five to six weeks of art classes and a membership for the child’s family for one year, you could help fulfill the real need for children. The cost for one six week session classes along with the family membership is $150 per sponsorship.
“Sponsor a Child’s Art Education is a current theme of the Fountain City Art Center. With the family membership the child’s family would receive the quarterly newsletter, invitations to eleven receptions for the featured exhibits and invitations to special events. Reduced prices for additional classes and workshops are part of the package, along with the use of the lending library of over 1,000 art books. All of these benefits of membership should encourage children and their family members to make art an important part of their lives.
The FCAC is concentrating on children between 6 and 14 years of age, elementary through middle school. The criteria for nominating a child should include an interest in art, good behavior, and financial need. If you aren’t participating financially, nominations are still welcomed based on the previous criteria. Sponsorships will be acknowledged by a charitable donation letter. Next, FCAC will match your sponsorship with a child from their list of nominations.
Children’s artwork will be exhibited at the Center, and their families will have an opportunity to attend a reception during their exhibit. Records of sponsorship will be maintained by the Executive Director and the Budget and Finance Committee should the sponsors have questions about the status of their sponsorship. Depending upon the order in which they are received, sponsorships will take place within a few weeks of your donation.
Your name will be engraved on an oak leaf which will go on a “tree” on the outside wall of the Art Center. Lots of wall space is available and lots of children need sponsors. Call the Center and request a form which you can fill out and return to the Art Center by mail or in person.
Donations are solicited in many ways. A lithograph print is being sold
for $50 as a fundraiser for the Center. It is from the original oil
painting by Sylvia Williams and the 150 signed and numbered prints are
going fast (image size 14” x 18”). They are shown for sale at the entry
of the Center and the title is “Fountain City Lake, circa 1890.” (See
photo of print)
The Art Center is located at 213 Hotel Avenue and can be reached by phone at 357-2787 or email fcartcenter@knology.net. Stop by and take a look at the 1st annual Member’s Show now on display.
The Art Center is located at 213 Hotel Avenue in Fountain City. The telephone number is 357-2787, and the email address is fcartcenter@knology.net.
Teacher Bios |
Volunteers | Newsletter
T, Th, 9 to 5
W, F 10 to 5
Sa 9 to 1
Sundays Closed
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.
Parkside Gallery
Click the picture to view photos of recent center events.
Looking for a way
to get involved
in the community?
Volunteers Needed!
FCAC is proud of its talented group of teachers. Click here to find out more.
"We encourage adults of all levels, children after school, and working people after work to come and study at our beautiful art center."
–Sylvia Williams,
Art Center Director