Week of May 24, 2009
Where Art Meets Community
By James Taylor
Professional craft is a $206.5 million industry in Western North Carolina and the “Gateway to the Arts, Fine Art and Craft Show,” is putting the best of the best on display. Charity, vision, artists, philanthropists, businesses and entrepreneurs have come together for an event that is destined to be a premier annual event in Haywood County.
The primary goal for the The Gateway to the Arts, Fine Art and Craft Show event is to create a scholarship fund for students in the Professional Crafts Program at Haywood Community College, helping the next generation of gifted artists. The Who’s Who in the art and craft industry have been assembled and making one of a kind creations for the show that range from $15 weavings to $1,500 necklaces.
The story behind this event is inspired. Nationally recognized Diannah Beauregard of Studio Thirty Three (designer jeweler) had a vision to purposefully bridge the world of fine art and social awareness by merging the real with the ideal.
Art O’Neil, co-founder of the Gateway Club, was firmly established within the local art community, which is the magnet to attract connoisseurs of art and craft. Haywood Community College, a nationally recognized innovator, co-sponsored a research study with Handmade in America in 2008 to determine how much the art and craft industry impacted the western North Carolina economy. The findings were so significant HCC launched an expansion plan to build a new Creative Arts building that will break ground in 2010. This expands their thirty-year history for developing talent and literally building the local industry. When these three local forces came together the vision came into focus. Buyers meet sellers to fund scholarships at HCC and all of Western North Carolina benefits.
The equation:
2008: Haywood County is recognized as America’s first Certified Entrepreneurial Community.
2008: Haywood Community College co-sponsors the study done by Handmade in America – The economic Impact of the Professional Craft Industry in Western NC. (HCC provides the workforce of Haywood County). This puts the students of HCC at the root of our community.
2008: Art O’Neil recognized and awarded, “Entrepreneur of the Year.”
2007: Studio Thirty Three owner, Diannah Beauregard is winner of “Small Business Start-Up Competition.”
Long time philanthropists for the arts, Yvonne and Ted Lappas have signed on as the honorary chairpersons for the event. Yvonne and Ted are well known for their loyal support of the arts and have been a tremendous catalyst to the growth in our community and the industry itself. All the elements have joined together to paint a scene that can be viewed with optimism in these challenging economic times. The equation offers an interesting and potential solution to some of those challenges and the gravity created has also attracted local businesses to guarantee purchases in advance. This has brought out the best of art and craft professionals in our community and excitement about the event continues to escalate.
Artists
This year’s art show features Joel Queen, a ninth-generation Cherokee potter and sculptor recognized as one of the most innovative artist in the industry. Other nationally recognized artists include: Beauregard, Jenny Buckner, oil paintings; Kathleen Doyle and Tom Reardon of Portfolio Metalworks; Jo Kelley, Keri Anna Kelley and Ed Kelley from Ridge Runner Naturals; Teresa Pennington, artist of the Blue Ridge; Sarah Rolland of Rolland Pottery; Kaaren Stoner, ceramics, and Bob Travers, landscape and wildlife paintings.
Local talents include Dianne Lee, stained glass; Andrea Williams, weaver; Steve Schearer, wood working and Josef Stejskal, blown glass blower.
“Gateway to the Arts, Fine Art and Craft Show” will be held at the Gateway Club on 37 Church Street in Waynesville. An opening reception for the artists will be held for Gateway Club members and donors of HCC Foundation from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday. Classical harpist Karin Lyle will provide music for the Friday night event. On Saturday, show hours are from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tickets to the event on Saturday are $5 and free to HCC students and faculty.