A! Magazine for the Arts Archive

Once Upon a Tree

The Mountain Empire region has a history of high-quality woodworking. Most of it can be called good craftsmanship, and some is certainly art.

In This Issue

• Turning Wood into Art: Tom Ilowiecki Tom Ilowiecki tried woodworking in high school and in the U.S. Army, but his real interest came after he retired as a commercial airline pilot and bought a farm in Mendota, Va.
• Turning Wood into Art: Bill Tillson Bill Tillson has been interested in woodworking since childhood when he was allowed to explore his grandfather's workshop. "He always had a project of some sort in the works and didn't mind that I helped or built something right alongside of him," Tillson
• Turning Wood into Art: Robert Sproll Robert Sproll grew up in New York and now lives in Bluff City, Tenn. The family business was furniture making, and at the age of 13, he was sent to Munich, Germany, to start his woodworking apprenticeship.
• Turning Wood into Art: Joel Harte Joel Harte grew up in New York and started making furniture while teaching elementary school in 1975. "Furniture-making became my passion and then my career," he says.
• Is It Art or Craftsmanship? We asked these woodworkers: What is the distinction between craft and art — and the blurring of craft and art.
• Opera Singer Following in Ancestor's Footsteps Nineteen-year-old Hannah Dishman will celebrate her 20th birthday this summer in one of the most beautiful cities in the world — Rome, Italy. She has been invited to sing the demanding role of Count Orlofsky in Operafestival di Roma's production of Strau
• Tribute Includes Local Women in the Arts Three area women in the arts were among 12 award recipients recognized during the Bristol YWCA's 19th annual Tribute to Women.
• E&H Professor Receives State Award Dr. Teresa Keller, an Emory & Henry College professor of mass communications who led efforts to dramatically expand the reach of the college's radio station.
• Kingsport Artists & Arts Advocates in Nashville Twelve artists and representatives of three arts organizations recently made the trek to Nashville, Tenn., to represent the arts at the annual Arts Advocacy Day sponsored by Tennesseans for the Arts.

A! Extra

• William King Museum to Add Fifth Exhibition Space An important part of William King Museum's mission is to exhibit work by local artists.
• 'Teaching Should Encourage Creativity'
• When Passion Takes On Life
• Early Deadlines for JULY Print Edition Expect your JUNE A! Magazine on Wednesday, MAY 26. And plan now to submit press releases and to advertise in the JULY edition of A!.
• What If Your Burning Passion Burned Out of Control?
• Galax Becoming an Artistic Destination
• Awards ceremony honors Milligan students Milligan College's 2010 Awards Convocation was a special day for students who were honored for their accomplishments this past year.
• 'Shakespeare For A New Generation' Grants Announced The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has announced that 40 nonprofit, professional theater companies will receive grants of $25,000 each to participate in "Shakespeare for a New Generation" from June 1, 2010-May 31, 2011.
• Main Street Treasures in Virginia The National Tour Association (NTA), a motor coach organization, has named three of Abingdon's venues on their list of 25 Top Main Street Treasures in Virginia.
• 10-Year-Old's Sidewalk Art Wins 'People's Choice' Award Episcopal School of Knoxville fifth grader Devin Badgett used artistic talent and affability to win the People's Choice award at the second annual Dogwood Festival Chalk Walk contest April 17-18, 2010.
• IN FOCUS: Classical Indian Dance Using her compelling eyes, Ranjani Murthy portrayed a multitude of emotions in her recital.
• News from the Tennessee Arts Commission
• Friends, Family Gather to Remember Fallen Musician In downtown Bristol, two pictures of a happy little boy brightened the photo-strewn window of Holly Help on 6th Street. The boy held a guitar in one photo and there was a piano with him in the other.
• Brett Hall Does It All Brett Hall from Coeburn, Va., is a Renaissance man. The decorated three-sport athlete has a 4.16 grade point average and has twice been selected as the best actor in the Cumberland District.
• Full-Speed Evan Ferrell Richlands High School band director Bruce Miller remembers the day a rambunctious sixth grader bounded into his class, so full of energy she reminded him of "Tigger" – the lovable and dynamic Disney character.
• America's Nonprofits Brace for Tough 2010 The Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF) recently released a survey of more than 1,300 nonprofit leaders in markets nationwide and found many are facing year-over-year increases in demand and continue to operate with little-to-no financial buffer.
• Foundation Giving Plunged in 2009 While funders made efforts to lessen the pain in the nonprofit community, the economic crisis caused foundations to cut their 2009 giving by an estimated 8.4 percent last year, the largest decline ever tracked by the Foundation Center.
• 'Creative Industries' Reports Available Americans for the Arts Creative Industries reports offer a research-based approach to understanding the scope and economic importance of the arts.
• Arts Marketing Training Offered Members of Americans for the Arts are offering arts marketing training as a cornerstone of their professional development offerings.
• Barter Theatre Insider What does it take to put together a Barter Theatre production?