arrowmont fire...

The wood studio at Arrowmont

Parts of Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts were destroyed by a wildfire that engulfed Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Arts and crafts enthusiasts all over the world have been terrified over the possible loss of this school. Fortunately, it appears that the studio buildings survived with little damage. The following is from twitter at about 7:30 AM:

Phones were not working at Arrowmont this morning, and there was limited power. But Arrowmont General Manager Bill May posted an update on his Facebook page to worried supporters. May wrote just before 7:30 a.m. that “All buildings except Hughes Hall and Wild Wing survived with what appears to be little damage.”

Arrowmont has a special place in the hearts of woodworkers from all over the world. It was the place where the American Association of Woodturners (AAW) first gathered and was formed. It was the first craft school in which I taught classes, and it was the inspiration and model for our own founding of the Eureka Springs School of the Arts. The following link tells a bit about my own teaching experience at Arrowmont, Turning left at the Hard Rock Cafe.

I've not taught at Arrowmont for a number of years, but it remains dear to my heart.

In my own shop, I've selected a piece of beech to shape into a Nääs style handle for my Nääs firmer chisel, and will do so today, using Salomon's Teacher's Hand-book of Slöjd as my guide. In the meantime, my thoughts are of Arrowmont, and the joy of creativity I hope it will be able to offer for many years to come.

Make, fix, create, and use your own life to suggest that others may learn likewise.