Clay artist Lisa Kurtz is the lead organizer and one of eight displaying artists for the 2015 Whittington Creek Art Show and sale Saturday, Dec. 12, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 13, 11 a.m.- 4 p.m. The show is themed “Handmade Holiday” and will include kids activities and a silent Art Auction for Alzheimer’s.
What was the purpose of starting the Whittington Creek Art Show?
My original intent 10 years ago was to have a holiday sale and show in my house. I had a lot of artist friends in the neighborhood, many of whom had never sold their art. We invited neighbors and people that were on my Highland Pottery mailing list. It was a hit right off the bat. I added new artists every year and six years ago I moved it to the clubhouse because it got too big for my house. I started involving the neighborhood by adding a Kids of Whittington Creek art contest and kids’ art activities. Last year, I added a silent art auction to benefit Alzheimer’s Tennessee.
Is there a personal reason for choosing to benefit an Alzheimer’s cause?
The connection to Alzheimer’s is my mom’s having this disease. She is in the final stage. My grandmother—Dad’s mom—also had it, so it is a cause near and dear to my heart.
How do you determine which artists will be included?
Right now I select the artists by a jury process. I send out applications and get emails from new artists all the time, wanting to apply. We also have a website and Facebook page where artists can get more information. This year’s show is in December, not October like it usually is, but since the weather forecast is projected to be nice this weekend some of my artists want to go outside and we may be adding a few more last-minute artists.
What’s been your favorite year of the show?
I think that was a few years ago after I had surgery to remove a brain tumor. I had everybody pitching in and helping me. I thought I was going to have to cancel but I didn’t because everyone helped.
Does it seem like handmade art is more popular these days?
I think there is more of a market for handmade art because of the increase in digital everything. People relate to handmade art because it has the human connection we all need. I also think it is important to help our small local businesses that produce handmade art. It benefits the local economy.
Who does the kid-art activities?
I come up with the kids’ art activities and have neighborhood high school kids help me with that so they can get service hours.
Do the artists spend money at the show?
I think a lot of the artists do buy from each other and some also trade, which is fun.
You’ve been an artist for decades—anything new on that front?
I have been teaching pottery for the past two years at Cleveland State Community College and I love it. I am working on new glazes and some more sculptural work as a result of teaching hand-building again, and I also teach throwing. I will start teaching drawing at Pellissippi State in January and am very excited about that, also. Other news is that I just got funded from Tennessee Craft and the Tennessee Arts Commission to have an official apprentice through the Master Apprentice arts program. I am looking forward to working with and mentoring Rose Spurrier, a young clay artist from Knoxville who has her bachelor’s in clay from University of Tennessee. We start this weekend. She will be helping me at the show, and in September we will have a show together in Nashville.
For more information: whittingtoncreekartshow.com
Rose Kennedy came to Knoxville to work as an editorial assistant on 13-30’s Retail Appliance Management Series and never saw a reason to leave. Her “so uncool I’m cool” career among the alt weekly newspaper crowd has led to award-winning articles on Dr. Bill Bass and the Body Farm and cyber-bullying at West High School, and treasonous food columns about preferring unsweet tea and feeling ambivalent about biscuits.
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