Artists host Sewanee studio tour

Three dozen craftspeople from around Southeast Tennessee will gather on Monteagle Mountain this weekend to hold a holiday studio tour in Sewanee, Tenn.

All of the participants in this 16th annual tour are members of Craft Artists of Southern Tennessee, a chapter of the Tennessee Association of Craft Artists. Chattanoogans participating include Sharon Bandy, Lolly Durant, Marjorie Langston, Thomas Spake, Linda Kay White and Mary Lynch of Georgetown, Tenn.

Linda White said this is her seventh year to show in the holiday tour. She is one of seven artists who will be located in the American Legion Hall. She'll be selling her 12- by 16-inch, framed, textile collages.

White said the CAST show is held in conjunction with the annual Lessons and Carols program at Sewanee-St. Andrew's School.

"It always draws a very good crowd because so many people come from around the area to that," she said.

Additionally, almost all work is original and one-of-a-kind, she said, with the exception of artists' reproductions of paintings or sketches.

"Many of these artists show at the two TACA shows held in Nashville's Centennial Park, so it's high-quality work," White said.

Lolly Durant said she is bringing gourd assemblages, pottery and marbled paper for her second exhibit in the Sewanee show. Durant and Langston will join White and other artists exhibiting in the American Legion Hall.

"It's the atmosphere with all the other artists in their studios, the camaraderie. It's really fun," Durant said of why she is returning this year. "We are across the street from Locals, a gallery with several artists in it."

In all, artists will be located in 12 sites around Sewanee. Traveling west from Chattanooga on I-24, take Exit 134, turn left onto Solace Freeman Highway (Highway 41-A) and continue to St. Andrew's-Sewanee School. There will be yellow signs from that point directing visitors to the artists' locations.

Or you can print a tour brochure from the CAST website, www.cast-taca.org. Maps also are available in the St. Andrew's-Sewanee School gallery.