“Thirteen Susans,” shown here, is a creation by nationally awarded local artist Alan Shuptrine.An inaugural lecture for UTC’s new series that aims to celebrate National Arts in Education Week is launching on the school’s campus Sept. 12.
The first of the free lectures will feature New York Times best-selling author Sharyn McCrumb and nationally recognized local watercolorist Alan Shuptrine. The two are collaborating for a current project titled The Serpentine Chain, which focuses on the people, land, culture and history of the Appalachian Mountains.
The goal of the event is more than a lecture and is about embracing the essence of the artistic process. Musicians will play music from Appalachia while a pop-up exhibit will be available for attendees to enjoy.
Shuptrine’s watercolor exhibition, comprised of 60 paintings, point to a deeper understanding of Appalachian culture based on the history of the Irish who originally migrated to settle there. Serpentine, a mineral found along the Appalachians, is also found in the mountains of Ireland, suggesting that at one points in time the two places were connected, said lecture event organizer Bonny Shuptrine, who is also the artist’s wife.
“It’s a green type of mineral that looks like jade,” she said of the serpentine. “It has different variations of green and sometimes it has a hint of purple and yellow too.