ARROWMONT: 75 YEARS OF CRAFT EDUCATION – 1955

April 14, 2020

In 2020, Arrowmont celebrates 75 years as a school of arts and crafts. ARROWMONT: 75 YEARS OF CRAFT EDUCATION presents archival images and articles to recognize this milestone. Add your memories to the collection – click here to send us your pictures and stories!

1955

The School and University of Tennessee promoted the first Foreign Craft Study Tour. 24 people traveled to Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, France and England where, under the guidance of Marian Heard, they learned about traditional crafts from those regions.

On campus, new technologies were being adopted. “It was wise to dispose of the mules and to buy a tractor which did not eat feed during the winter. A stoker in the first furnace in Gatlinburg resulted in more economical, comfortable heat in Teachers’ Cottage.”

An all-time high in attendance and the limit of housing capacity was reached in the Summer Craft Workshop – 90 students enrolled. “The Summer Craft Workshop for 1955 could be classified a huge success from all reports. There were many reasons for coming as the number of states represented – 27, plus Canada and Lebanon. Some were working toward degrees; a few had their own shops; many taught in various fields; one or two admittedly came ‘just for fun.'” – Marion W. Meuller