April 17 – May 3, 2025 @ Johnson County Center for the Arts
The history of Easter egg decorating, also called Paschal eggs, can be traced to early Christians of Mesopotamia. Eggs were dyed the color red to represent the blood Christ shed on the cross. Later the tradition spread across Europe and around the world.
Today eggs are generally decorated with multi-colored dies and stickers. Over the past few years the Johnson County Center for the Arts has held an Easter egg decorating contestand some of our local artists, young and old, have submitted designs that are fanciful while others have stayed to traditional patterns.
There are four categories that will receive ribbons: Most Creative, Most Artistic, People’s Choice first, second, and third place, and Youth first, secondand third place. The eggs remain on display in the featured artists gallery at the Johnson County Center for the Arts’ Gallery on Main for the remainder of April.
If you would like to enter the Easter Egg contest, your entry must be dropped off at the Johnson County Center for the Arts’ Gallery on Main at 129 W. Main St, Mountain City, Tennessee,by 5 p.m. Thursday, April 17. Entries must be family friendly and you may decorate fake eggs. Winners of Most Creative, Most Artistic and the Youth category are announced Saturday, April 19. The winner of the People’s Choice category are announced Saturday, May 3.
May Community Show
"What Was, What Is, and What Ever Shall Be" is the title of the May featured art show at the Johnson County Center for the Arts and is open to all Johnson County artists. In this show, they hope to document artists' reactions to the terrible devastation caused by Hurricane Helene as it passed over Johnson County Sept. 27, 2024.
'The hurricane took things that may never be replaced, such as the 325 year-old oak tree that stood in the corner of Cunningham Park in Mountain City and the Antioch Baptist Church on Hwy. 421, where generations of families worshiped. Johnson County residents have spent the past few months dealing with the repair of washed out roads, rebuilding of homes, the closing of businesses, and the loss of important employers. What will be Johnson County’s next evolution?
"'WithWhat Was, What Is, and What Ever Shall Be,'we are excited to see how our area artists address these questions and concepts. Creating art is one of the most powerful tools we have for processing change and grieving loss,” said Cristy Dunn, Johnson County Center for the Arts executive director.
Entries must be dropped off at the Johnson County Center for the Arts’ Gallery on Main at 129 W. Main St, Mountain City, Tennessee,by 2 p.m. Saturday, April 26. All entries must be framed or gallery wrapped and family friendly.
The Show Opening for "What Was, What Is, and What Ever Shall Be" is Friday, May 2 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Music is provided by the students and instructors from the Junior Appalachian Musicians program,and there will be light refreshments.
Category: Exhibits