Visitors check out one of the Kingsport Art Guild's exhibits
The Kingsport Art Guild is celebrating its 75th anniversary. The public is invited to celebrate this benchmark year during their annual Members’ Show reception and awards Sunday, Nov. 17from 2 – 4 p.m. in the main gallery on the second floor of the Renaissance Arts Center and Theater building, Kingsport, Tennessee. For more information, go towww.kingsportartguild.com.
Founded in 1949 and incorporated in 1966, the Kingsport Art Guild is a nonprofit art organization founded by a dedicated group of members.
1949 Kingsport Art Guild Founding Members are Mrs. Gerald Armstrong, Mrs. Robert Bruce, Mrs. Harry Coover, Miss Margaret Deakins, Mr. & Mrs. Philip Hamer, Mrs. David Hedberg, Mrs. James Hudson, Mrs. Guy Isenberg, Mrs. J. H. Jensen, Rev. L. F. Kent, Mrs. William MacNaughton, Mr. Robert Phipps, Mrs. Mary Slaughter and Mrs. Louise Weber.
The 1949 position of president was held by two members, Leicester F. Kent and Guy Isenberg. Since then, they have had over 50 members serve as president.
KAG occupied various locations including a small building on East Sullivan Street, the current Child Care Center of First Broad Street United Methodist Church, and eventually moved to the remodeled Renaissance Center in the mid 1990s.
In 2005, the board decided to create the position of Executive Director. On behalf of KAG, the current president at that time, Leslie Davis, asked Steven Reeves to accept the newly created position. Reeves has held the position since. He works in concert with the board and supports the board president, currently Tim Mullins, throughout the year.
For several decades, KAG has hosted nationally noted and award-winning artists to lead workshops, including Vera Tracy, Robin Poteet, Vera Dickerson, Dawn Whitelaw and most recently Beth Bathe, amongst others. Creating educational opportunities is one of their core components. Though the pandemic hit the art guild hard and cut the membership roughly in half, KAG continues to strive to focus on its solid foundation as a nonprofit arts organization and leader in the Kingsport area.
Another ongoing hallmark creation of KAG is the Golden Brush Scholarship Award. This award is given to local high school graduating seniors. Chosen by the school art instructor(s), each winner is given a cash award honoring their achievements and interests in art. Kathy Hawk, a past president and KAG member since the late ‘70s recently said, “A parent of a past winner mentioned to me recently with a prideful smile that her daughter had won the award at her high school when she was a senior.” This award is a tangible gift that creates an opportunity for high school seniors to be honored and celebrated because of their artistic interest and ability. It empowers young people to continue to create.
Weathering the pandemic and continuing to focus on their mission, KAG is thankful to its longtime sponsors, most notably Eastman, The Office of Cultural Arts, Jerry’s Artarama of Knoxville, and Eastman Credit Union.
Their mission is to create opportunities for members and the greater Kingsport community to experience and showcase the visual arts through instructional classes, educational lectures, special events and exhibitions.
As they look toward their 76th year and beyond, the Kingsport Art Guild is excited to continue to host eight annual exhibitions in their gallery, including the annual juried Appalachian Art Show and Members’ Show.
The guild invites the public to become members. Whether you are an artist or not, your support and presence is appreciated and matters. Visit www.kingsportartguild.com to join or for more information.
