Lincoln Memorial University’s (LMU) Arts in the Gap (AITG) has announced the lineup of summer workshops for 2022. The event lineup includes workshops all summer long, for people of all ages. Most events will be held at the Paul V. Hamilton Center for the Arts in Cumberland Gap, Tennessee. Limited scholarships are available for several events.
Kicking off the summer workshop series is the Joe and Junebug Clark Photography Exhibition, slated for a special opening June 3-5, with the photos on exhibit throughout the month of June. The public is invited to see and celebrate the incredible photographs from renowned photographer Joe Clark, a Cumberland Gap native. Known as the “Hillbilly Snap Shooter,” Joe Clark captured life in the region in his photos. His son, Junebug, will be on hand during the opening weekend to share stories behind many of the photos. The cost of the event is donation based.
The 16th Annual Mountain Heritage Literary Festival (MHLF) will be held June 10-11. The event will be held in person on the LMU main campus in Harrogate, Tennessee. The MHLF will offer fiction, poetry, nonfiction, young adult book writing and podcasting workshops from an award-winning, highly published faculty. In addition, there will be speakers, book signings and readings from attendees and teachers. The cost for the two-day festival is $150 and includes entry to the MHLF, access to all workshops, one catered meal each day and a copy of keynote speaker Rebecca Gayle Howell’s acclaimed poetry collection, “Render/An Apocalypse.” Scholarships are available for those who qualify.
Clay Pots for Kids will be held June 13-17 from 9 a.m. until noon daily. The workshop is for anyone age nine to 14. Participants will learn about the basics of using clay and how to create clay pots. Artist Belle Blake will teach how to use clay and a clay wheel. Participants will also make a few clay pots of their own. The cost for the workshop is $50.
An Art Storytelling Workshop is scheduled for June 16-17, for ages 18 and up. Savannah Campbell, assistant professor of psychology at LMU will guide participants. The workshop involves learning about various expressive art therapies that can offer benefits to assisting with mental health. It will include several demonstrations of these art pathways and will cover basic therapeutic skills that can help with coping with life in general. This workshop is $30 and runs from 6-8 p.m. both days.
Writing the Image: Poetry Workshop will be held June 18 from 2-5 p.m. and June 19 from 9 a.m. to noon and is for ages 15 to 17 years old. Poet Meg Wade will teach creative techniques for creating poetry by using art. The two-day workshop will focus on two topics: Ekphrasis, or a vivid depiction of a work of art, and love poems based in the American south. The cost is $30.
Next in the series is Clay Basics for Kids, June 20-22, from 10 a.m. to noon each day, for ages five to eight. Blake will lead this workshop and teach participants to mold and shape clay. Participants will have the opportunity to build clay bowls and create little clay monsters or animals that they will paint and take home. The cost is $30.
Personal Narrative Storytelling Workshop will be held June 24 from 6-9 p.m. and June 25 from 2-5 p.m. at Avery Hall, and is for ages 18 and up. The workshop will help participants polish and perfect their personal narratives, creating a unique bond between teller and listener. Participants will explore the traditional Appalachian art of storytelling with storyteller Tennessee Rick Elliott in this fun and engaging workshop. The cost is $30.
Elliott will hold an evening of storytelling performance on June 25 at 7 p.m. in the Sam and Sue Mars Performing Arts Center at Duke Hall. The performance of personal narrative storytelling is open to the public as well as members of the workshop. The cost is $5 and it is open to all ages.
A Storyboarding and Animation Workshop is scheduled for June 27-28, from 9 a.m. to noon each day, for ages nine to 14. Casey Cosgriff, who holds degrees in painting and printmaking, will lead participants in learning the basics of animation. Animation and storyboarding involves both paper and pencil (flipbook) animation and introductory digital animation using mostly free apps and software. The class will combine techniques from drawing and animation to creating a small animation series portfolio. The cost is $30.
Cosgriff will also lead a Monotype Print Making Workshop June 27-28, from 1-4 p.m. each day, for ages 15 to 17. Participants will learn about the art of monotypes. Monotypes are single unique impressions, the image is often started by rolling ink onto a plate with a brayer, and then using a subtractive drawing and painting process to create a reversed image when printed. Participants will create their own monotypes and learn how to keep creating the art after the workshop. The cost is $30.
An Acrylic Painting Workshop will be held June 27 through July 1, from 9 a.m. to noon daily, for ages 18 and up. Emily Taylor, a local artist and adjunct professor at LMU, will lead it. In this workshop, participants will learn the basics of painting by beginning with several quick, small studies exploring the action and interaction of color, the feel of the paint, mixing color, using brushes and other points of technique. All levels of experience are welcome. The cost is $50.
Taylor will hold a Drawing Workshop June 27 through July 1, from 1-4 p.m. daily, for ages 18 and up. Participants will learn the basics of drawing from observation to imagination, using a variety of drawing materials and subjects. There will be a lot of quick studies and exercises in seeing and perception so students will keep an active sketchbook throughout the week. All levels of experience are welcome, and the cost is $50.
An Appalachian History Club will be the final of the summer workshop series. This workshop will be held July 11-14 from 9 a.m. to noon daily for children ages six to 10. Natalie Sweet, program coordinator for the Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum (ALLM) will lead this exciting opportunity to play within history. The camp will teach participants about the experiences of the region’s people in the 19th century. In this five-day camp participants will be exploring the themes of gardening, food, clothing, tools and entertainment. The workshop will be held at the ALLM. The cost is $50.
Limited scholarships are available for workshops. To inquire about scholarships, email Grace Mahieu, coordinator of LMU’s Arts in the Gap and assistant director of the MHLF, at grace.mahieu@LMUnet.edu. To reserve your spot in a workshop and for additional information, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/arts-in-the-gap-2022-154349. Mahieu can also be reached at 423.869.7423.
Lincoln Memorial University is a values-based learning community dedicated to providing educational experiences in the liberal arts and professional studies. The main campus is in Harrogate, Tennessee. For more information about the undergraduate and graduate programs available at LMU, contact the Office of Admissions at 423.869.6280 or email at admissions@LMUnet.edu.
