Following the passing of her husband last year, after a lengthy illness, Betsey Sloan was looking for an outlet, something in her community that would nurture her creative and spiritual soul. 

“So, I decided to get into my car, come here, get out, and say, ‘Hi, can I join?’” Sloan smiled. “And I’ve made such great friends here. The people here are wonderful, always helping me out and encouraging me in whatever it is I want to pursue.”

All is not well at the Uptown Gallery in Franklin.

“It’s pretty bad,” said Sue Weathers. “We’re losing money, and keeping the gallery open is getting pretty hard.”

Co-director of the gallery and a member of the Macon County Art Association, which runs the gallery, Weathers is putting an open call out to the local residents, visitors and greater Western North Carolina that help is needed to ensure the longevity and survival of the 52-year-old nonprofit business.

By Kristen Davis • Contributing Writer

If a painter were to illustrate a Thursday morning at the Uptown Gallery in Franklin, she might depict this scene: a silver-haired woman painting a watercolor landscape chatting with a young man who has sketched a portrait of his Golden Retriever.

For the past 10 years, members of the Macon County Art Association have convened every Thursday at the gallery to critique one another’s work, offer encouragement and foster a sense of community. The “Thursday Painters’ Group” usually consists of about 10 to 12 people, a mixture of member artists and people of the general public who wish to improve their skills. The meetings are scheduled from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“Anybody who wants to join is invited,” said Pat Mennenger, a member of MCAA who regularly attends the sessions, teaches art classes at the Uptown Gallery and serves on the gallery’s Board of Directors.

The painters in the group work with several different mediums and techniques, Mennenger explained. Currently, she is using oil to paint still life, but the gathering includes creators of landscapes, portraits and folk art.

“Every once in awhile, someone will bring something they’re knitting or crocheting,” she said. “Sometimes someone will show up with no intention of painting.”

As a long time member of the group, Mennenger added that the “close-knit” community of artists has given her valuable feedback over the years.

“For some of us, it’s the only day of the week that we paint,” she said. “It’s good for discipline.”

Elsie Spriggle, a Thursday regular and member of MCAA, said the group is often joined by a retired professor who offers free critiques from a highly skilled perspective.

But the group is not all work and no play.

“We have an awful lot of fun,” Spriggle added. “When it’s your birthday, you bring the cake, and you share it with us.”

The social atmosphere draws in Jim Smythe, a member artist who trained as an abstract artist in college but now paints realism, primarily landscapes. He said he looks forward to Thursdays as a welcome change from painting by himself at home. He has come to rely on the creative input of his fellow artists.

The regular Thursday meetings contribute to the community aspect of MCAA and draw in newcomers from the public, said Ruth Goodier, director-elect of the Uptown Gallery.

Most of the MCAA members have retired from full time careers and now paint primarily for the pure pleasure of sharing their passion for art with their peers and younger generations.  

Mennenger describes herself as “happily retired,” which allows her to spend more time painting during the day. A former commercial art teacher who trained as a graphic artist, she now teaches art lessons to children at the gallery once a month, and she insists that all aspiring artists, no matter their skill level, can gain helpful assistance at the gallery.

Like Mennenger, Goodier has been painting all her life. She graduated from art school several decades ago. Now, she is retired and devotes her time to developing her artistic outlet, which is painting folk art with a variety of different mediums. She has been a member of MCAA for eight years.

Goodier added that a diverse range of ages can be found in the gallery on Thursdays and throughout the rest of the week. During the summer, an influx of college students frequents the gallery—a venue that connects the older and seasoned to the young and amateur.  

The goal of MCAA is simple: promote art in its Western North Carolina community. Similarly, the Thursday meetings aim specifically to promote MCAA’s artists in the community, said Stephen Clark, VP for Promotions of MCAA.

To further MCAA’s objective, Clark partners with local civic organizations, such as the Franklin Garden Club and the Wilderness Society. MCAA also reaches out to the youngest members of the community through children’s workshops and holding events at the Fun Factory — a popular family venue with arcade games and go-carts.

The paintings of MCAA artists adorn the walls of the Macon County Airport, Southwest Community College and several local businesses, including Franniecakes Bakery.

“We’ll work with anyone who wants to hang our art in their business,” Clark said.

With so many creatively inclined folks concentrated in the Smoky Mountain region, it is no wonder that similar artistic collaboration groups exist. Mennenger said she also belongs to a Renaissance musicians group and has heard of several other visual artists’ groups that meet in community members’ homes, though the groups are not organized under an umbrella organization such as the MCAA.

This past Saturday, the Uptown Gallery held its Pumpkinfest event, which attracted a crowd of autumn-enthusiasts from the community. The artists demonstrated their techniques, sold their art along the street, and performed balloon making and face painting for the children. Every week, the gallery holds classes that are open to members and non-members alike.

More info:

For a detailed class schedule, visit MCAA’s website at http://mcaauptowngallery.org.

“Cool!” was the typical response from kids as Fun Factory visitors walked in to find a colorful, life-sized killer whale on display just inside the Fun Factory’s entrance. It’s the centerpiece of a free August and September arts and crafts program hosted by the Macon County Arts Association and the Fun Factory.

The MCAA is a nonprofit that regularly conducts children’s art classes at its gallery, so the Fun Factory approached them to help create a fun program for kids based around its giant, fiberglass killer whale that just happened to need a new paint job.

The arts and crafts sessions will be from 10 a.m. to noon and from 2 to 4 p.m. on both Saturday, Aug. 28, and Saturday, Sept. 11, inside the Fun Factory in Franklin. These are open sessions, so kids can drop in at any time to create a sea creature craft adn visit the “Art the Whale” display.

“We want them to develop an appreciation for the arts, but this promotion also teaches them about the environment, marine life and even has a recycling component,” said Stephen Clark, MCAA marketing director.  

In addition to helping to put the finishing touches on the whale itself, children who participate also get to recycle empty milk jugs, plastic bottles and more, into craft sea creatures. Clark developed about five different craft creatures including various fish made from recycled bottles, a milk jug whale, and even a crab made out of pasta and pipe cleaners.

Registration is encouraged. All kids who register in advance or on site will be eligible to win prizes. All participants will receive a coupon for a free $5 Fun Card plus a pass to see the Shark Tales movie Friday, Sept. 24, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts.

“We want the kids and parents to bring their own empty plastic milk jugs and bottles to decorate,” said Clark. “But we’ll have plenty of extras on hand if someone forgets.” The MCAA will provide instructors to assist the children at each session, and the Fun Factory is providing all paint and craft supplies.

Many of the craft sea creatures take only about 15 minutes to create. When complete, children can place their sea creatures on display with Art the Whale for future pickup, or they are welcome to leave with their finished crafts.

Registration forms are available inside the Fun Factory, at www.funfactoryfranklin.com or at the Macon County Arts Association/Uptown Gallery on Main Street.

mcaauptowngallery.org or 828.349.4607.