Christmas in Our Town

Christmas in Our Town is a Sparta event where you visit Sparta businesses to get a paper stamped, and then turn it in for a drawing. There's also nifty stuff going on around town, like a home tour, and music on the square.

Fragrant Mushroom Gallery saw a LOT of traffic coming through Saturday for this event, and we had artists demonstrating their work upstairs. Patrick did wood cutting, Karen painting and Deanna and her son chainmaille. It was great to talk to people from this area who enjoy art!

Art and craft classes will be starting in January; so far there are painting, wood block printing, chainmaille weaves and art history projects for kids. Stop by and see Cheri to find out what's going on, let her know what you're interested in learning, and sign up! Get some Christmas shopping done in the process, there are some amazing things in the store and a lot of them are new!

Beading Celebrity!

Connie Steele on Tennessee Crossroads

On Wednesday, December 2, 2009, our local celebrity Connie Steele was on PBS's Tennessee Crossroads show doing her Native American (and other) beadwork. Click that link to check out her segment of the show!

Growing Art in SpARTa

We want to congratulate Patrick on his new studio and store on the mountain, Misty Mountain Pottery. He's got pots! And classes. He's at 284 Corolla Road, same road as Cope's Slaughterhouse. You might've seen his work here in our Gallery, or at Coffee Corner. Go visit!

Walking in a Window Wonderland

Last Saturday two teams made up of Gallery artisans gathered to create these magical windows, two completely different wonderlands created by a meeting of minds. The left window is a Christmas Toyland with a fireplace, a rotating Christmas tree, and a toy horse leaping from a gift box. Beneath the tree you'll find an assortment of Fragrant Mushroom artisan gifts. The other window is a magical recreation of Sparta in wintertime, with Oldham Theater, the courthouse, and of course the building that now houses Fragrant Mushroom, along with art dolls, lampposts and lights.

Definitely stop by and see the windows, and vote for your favorite!

New Blog

Watch this space! I'd like to make this a place to announce upcoming events at Fragrant Mushroom Gallery, as well as to showcase the work of artists and maybe do an artist interview and profile or two, and the occasional spotlight on things - particularly artistic things- going on in our community. If you'd like to write or suggest something for this blog, email me (your humble blogmaster, Deanna) at Dmedtrans@blomand.net.