News

Arrowmont’s historic campus survives Gatlinburg wildfires

By Fran Day, Development Director, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts –

fire-1Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts’ iconic campus was not lost in the fire. Gatlinburg is currently inaccessible to all but emergency personnel. Arrowmont executive director Bill May is on campus and has been able to provide updates.

The fire destroyed three Arrowmont buildings – Hughes Hall Dormitory, Wild Wing Dormitory and the maintenance shed containing tools and equipment. All remaining structures on campus are secure. Information regarding additional smoke and heat damage is not available at this time. Power and phone service is limited.

“All Arrowmont personnel are safe,” says Bill May, “We have received many emails, phone calls, texts and social media posts expressing support and concern for Arrowmont and for the people in our community who have suffered loss. We are very grateful for our local and national community and the outpouring of support. Hope is not lost. We will rebuild.” Bill May is appointing a recovery team to assess damage and plan for the rebuilding of lost structures. We will inform the community when more information is available.

If you’d like to learn more about how to help Arrowmont, go to www.arrowmont.org.

Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts enriches lives by developing aesthetic appreciation and fostering self-expression with hands-on experiences in a variety of media, classes, conferences and seminars. On the leading edge of arts education, Arrowmont utilizes contemporary and fine arts techniques to build upon traditional arts and crafts.

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