Craft Your Love for Art in Blount County, TN

Across the county, artists are creating, teaching and sharing their talents with the community.

By Kelly Rogers on January 4, 2024

McQueen Pottery

Whether in a private studio, classroom or at a local market, there’s an abundance of art in Blount County. Artisans work in a number of mediums and invite community members to engage and participate as they build a rich and diverse local art scene. 

Art in Blount County: Enjoy Clay and Classes 

Leanne McQueen knows a thing or two about pottery. After gaining a bachelor of fine arts in ceramics at the University of Tennessee, McQueen started her own studio, McQueen Pottery, where she makes production pottery (dinnerware, mainly) for restaurants and online registry orders. Her ceramics are featured at nearby Blackberry Farm, in fact, as part of both the dining experience and retail offerings. 

In 2011, around the time when McQueen had gone back to grad school for art education, she had the opportunity to move her small studio to a bigger space in downtown Maryville, so she took the plunge and created Studio 212. 

“We started out teaching classes, developing an after-school program for kids and teens, and then added classes for adults,” McQueen says. 

Now, over a decade later, McQueen has built a community of potters that have come through the studio over the years. 

“We have kids who have been with us since they’ve been little,” she says. “Some are even going into art school. It’s great to watch these kids grow and evolve as artists.” 

C. Finley Art

Wowing With Watercolor 

Chuck Finley is a newcomer to the professional arts scene, though he’s been drawing since elementary school. A former restaurant manager, Finley tried his hand at watercolors when he was temporarily laid off as the pandemic began in 2020. 

“I was working on a pet portrait with markers, and I saw my son’s starter watercolor kit just sitting by my art table,” Finley says. “I picked up the paintbrush and haven’t looked back.” 

While honing his skill with a new medium, Finley found an interesting opportunity through a real estate agent friend of his, who asked him to create a commissioned painting of a house she had recently sold to give as a closing gift. 

That was the beginning of a new chapter for Finley, who began taking on commissioned projects regularly – enough so that, at the end of 2020, he quit his job at the restaurant and decided to pursue art full time under the name C. Finley Art. 

“Originally, I was working from home, but then I got a studio space in downtown Maryville, which I kept as a workspace for a year and a half,” Finley says. “After I saw another artist open a gallery on the other side of the street, it inspired me to transform my own into a gallery.” 

Finley’s now focusing on original artwork more than commissioned pieces and hopes to continue adding to his portfolio. He welcomes visitors to his studio/gallery and is always keen for a chat and willing to answer any questions. 

East Tennessee Maker’s Market

A Market With a Cause 

Twice a year, the McArthur Pavilion at Maryville College transforms into the East Tennessee Maker’s Market (ETMM), where local and regional artists offer their handcrafted, homegrown or made-from-scratch goods to the community. 

Since its inception, the Maker’s Market, which features over 75 local makers, has grown in attendance and participation, becoming a well-loved and highly anticipated community event. Yet, it has kept its charm and “market” feel by design. 

“It truly is a special market,” says Debra Dean, organizer of ETMM. “Time seems to slow down as people peruse the market, not in any rush – this isn’t a big festival, it’s got a true charm to it.” 

ETMM isn’t only special for the atmosphere it creates and the artists it features – it’s also unique in its charity-focused mission. 

“One hundred percent of the market fees are given to support the economic development program in Guatemala through World Orphans,” Dean says. “Our fees will further help families in need, including single mothers who are makers and artisans.” 

Dean intends to visit Guatemala and bring back a suitcase full of handcrafted goods, continuing the exchange of support for artists at home and abroad. 

Steven Bridges

Spotlight: Clayton Center for the Arts

It was 1999 when Maryville College officials met with the Blount County Chamber of Commerce to talk about establishing a civic arts center for the region. A fundraising drive was started to secure money from federal, state, corporate and private sources as well as from Maryville College itself, and the efforts culminated in 2010 with the opening of Clayton Center for the Arts.

Today, the on-campus center is a partnership between Maryville College and the cities of Maryville and Alcoa. The venue presents a vast lineup of theater, dance, visual art and music events throughout the year.

The center is also a designated stop on the Tennessee Music Pathways route, which stretches across the state’s 95 counties to connect visitors to musical points of interest. In addition, the Center is listed and recommended in the 2023 Tennessee Vacation Guide as an arts destination. 

– Staff Writer Kevin Litwin contributed to this article.