We Live in a Wonderland: Appalachia with Stephen Lyn Bales
Register for the Zoom Link and Recording
Thursday, September 4, 7pm EDT on Zoom
The Appalachian Mountains and its foothills are a wonderland of plants and animals. This lush green Eden is filled with thousands of wonders from mysterious owls hiding along the crest of the Smokies to bears, otters, and the shy ones wearing masks. Although we almost lost raccoons due to fashion crazies of the last century!
Local naturalist Stephen Lyn Bales grew up in Gatlinburg at the base of Mount LeConte and is the author of the new book “We Live in a Wonderland: Appalachia.”
Join Michelle Campanis, education coordinator at the University of Tennessee Arboretum, and Bales as he gives us an overview of his latest book. The book is a collection of 26 wanderings, wonderings, and stories from Appalachia and its foothills including “Symphony Charmed Owl”, “A bucket full of Starlings” and “Homeless Raccoon” plus bears, otters, bluebirds and wrens. No matter where you live you will learn to see the beauty of our natural world in a new and unique way from the observations of Stephen Lyn.
To contact Stephen Lyn Bales or buy one of his UT Press books, email him at hellostephenlyn@gmail.com.
Please contact Michelle at mcampani@utk.edu for any questions or registration issues.
Tai Chi in the Trees
Join certified instructors(Tai Chi Institute for Health) Patricia Paden and Michelle Campanis for Tai Chi in the Trees outdoors at the UT Arboretum’s Sharp Program Shelter. This is a class for ages 16 and up. No experience is necessary. For questions contact Michelle Campanis
Location: 901 S. Illinois Avenue, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830
Art in the Arboretum: Botanical Printing Workshop with Jan Quarles
Register to Reserve a Spot: Class Limit is 10
Saturday, September 13, 9am -4pm EDT
Join us at the UT Arboretum for a full day botanical printing workshop on Saturday, September 13 from 9am -4pm. Did you know many leaves and flowers will share colors and create beautiful natural prints on fabric? Botanical printer Jan Quarles will teach a workshop on the basics of this amazing process during our Art in the Arboretum fall event. Workshop participants will make and take home two scarves of their own design!
Due to the hands-on instruction, the class is limited to 10 participants. *The fee is $140 which covers instruction and all materials including the two silk scarves that each participant will print and take home! Registration with payment is required to reserve your spot in the class. The class is for ages 16 and up. UT Arboretum Society members receive a 15% discount on registration. One scholarship is available for a high school or college student to participate in the class. Contact Michelle Campanis, UT Arboretum Education Coordinator at mcampani@utk.edu. Please wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty!
Students will learn how to choose plants that transfer their color and prints well. Each student will make two beautiful silk scarves by placing plants (leaves and flowers) for a design on a prepared fabric. They will then then roll, dye, and steam the fabric in a layered technique for beautiful prints. Work will be done with two prepared scarves – one with eucalyptus that turns an amazing red and another with materials provided by the Arboretum.
*Minimum of 4 attendees for class to be held.
Our instructor, Jan Quarles, is a long-time fiber artist who works with the beauty of the natural world. For more than 30 years she’s been a dyer, weaver, knitter, seamstress, and spinner. Today, with her small business, What Nature Leaves, she is a botanical printer who marries natural dyes with nature’s leaves and flowers to document colors and seasons.
She’s also an indigo dyer and practitioner of shibori and katazome who deeply loves the magic of indigo and layers the blues with other natural dyes in her botanical practice. Quarles had a solo show of her indigo and botanical prints in Nashville in 2022. She has a botanically printed flag in an international show and has studied with many teachers at Arrowmont, Penland and other craft venues nationally and internationally. She is a former journalist and professor of mass communication in the United States and overseas who has always practiced her fiber arts in the hours that were her own.
Please contact Michelle at mcampani@utk.edu for any questions or registration issues.
