Tennessee Craft – East
About the Chapter
Tennessee Craft – East welcomes artists from the following counties to participate in meetings and events: Anderson, Blount, Campbell, Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger, Hamblen, Jefferson, Knox, Loudon, Monroe, Morgan, Roane, Scott, Sevier and Union.
Visit the Chapter’s Facebook Page.
Chapter Leadership
- President | Julie Boisseau-Craig
- Vice-President | Steven Varga
- Secretary | vacant
- Treasurer | Charlene Lachicotte
- Board Rep | Julie Boisseau-Craig
Upcoming Events & Meetings
UPCOMING MEETING: July 19th – 2:00 pm – Kerns Bakery Food Court
Member Announcements:
- ATTN: Metalsmiths & Metal Artists!!!!
- A new group is forming for artists that work primarily in metal and jewelry (small and large scale)
- Their first meeting will be July 22 at 3:00pm – at the Emporium (100 Gay Street, Knoxville), room 108
- Please note: the Arts & Culture Alliance will be having a meeting at 4:30 the same date
- More info: amysabatier[AT]gmail[DOT]com
Past Events & Meetings
We had a nice meeting Sunday, June 28 at Able Trade. Thank you to Able Trade and all who braved the rain. The sun had come back out by the time the meeting started.
The East Chapter members participated in the Downtown Knoxville First Friday on July 3, with a table set up and small exhibition to showcase their work at Able Trade.
A few things that we discussed:
- THIS FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! – First Friday art crawl for Knoxville – July 3rd
- We need artists to bring some work to showcase at Able Trade – must be a member to participate
- Details:
-
- The East Chapter will be participating in the Downtown Knoxville First Friday with a table set up and small exhibition at Able Trade. If you would like to participate, please email tncrafteast@gmail (or reply to this email) – https://www.weareabletrade.com/
-
- Any participants will need to:
- Let us know you wish to participate, WITH a few images of the type of work you will be bringing for social media!!! (I can pull images from your website or social media if you let me know that information.)
-
- Just as a reminder, we are expected to:
- share & tag #abletradeknox on Instagram leading up to the event
- be fully set up by 4pm on July 3rd,
- you may drop off works to Charlene Lachicotte at UT earlier in the week or before 3 on Friday, July 3rd, please email clachicotte[AT]gmail[DOT]com to coordinate
- The group must remain set up for the full 5:30-8:30 event
- Tear down can happen after 8:30 on July 3rd, anything not picked up the night of the event will go with Charlene Lachicotte, and you will need to make arrangements with her to retrieve it the following week.
- There will be a 15% commission to TnCraft, East Chapter, the artist keeps the rest, but works do not need to be for sale
- Please bring your own labels, prices, cards, bags, etc. (Charlene can provide labels and bags if you provide the information for the labels)
- Labeling and pricing work: please provide the following information for each piece that you drop off:
-
- Your Name
- Title
- medium/material/process
- Price or NOT FOR SALE (NFS)
Also, some things about the upcoming Fall Fair in Nashville (October 9, 10, & 11) set up is Thursday night, the 8th:
- The Emerging Makers’ Tent (EMT) program is changing. There will no longer be individual chapters represented in the tent. Emerging artists who have not participated 3 times or more will be juried into the tent, so be on the lookout for the application for that.
- A new program is starting – Chapter Booths
-
- Each chapter is eligible to have their own group booth in the fair
- There must be at least 3 participants in a 10’x10’ booth (and at least 6 in a 10’x20’) – we have committed to a 10’x10’ with max of 5 participants, depending on how much work
- This will be a good opportunity to participate in the Fall Fair if you are not juried into the EMT or the main fair with your own booth.
- Please let us know if you wish to participate
NEXT MEETING: July 19th – 2:00pm – Kerns Bakery Food Court
Member Announcements:
- ATTN: Metalsmiths & Metal Artists!!!!
-
- A new group is forming for artists that work primarily in metal and jewelry (small and large scale)
- Their first meeting will be July 22 at 3:00pm – at the Emporium (100 Gay Street, Knoxville), room 108
- Please note: the Arts & Culture Alliance will be having a more at 4:30 the same date
- More info: amysabatier[AT]gmail[DOT]com
Join us for the next Chapter Meeting on Sunday, May 24 at 2:00 p.m. at Able Trade in downtown Knoxville. We look forward to gathering, sharing updates, and connecting with fellow members.
Past Events & Meetings
Chapter Meeting
Sunday, March 22, 2:00 PM at Kerns Food Court.
Email tncrafteast[AT]gmail[DOT]com with questions.
Dillsboro Creative Arts Center, Jackson County TDA, North Carolina Arts Council, Innovation Brewing, and White Duck Taco of Hendersonville Invite youSaturday, March 28, 2026 | 11:00AM – 7:00PM
DILLSBORO GLASS ARTS FESTIVAL
828-631-0271
Chapter Meeting
Wednesday, February 16, 4:00 PM
East Chapter member meeting at Panera Bread, 4855 Kingston Pike in Downtown Knoxville. Email tncrafteast[AT]gmail[DOT]com for more information or visit our Facebook page.
Chapter Meeting
Wednesday, September 28, 6:30 PM
East Chapter member meeting at Pour Taproom, 207 West Jackson Ave in Downtown Knoxville. Email tncrafteast[AT]gmail[DOT]com for more information or visit our Facebook page.
Chapter Meeting
Tuesday, June 28, 6:30 PM
East Chapter meeting at Boyd’s Jig and Reel, 101 S Central Street in Downtown Knoxville. Email tncrafteast[AT]gmail[DOT]com for more information or visit our Facebook page.
Sunday, March 21, 6:00 PM, via Zoom
Kim Waag, Executive Director of Tennessee Craft, will discuss the application and jury process when applying to exhibitions, fairs, and other events, including artist and technique statements, image photos, and any different considerations for virtual. There will be plenty of time for Q&A, so come ready to engage! The meeting link will be emailed to current chapter members in our newsletter. Not a member, but want to attend? Email tncrafteast[AT]gmail[DOT]com for more information or visit our Facebook page.
Sunday, September 13, 3:00-4:30 PM, via Zoom
The Nuts and Bolts of Online SalesPersonship
Becky Ziemer shared her experiences, discussing the pros and cons of different selling platforms, illuminating how in-person skills can be used online, showing the importance of focus, and giving tips on leveraging social media.
Becky Ziemer:
As a child, Becky had many different interests and enjoyed all forms of artistic expression, but none of them captured her attention like clay. After getting a BFA in graphic design from the University of Mississippi and spending 15 years in that profession, she realized that her heart kept going back to ceramics. That, along with rising Etsy sales and a wholesale inquiry from a nationally known gift catalog, convinced her to drop graphic design and take the leap to become a full time ceramics artist in 2015.
Becky lives in a cute little 100-year-old house in Midtown, Memphis, and works out of her basement studio. Her life revolves around her teenage son, her two kitties, and making up all kinds of colorful, whimsical “critters”. Some are based on real animals, some are inspired from kitchy puns and pop culture references, and some are quite UNreal in origin! To get a peek at what’s coming next, follow her on Facebook or Instagram @BeckyZee38104. You can also visit her website and sign up for her newsletter at www.beckyzee.com.
February 17, 2020, 7:30 PM
Chapter Meeting at Mighty Mud (127 Jennings Ave, Knoxville, TN)
Connections Through Craft: A Tennessee Craft-East Exhibition at the Emporium Center
November 2019
The Emporium Arts Center, 100 S Gay St, Knoxville, TN
Connections Through Craft was a member showcase featuring fine arts and crafts by Tennessee Craft – East artists. This event also highlighted a public mural created by members of the community at Art in the Valley – a festival held at Ijams Nature Center last month.
This showcase was up through November at the Emporium and supported the mission of Tennessee Craft: to connect emerging and experienced makers, as well as the public, with resources and opportunities to make their mark on Tennessee’s handmade legacy.
Art in the Valley: A Southern Fine Arts and Craft Festival
October 6, 2019, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Ijams Nature Center, 2915 Island Home Ave, Knoxville, TN
The 4th annual Art in the Valley was a Southern Fine Arts and Craft Festival celebrating the handmade arts of the southeast and encompassing all styles and genres from both emerging and established artists.
For More Information, visit the Facebook event page.
January 24, 2019, 6:00 PM
Chapter Meeting & Potluck at Aventine Northshore Clubhouse (1971 Willow Loop Way, Knoxville, TN)
Art in the Valley: https://www.facebook.com/events/449407408883808/
