Don Blackwell, one of Tryon Arts and Crafts School’s esteemed artisans, has been named the school’s Artist of the Month. His artwork will be featured, for the month of July, in the gallery of Tryon’s Arts and Crafts School at 373 Harmon Field Road, which is open from Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

In addition to being a former board member of TACS, Don helped establish the school’s woodcarving group, has exhibited in gallery shows and his work is a constant fixture in the gift shop.

Born in Hendersonville, N.C., Don studied fine arts at the University of Alaska and spent 25 years there. His work now reaches far points of the world. His originals and prints may be found in three museums, including the Ministry of Defense in Winnipeg, Canada, the Ministry of Defense in Moscow, Russia, the Pentagon and more.

Don is one of the few artists who follows the demanding and time consuming technique of the pointillism technique. A versatile artist, Don’s works are done in pen and ink, watercolor, airbrush, oil, and colored pencil.

In addition, he has adapted this technique to leather – producing a “tactile pointillism”- that is very unique and realistic. Don also creates in wood.

He teaches beginning drawing, intermediate drawing, pen and ink and colored pencil drawing at Isothermal Community College in Columbus, N.C. and has taught woodworking/carving wood spirits at Tryon Arts and Crafts School.

In addition to exhibiting at Tryon Arts and Crafts School, his work has been shown in the Dutch Harbor Museum in Unalaska, Alaska, the Tiksi Museum in Tiksi, Russia and the McGee-Tyson Library/Museum in Tennessee. He has had major shows in Homer and Anchorage Alaska and Hendersonville, N.C. Don has also exhibited in galleries in Homer and Anchorage, Townsend, Tenn., and locally at the Art Market & Mountain Arts Outpost and Heritage Museum Gift Shop in Hendersonville, One of a Kind Gallery in Micaville, Pisgah Inn Gift Shop in Brevard and Firefly Craft Gallery in Flat Rock.

Tryon Arts and Crafts School is a non-profit organization that exists to provide creative opportunities for everyone through education, instruction and expression of heritage and contemporary arts and crafts in a friendly, stimulating and enriching environment.

For more information about the school, please contact the office at 828-859-8323 or visit
TryonArtsandCrafts.org.

– article submitted

by Cathy Fischer