Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

TRYON—Artist Scott Varn found a personal calling in the pages of his rare 1872 2-volume edition of “Picturesque America.” From natural treasures and wilderness secrets to proud cityscapes, the books tour 19th-century America through 950 steel and wood engravings created by eminent artists who explored the country. 

In the next Live@Lanier, set for Thursday, May 16, at 1 p.m., Scott will share his personal artistic adventures of discovery and preservation motivated by the many locations, art, and artists in the books.

Wondering about the fates of the sites, Scott set out to find in person all that he could and preserve current views through his ink washes and wood-cut prints. He has visited 311 of the sites so far, and his passion has become a non-profit organization for artists in seven states. Adventuresome artists explore and find some sites unspoiled, and others lost in development. Scott and their art and fundraising help the Appalachian Conservancy, Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor, Pisgah National Forest, and similar groups.

To see Scott’s books and some of what he and the other artists have discovered in their adventures, his program is free to the public at Lanier Library, located at 72 Chestnut St. in Tryon.

To learn more, call 828-859-9535 or visit thelanierlibrary.org.