| Sources |
- [S23] Atchley Funeral Home, (http://www.atchleyfuneralhome.com/), 4 Sep 2001.
Irene H. McFalls obituary
- [S106] The Mountain Press, 1 May 2005.
Local artists form Watercolor Society to promote area artwork
By: CANDICE GRIMM, Staff Writer May 01, 2005
GATLINBURG - Their faces may not be imprinted on the minds of visitors, or even some local residents, but the names of Jim Gray, Vern Hippensteal, Paul Murray and G. Webb have long been synonymous with beautiful paintings.
Marc Postlewaite is a newcomer to the Glades Road arts and crafts community, but his paintings are already being sought by collectors.
One might think the five artists would be rivals, but the truth is that they are allies who recently formed the Great Smoky Mountains Watercolor Society. Their goal, according to their brochure, is to "promote interest in and appreciation for watercolor paintings as a significant media depicting the culture and beauty of the Smoky Mountains."
Gray's son Chris also pointed out that the goal of the society is to "raise awareness of watercolors as a collectible medium."
Postlewaite said when the idea for a society first emerged, the five thought it would be great to get together to paint, hold shows and support each other in promotions to try to bring other artists into the community.
Gray, who was the first artist to locate in the Glades Road arts and crafts community, said, "I tried to get weavers, carvers, potters - everybody - together in 1966. I went and talked with them about a brochure to get folks out this way."
The brochure produced by the society, according to Gray, is a great way for people to see the range of watercolor art available in the area. The society itself, he added, "is a way to get together and rub brains. It's fun - artists are gregarious people."
As a whole, the five current members of the society said they have "no professional jealousies."
"We have a symbiotic relationship. If I don't have something on my wall that a customer wants, I'll send them to other art galleries," Gray said.
Having just recently formed the society, the future of their organization is still evolving, and the artists made it clear they are not seeking funding but that they are seeking other artists who want to become a part of the Great Smoky Arts and Crafts Community in the Glades.
They said their feeling is that more competition is the best thing that could happen in the Glades.
"With the 80 members we have now, the arts and crafts community is already the largest concentration of working artists in the country," said Gray. "The more move here the greater it makes us."
Postlewaite added that the society's members hope young artists looking for a place to start their careers will come to the Glades.
"If we become better known for our concentration of good artists, this area will become a destination for people looking to find good art," he said.
Membership in the Watercolor Society is limited to artists who are members of the Great Smoky Arts and Crafts Association and whose work has been judged by the five founders to be representative of the professional quality of the area.
* cgrimm@themountainpress.com
- [S51] The Seymour Herald, (www.smokymountainherald.com), 15 Jan 2007.
Bicentennial Station Stamp Cancellation Event Commemorates Establishment of Gatlinburg Name
GATLINBURG – The City continues its Bicentennial Celebration with a commemorative event which gives stamp collectors the opportunity to secure an official Gatlinburg Bicentennial Station stamp cancellation.
The United States Postal Service and the Gatlinburg Bicentennial Committee memorialize the establishment of a mail station at the store of merchant Radford Gatlin with a 9:30 a.m. ceremony on Monday, January 29, 2007 at the Gatlinburg Post Office located on East Parkway.
Postal records found in the Library of Congress make the first known reference to “Gatlinburg” in a notation dated January 29, 1856, approving Gatlin’s general store in the White Oak Flats community as a postal station and appointing Gatlin as postmaster.
The Bicentennial Committee secured the services of local artist Vern Hippensteal to design and produce a commemorative postage stamp, cancellation postmark and corresponding Bicentennial envelope to mark the occasion.
Hippensteal’s stamp features a bear dining on wild strawberries and the postmark depicts a forest. The envelope design includes a cabin scene of the Martha Jane Huskey Ogle homestead, residence of the first permanent settlers in an area which, many years later, became known as Gatlinburg. Hippensteal is a direct descendent of Martha Jane.
Postal service employees will hand-cancel any requests at the Gatlinburg office the day of the event. The postmark is free, and can only be placed on First-Class Mail postage.
Collectors from across the country are expected to mail in requests. The postmark may be obtained by enclosing self addressed stamped envelopes to: Postmaster, Gatlinburg Bicentennial Station, Gatlinburg Post Office, 1216 East Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738. Requests by mail must be received by February 28, 2007.
The official commemorative stamped, cancelled envelope will be available at a cost of $1.50 each.
The official stamps and envelopes will be sold by the Bicentennial Committee the day of the event and will also be available by mail for 30 days after the event.
The United States Postal Service will announce the cancellation event through its national newsletter and website.
- [S106] The Mountain Press, 18 May 2009.
Editorial: Vern Hippensteal great choice for arts festival special award
Another Gatlinburg Fine Arts Festival has cone and gone, but let's not start thinking about the 2010 version without paying a bit more tribute to the artist honored at this year's event, Vern Hippensteal. The Gatlinburg native was presented with the Artist Achievement Award during a "Night with the Artist Party" Friday at Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies.
Sevier County is blessed with a number of talented and dedicated artists ? men and women who work in a variety of media, from canvas to wood to stained glass and all in between.
Hippensteal has been at his craft for decades. He's a direct descendent of one of Gatlinburg's earliest families: His great-grandfather William Ogle was one of the first settlers in Gatlinburg.
Hippensteal is from a family of artistic people, and his selection, according to Stan Johnson, an organizer of the festival, was an easy choice. Hippensteal's gallery on Buckhorn Road has become a must-see stop for visitors to the arts and crafts community in what is known as the Glades.
But his community service has been a record of note as well. He has long been a supporter of other artists and the Gatlinburg community. He has been involved with the fine arts festival from its beginning.
Two years ago Hippensteal designed an official Gatlinburg Bicentennial Station stamp memorializing the establishment of a mail station at the store of merchant Radford Gatlin. The city's Bicentennial Committee got Hippensteal to design and produce the commemorative postage stamp, cancellation postmark and Bicentennial envelope to mark the city's 200th birthday. Hippensteal's stamp featured a bear dining on wild strawberries and the postmark depicted a forest. The envelope design included a cabin scene of the Martha Jane Huskey Ogle homestead, residence of the first permanent settlers in the area.
"He's, No. 1, a truly fine artist and a product of the county," Stan Johnson said. "He tries to make his art speak for itself and that the art is more important than the artist. His main goal is to try and make it better, to make that painting better than the last one he did."
The festival committee could have made no better choice than selecting Vern Hippensteal as the recipient of the 2009 Artist Achievement Award. He is most deserving.
- [S84] E-Mail, Frances Barnes Guyot [LuvDug4Evr@aol.com], 15 Jan 2012.
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1948 - (75 years)
, d. 14 Mar 1970 (Age 60 years) 