See “Why We Cowee”

Cowee School Arts and Heritage Center opens resident artist exhibition Oct. 10

The statement “Why We Cowee” is made clear through the work on display in the Cowee School Arts and Heritage Center’s newest art exhibition. The Center’s resident artists display their work, together, in the exhibition that opens October 10 and runs through January 31, 2026.

“Why We Cowee” examines and celebrates the rich heritage of our community in this historic corner of southern Appalachia,” said Laura Brooks, executive director. “Additionally, this show emphasizes Cowee as a place of artistic exploration and expression, which draws our dedicated resident artists who operate their small businesses here while practicing a wide array of disciplines.”

Who are they?

The resident artists at the Center include visual artists, potters, quilters, weavers, dancers, musicians, an author/poet, naturalist eco-tour guides, a cartoonist, a podcaster, and wellness instructors who engage regularly with the varied community interests the Center serves. They include:

•  Teresa Bouchonnet, Cowee Millinery and Textiles; weaver, milliner, instructor

•  Jeremy Brooks, SketchBrooks; graphic designer, cartoonist

•  Carol Conti, Carol Conti Studio; painter, instructor

•  Cowee Pottery School

•  Kim Keelor, Carolina Artworks; multi-disciplinary visual artist, instructor

•  Angela Martin, Alarka Expeditions; naturalist, singer-songwriter, instructor 

•  Brent Martin, Blue Ridge Bartram Trail Conservancy executive director; co-owner Alarka Expeditions; naturalist; author/poet

•  Ashlyn Miller, Innerwoven Wellness; somatic stress release (levels 1-3); integrative somatic trauma therapy; practical shamanism; Kriya yoga; applied ayurvedic studies

•  Smoky Mountain Quilters Guild of Western North Carolina 

•  Kelly Penland, The Dance Arts Co-op; dancer; instructor; costume designer

•  Maggie Rice, DOM Healing and Wellness;  reiki master; third degree in the Usui Shiki Ryoho lineage; registered yoga teacher

•  Matt Sawyer, Story Made Project; Why We Cowee; podcaster, storyteller
  
  A reception for the opening of the exhibition will be held on Friday, October 10, from 4-6p.m. It will immediately be followed by the monthly Open Mic night which runs from 6 – 8p.m. There is no charge for either event. Parking is also free.

 Hear “Why We Cowee”

Cowee resident artist Matt Sawyer, in collaboration with sponsor, City Lights Bookstore, produces a podcast called “Why We Cowee.”

 “It’s enthralling to delve into the lives of the artists and regular community contributors who make the Cowee School Arts and Heritage Center, their base for creative activities and enterprises,” Sawyer said. “During the art exhibition I will schedule a day when anyone in the community can come to share a story about why they Cowee. I will record their stories and eventually incorporate them into the podcast.”

 “The Center is in a stage of significant growth, underpinning our commitment to preserving the cultural and artistic legacy of the Cowee area and Cherokee people,” Brooks said.

The Center’s programming encompasses festivals, concerts, open mic nights, speaker and maker series; art, craft, and dance courses; plus outreach activities including Student Heritage Days, a weekly farmer’s market, community gardening, access to a commissary kitchen, and rental spaces for community use.

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