According to Whisenhunt, the artwork being produced at YHC is maturing as a result of the new four-year program that allows students to continue to develop skills they refined in foundational courses while focusing more on content. “This shift makes the students think more about the meaning behind the work, which allows them to express themselves more effectively,” he said. While experiences outside the classroom help shape the nature of the art students create, one of the most influential communities they experience is the one they find right on campus. The Annex has indubitably become a home for the Art Department, with various studio spaces serving as de facto family rooms where students and faculty spend time celebrating triumphs, working through trying times and, most importantly, telling their stories. Oquendo likened being an art student at YHC to being part of a “family unit” full of different personalities. “We bounce ideas off of each other and inspire one another on a daily basis,” she said. “I honestly can’t imagine having a better experience anywhere else.” Kasey Bezio, freshman, Decatur “Untitled,” ink and mud, 24’’ x 18’’
PRESERVING A
Folk Art TRADITION
Young Harris College recently introduced a colorful and unique piece of folk art in the form of a bottle tree located in front of the Center for Appalachian Studies and Community Engagement. YHC Groundskeeper Joe Tiger first proposed the project due to his knowledge of the southern Appalachian tradition. Tiger grew up in Hayesville, N.C., and regularly saw bottle trees adorning the local landscape. “A friend of my grandmother told me they protected homes from ‘haints,’ or lost souls that didn’t make it to their next destination,” Tiger explained. “The haint would be attracted by the shiny, colorful glass and enter the bottle where they would get trapped inside.” The bottles are placed upside down with the neck facing the trunk because legend states that the haints, derived from the word “haunts,” cannot exit a bottle if it’s upside down. Blue bottles are considered most effective, and the bright cobalt color is often referred to as “haint blue.” Bottle trees are now primarily used as yard art and often feature a metal base. However, Tiger suggested that the “trunk” of YHC’s tree be constructed out of wood from a sycamore that previously resided on campus to further enhance the connection with the local area. “The bottle tree is a visual and cultural representation of this once remote region and the people who lived here,” said Tiger. “It provides a reference for local culture and stands as a piece of folk art I hope will be enjoyed for its aesthetics and meaning.” Art students welded and installed metal branches for the tree and added bottles donated by Crane Creek Vineyards in Young Harris. “Not only is the bottle tree visually striking, but it also represents the rich heritage of the southern Appalachian region,” said Dean of the Division of Fine Arts, Art Department Chair and Associate Professor of Art Ted Whisenhunt. “Hopefully the tree raises questions that lead to discussions about folklore and spark an interest to do more research on the subject.”
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