Piedmont University hosts Tapestry Artist Tommye Scanlin: ‘Because of Memory’ Exhibit Aug. 31-Sept. 28

Piedmont University is excited to announce the opening of Tommye Scanlin: Because of Memory at the Mason-Scharfenstein Museum of Art (MSMA). It will remain on view through September 28. 

The community is invited to attend the kick-off reception on August 31 from 4:30–6:30 PM. Both the reception and the event are free to the public.

Because of Memory will feature handwoven tapestries alongside works on paper based on her experiences at the Lillian E. Smith (LES) Center in Clayton, Georgia. The LES Center is an educational center and artist retreat named for Smith, a social justice activist and acclaimed author of Strange Fruit and Killers of the Dream. 

A native of Southern Appalachia, Scanlin’s work is informed by nature. Though handweaving is Scanlin’s primary medium, she uses photography, drawing, and painting as part of her research process. Many of her weavings show intricate details of rock, native plants, and other natural forms. 

Scanlin is a Professor Emerita at the University of North Georgia (Dahlonega, Georgia). She is the author of The Nature of Things: Essays of a Tapestry Weaver (University of North Georgia Press, 2020) and Tapestry Design Basics and Beyond (Schiffer Publishing, June 2021). Scanlin is a juried member of Southern Highland Craft Guild and Piedmont Craftsmen. She is a board member for the Lillian E. Smith Center and the John C. Campbell Folk School. 

The MSMA is located at 567 Georgia Street, Demorest, GA 30535. The museum is open Tuesday-Saturday, 12–5 PM. For more information, please contact Rebecca Brantley at rbrantley@piedmont.edu.

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About Piedmont University

Founded in 1897, Piedmont University is a private, comprehensive liberal arts institution offering a personalized higher education experience focused on student success, academic achievement, and professional development. Offering a variety of career-oriented majors in the arts and sciences, business, education, and nursing, Piedmont’s supportive learning environment is defined by small class sizes, with a 12:1 ratio, that allow students to create meaningful relationships with their professors, classmates, and the campus community. Piedmont’s idyllic, 300-acre residential campus is nestled in the foothills of the north Georgia mountains, with a satellite campus situated in the heart of downtown Athens. For more, please visit www.piedmont.edu, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter/X.