The news this morning about the spread of forest fires into the resort town of Gatlinburg were scary. The very mention of Arrowmont among the list of 30 or so businesses that were identified as fire-damaged or destroyed made my heart sink. Pictures like the one on the left, looking up the drive into Arrowmont, left me feeling a huge sense of loss.
The news later in the day sounds a little more promising. Yes there were buildings burned on the Arrowmont campus, but not all. Mixed reports seem to narrow the destruction down to maybe 2 buildings with smoke damage to others. That’s still not great news, but there is a sense of relief and thankfulness that no lives were lost and that a special place to me and so many artists survived.
Arrowmont Executive Director, Bill Mays, is quoted in a WBIR-TV interview as saying, “We are OK. Much destruction and loss in our community, many hurting. Thankful the school survived. Thankful for Arrowmont friends everywhere. Please get the word out that Arrowmont is still here.”
