Wild spring hike coming up! Gallery will be open–new work will be on display

We are excited to gather again on the land at SVI to commune with the Spring wildflowers, be taken in by the forest edibles, and connect with each other.
We will gather in the garden by Sweetgum and Liquidambar Gallery and begin our hike up Hemlock Grove. From there we will move with the curves, rocks, and ridges of the land along the NEW creekside trail that Patrick and Leah have been forming in joy and love and play!
We will take some time in the Flat Place before heading back to Moonshadow, yet this year we will respectfully not be entering, nor giving a tour of the space.
Remember your snacks, water, natural bug repellent, close toed hikers, party hats, and friends!
Because of preserving the habitat, please kindly refrain from bringing your fur babies.
Our suggested donation is $10 per person, family rates available, and no one will be turned away for lack of funds.
We are so excited share in person with you on the land after so long!
We are in the CENTRAL time zone– that means be here by 12 noon Chattanooga time!

Carol will have her new spring mugs, all decorated with the lovely leaves of early spring, available! Leah, a new exhibitor, will be showing her mysterious goddess pieces made with love and skill from ancient and recent bones, plants, crystals, and strange liquids. Patrick has new sculptures and kaleidoscopes for your imagination. Michelle’s stunning paintings are again on the gallery walls.

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GALLERY REOPENS IN DECEMBER 2021 through 2022!

January 14, 2022 | carolkimmons | Edit

Desperate for that special present? We will have the Gallery open in 2022 by appointment! Lots of new and beautiful artwork is on display. Call Carol at 404 698 5444 for more information or to set a time to come by. We have arranged for self-service if we can’t be around, so bring cash or check and help yourself! Credit ok if we are available.

Come across the creek to see us. We are located in the magical heart of the Sequatchie Valley, and feature work by Carol Kimmons (Pottery),  Patrick Ironwood(Natureofreaction.art), Asha Ironwood (IRONWOOD GLASSWORKS on FB), and Michelle Kimmons (paintings).

Our marked forest nature trails are also open, but please contact us in advance. Plan to go on a hike while you are here.  Dress for adventure!

Due to covid, please bring your own snacks, drinks, and mask.

Sequatchie Valley Institute and the Gallery are located at 1233 Cartwright Loop, Whitwell, TN, off Hwy TN-28 between Dunlap and Whitwell, just 45 minutes from Monteagle or Chattanooga. 

From Monteagle, take the Interstate to Exit 155; turn left onto TN-28N, drive 19 miles North past Whitwell.  Turn left on Cartwright Loop and go 0.7 miles to 1233 and a Liquidambar sign. 

From north Chattanooga, take US -27N to Hwy 111 toward Dunlap, turn left onto US-127 through Dunlap, then right onto TN-28S at the schools, go 7 miles to Cartwright Loop, turn right, and go 0.7 mile to #1233 and a Liquidambar sign. You may also come across Suck Creek road to Whitwell then north on TN 28 for about 8 miles. Turn left on Cartwright Loop after the Dollar Store.

Turn in and park, then walk across the bridge to the gallery.

For appointments or information, call 404 698 5444 or email carolkimmons@gmail.com  

Proceeds from the Gallery help support the educational programs of Sequatchie Valley Institute, a non-profit 501(c)(3) educational organization promoting education and research in sustainable green living, ecology, and art.

Sun is Shining Today!Gallery and Trails are Open!

Plan now for the Wildflower Hikes. Ragwort, toothwort, and blue phlox are already budding!

GALLERY REOPENS IN DECEMBER 2021 through 2022!

January 14, 2022 | carolkimmons | Edit

Desperate for that special present? We will have the Gallery open in 2022 by appointment! Lots of new and beautiful artwork is on display. Call Carol at 404 698 5444 for more information or to set a time to come by. We have arranged for self-service if we can’t be around, so bring cash or check and help yourself! Credit ok if we are available.

Come across the creek to see us. We are located in the magical heart of the Sequatchie Valley, and feature work by Carol Kimmons (Pottery),  Patrick Ironwood(Natureofreaction.art), Asha Ironwood (IRONWOOD GLASSWORKS on FB), and Michelle Kimmons (paintings).

Our marked forest nature trails are also open, but please contact us in advance. Plan to go on a hike while you are here.  Dress for adventure!

Due to covid, please bring your own snacks, drinks, and mask.

Sequatchie Valley Institute and the Gallery are located at 1233 Cartwright Loop, Whitwell, TN, off Hwy TN-28 between Dunlap and Whitwell, just 45 minutes from Monteagle or Chattanooga. 

From Monteagle, take the Interstate to Exit 155; turn left onto TN-28N, drive 19 miles North past Whitwell.  Turn left on Cartwright Loop and go 0.7 miles to 1233 and a Liquidambar sign. 

From north Chattanooga, take US -27N to Hwy 111 toward Dunlap, turn left onto US-127 through Dunlap, then right onto TN-28S at the schools, go 7 miles to Cartwright Loop, turn right, and go 0.7 mile to #1233 and a Liquidambar sign. You may also come across Suck Creek road to Whitwell then north on TN 28 for about 8 miles. Turn left on Cartwright Loop after the Dollar Store.

Turn in and park, then walk across the bridge to the gallery.

For appointments or information, call 404 698 5444 or email carolkimmons@gmail.com  

Proceeds from the Gallery help support the educational programs of Sequatchie Valley Institute, a non-profit 501(c)(3) educational organization promoting education and research in sustainable green living, ecology, and art.

Snow’s Over–Sun’s Out and Trails are Ready for Forest Lovers, Sunday, Feb. 9, 11am to 4 pm.

Valentine’s Day is coming so come find a present for your loved one! We have a fine new selection of flame-work heart necklaces made by Asha Ironwood for just $20, in every color. For the beer drinker, we have mugs with hops vines impressed in the clay, as well as many more mugs, with local flowers and leaves from our forest (and the name of the plants on the bottom) for coffee, tea, cold drinks, wine, or even good Tennessee whiskey. Patrick has a large selection of amazing sculptures, along with pendants and kaleidoscopes for everyone to enjoy. Carol has the beautiful work now on display from the first wood-firing in the kiln we built and fired using scrap wood from our forest and saw mill. Wood firing produces unique colors and pattern from the ash and fire itself, and cannot be duplicated. Each piece is a treasure. Ten percent of our sales goes to the educational programs of Sequatchie Valley Institute, a non-profit organization, encouraging sustainable living and understanding of our ecosystem.

Our trails are available with self-guiding booklets to make you more acquainted with the ecosystem, plants, trees, geology, and even history of 300 acres of untouched 100 year old forest on the side of the beautiful Sequatchie Valley. You will also to able to see our solar-powered homes that are sustainably built of rocks and lumber, all hand-crafted by our family and friends.

Some come to visit and find peace along the fast -flowing creek and streams as the flood recedes. The trails are easy to moderate, and, in case you tire along the way, there are easy round-trips to enjoy. Or you may simply wish to find a warm limestone rock to sit and watch the stream rush by.

We are easy to find, between the charming small towns of Whitwell and Dunlap, just off the main road. You can find a number of very nice restaurants in both towns, including the Dunlap Restaurant, featuring great breakfasts with the best southern biscuits and gravy and fabulous country ham, Andy’s Pizzas, and The Cookie Jar, famous for its pies. El Metate is a favorite for Mexican food.

Gallery and Trails Open Feb. 1 and 2–Celebrate Ground Hog Day With Us on Sunny Sunday!

Yes, I’m afraid the bad news is that there will be lots of sun to frighten our groundhogs. The good news is that there will be lots of sunshine with 60 degrees of lovely spring-like weather. So take advantage and try out our trails! Hick’s Creek is running clear and beautiful and the trails are clear and ready for walking. We are expanding the Hemlock Grove Trail so you will be able to walk further upstream along the creek.

Lots has happened since the Holiday Reception. Carol has been recovering from knee replacement and is already hiking the trails. Her nature-based pottery is practical and unique. The Gallery is replete with new work from Patrick and Nature of Reaction. This is a good time to see his unique sculptures before he packs up for springtime shows. We have new work from Asha Ironwood whose lampworking is beautiful. Michelle’s watercolors can bring the beauty of the nature around us into your home. We will provide some small refreshments for you, cheese and crackers no doubt, along with some fresh herbal tea collected from our gardens and forest.

It’s just 2 weeks until Valentine’s Day and we have a choice of ideas for your loved ones. Asha’s heart necklaces in all the colors of the rainbow make very special gifts.

Along the trail.

If you missed the Reception, you must come by to see the exciting work from our first firing in the Alpenglow Wood Fired Kiln. This beautiful kiln was built by Carol and Johnny with help from Patrick and many others, using mainly recycled and salvaged brick. We fired the kiln with the help of the family and especially Loren Howard, our wonderful potter friend who understands all the complex technical details of firing with wood. The firing took over 24 straight hours of tossing in wood every 5-8 minutes plus controlling air flow, dampers, and chimney. The wood all came from the forest around us, from trees that have died or fallen and scrap from our sawmill which also only cuts sustainably harvested trees from our 300 acres of forest. We had to wait 4 days for cooling before we could open the sealed kiln and see the results, which are stunning. You can see the results here in the Gallery now. We are now planning a second firing in March, and you, yes you, are invited to come help out! Details upcoming.

As if that isn’t enough excitement for Spring, it will soon be time for our yearly Sequatchie Valley Wildflower Hikes, scheduled for March 28 and April 11. Save the date!

Holiday Reception Coming December 14!

Cross the creek to experience the Gallery and studios located in the magical heart of the Sequatchie Valley, featuring NEW WORK by Carol Kimmons, Patrick Ironwood, Michelle Kimmons, and more.

Enjoy a visual feast of art made here in our studios featuring ceramics, flameworked glass, metal ornaments and sculptures, kaleidoscopes, and paintings, all unique gift ideas.  Watch our artists painting, working glass, and making pottery. Sample local mead, hot spiced cider, and Sequatchie Cove cheeses as you relax in the Gallery library with SVI’s favorite books on the good life–a cozy place to chat with the artists.  Kids welcome!

While you are here, hike on over two miles of marked forest nature trails and Arboretum Trail, through 350 acres protected by the Land Trust of Tennessee. Dress for adventure!

SVI is located at 1233 Cartwright Loop, Whitwell, TN, off Hwy 28 between Dunlap and Whitwell, just 45 minutes from Chattanooga.

Website:  https://liquidambarsvi.wordpress.com; svionline.org

Facebook.com:  liquidambargallery.SVI; Sequatchie Valley Institute

For more Info, contact: 404-698-5444; Carolkimmons@gmail.com

Proceeds from the Gallery help support the educational programs of SVI.

SVI is a non-profit 501(c)(3) educational organization promoting

education and research in sustainable green living, ecology, and art.

Lovely Weather for Hiking Today! Open Saturday and Sunday from 10-5 pm Central Time

And lots of new stuff in the gallery. We will be closing the gallery on the 29th for our Fall craft shows, reopening for the Holiday Reception on Dec. 14, so if you are looking for some fabulous art made by local artists in the beautiful Sequatchie Valley, come to see us this weekend or next. It’s also a great time for hiking, as the temperatures are finally below the 90’s! The Glade is full of flowers now, goldenrod, lobelia, ageratum, and more, attracting out valuable pollinators and birds. Lots of muscadines are hanging on the vines in our vineyard, and are free for the picking as we have already put up over 35 qts of juice and more jam. Although we will be closing in 2 weeks, you may also give us a call if you want to come by another time for a hike or visit and we may be able to arrange it. Michelle’s paintings and our books will still be available, along with a selection of Patrick’s kaleidoscopes and Carol’s unique pieces. You will enjoy the autumn forest and the arboretum as the leaves begin to change.

Gallery and Trails Open September 7-8, 10-5pm

We are a bit piled up at the Gallery right now, with Patrick just back from a successful and fun weekend at DragonCon in Atlanta, and Carol and Johnny preparing to go to the Native Plants Symposium at the Huntsville Botanical Gardens, with our stock of lovely tiles and functional ware impressed with the native plants from our forest and fields. However, we still have lots of lovely work in the gallery, including the pieces that just came from the last kiln firing in preparation for the Native Plants show, as well as a new batch of beer mugs decorated with hops vines. We won’t pack them till Monday, just so you will have a chance to grab your favorite this weekend.

We want to show you part of the process for producing the tiles.