Alchemy of Clay: Artist of the Week Jerry Pope

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Artist of the Week Jerry Pope

Jerry Pope is a friend, and an extraordinary artist.

Copyrighted Jerry Pope

Pope was one of the writers and directors of the popular “Way Back When” series of plays that ran at the Black Mountain Center for the Arts for five years. During that time, he and his wife, Rebecca Williams, did extensive oral history interviews throughout the Valley.

Building on those interviews, he later co-wrote and illustrated “A Step Back in Time: A Walking Tour of Black Mountain” with the talented graphic designer, Nancy Mason.

Pope has also created “The Early Appalachian Coloring Book,” an historically accurate glimpse of our region from 20 million BC to just before the Civil War. This book will be published this Fall.

“People are drawn to the beauty of the mountains, but also have a need to know how this town got to be the way it is,” Pope said. “But more than history, people love stories. Stories are the meat on the bones of history.”

PRESS RELEASE:

JERRY POPE BACK WITH “STEP BACK IN TIME” HISTORY WALKING TOURS

Jerry Pope, local historian, writer and artist, will be leading walking tours through Black Mountain’s historical district every Saturday this summer from the Monte Vista Hotel. The tours will start at 7 PM and last about an hour. Advanced tickets will be sold at the Monte Vista and at Town Hardware.

The “Step Back in Time” History Walking Tour will be offered every Saturday between Memorial Day and Labor Day at 7 pm. The cost is twelve dollars per person, with group rates and private tours available. You can pick up tickets at the Monte Vista or Town Hardware. For more information call Jerry Pope at Hare Brand Ideas, 918 960-0290.

The walking tour will include both historical facts and some of the more interesting and funny stories Pope and Williams gathered for “Way Back When.”

There is a lot more about Jerry that I'm not able to cover in this little posting. Check out his new FaceBook page, or his older works...and just wait till his next creativitiy comes along!