End of Year Letter: 2025 2026
As we look back on 2025, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who made this year so special at FTAS.
As we welcome 2026, we reflect on a year shaped by growth, curiosity, and meaningful connection. Throughout 2025, Florence Thomas Art School remained a vibrant place for learning, making, and sharing, where creativity brought people together across generations and experiences. Art continued to inspire discovery, foster confidence, and strengthen our sense of community.
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In 2025, we embraced innovation while staying rooted in Florence Thomas’s legacy. We offered more than 120 workshops—over 40 more than the previous year—welcoming artists at every stage of their creative journey. Workshops spanned a wide range of mediums, including stained glass, oil painting, eco-printing, felting, chair caning, basket making, barn quilt painting, and more.
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We are deeply grateful to our veteran instructors, whose dedication forms the backbone of our programming, and to the new instructors who brought fresh ideas, energy, and perspectives to the school.
Exciting 2025 Highlights​
This year brought several new initiatives and milestones:
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Digitization of Florence Thomas’s Art Collection: Over 900 works by Florence Thomas—oil paintings, pastels, and watercolors—are now digitally cataloged, preserving her legacy and expanding access to her work. Select pieces are now available for viewing and purchase online. You can view her collection here.
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Workshop Space Renovations: We upgraded the workshop tables and chairs in our studio to better serve students and instructors.
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Expanded Instruction: We welcomed new instructors teaching recycled sculpture, watercolor, and pastel, and hosted workshops at community partner locations, including Old Barn Winery.
Children’s Programming
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Children’s programming continued to be a cornerstone of our work. In 2025, our Children’s stART Program engaged more than 400 Ashe County elementary students through afterschool art classes and workshops at Florence Thomas Art School.​​
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In February 2025, we partnered with Ashe County Elementary Schools and Ashe County Middle School to bring free afterschool art lessons directly to students.
The Children's stART Program
​In December of 2024, every Ashe County 3rd grader received an art kit filled with watercolor paints, brushes, and creative prompts to inspire at-home creativity.
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Since 2016, our stART Program has provided high-quality art materials to Ashe County 3rd graders, including public school and homeschooled students. Access to art supports child development by fostering motor skills, decision-making, self-expression, and cultural awareness.
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Through stART, we continue to empower children with art’s transformative tools—nurturing confident, expressive storytellers and creative thinkers.​​​​​
In January of 2025, we distributed lesson-specific art kits at each Elementary School for all Ashe County 3rd Graders. These kits included materials for the 3rd Grade Painted Story Quilt Exhibit.
In the Spring of 2025, The Painted Story Quilt Exhibit—featuring vibrant painted quilts created by Ashe County 3rd graders—was on display at Florence Thomas Art School from March 5–22.
A special reception on March 14 celebrated the young artists, their families, and teachers as part of the Children’s Art Crawl, in collaboration with the Ashe County Arts Council and Doe Ridge Pottery.​
The evening included a town-wide scavenger hunt, generous art donations from local artists, kid-friendly refreshments, and a joyful photo booth—making it a memorable celebration of creativity and community.
At the end of March, bilingual author Wayne Pitts added to the festivities with a captivating reading of his book Chita, the Famous Chicken from Toto, at all Ashe County Elementary Schools, further highlighting the power of storytelling through art and literature.
SPARK Creative Aging Program
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Thanks to the generous support of the Haven Foundation and Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC Boone, we expanded our SPARK Creative Aging program, hosting 28 workshops for older adults at Forest Ridge Assisted Living, Generations Ashe, and BCBS of Boone. These workshops provided meaningful creative engagement and connection for participants, reinforcing that creativity has no age limit.
Exhibitions
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Our exhibitions were a cornerstone of 2025, showcasing both community voices and artistic excellence.
Highlights included:
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Art of Resilience, an open-call exhibition responding to the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
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Painted Story Quilts, featuring work by 180 Ashe County 3rd graders.
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Weight, a striking exhibition of trash weavings by Kelsey Merreck Wagner.
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Three Artists, Three States, Three Styles, featuring artwork by Addren Doss, Amy Evans, and Julie Hayes of Three Who Paint.
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The Corey Anne Celebration of Women in the Arts, featuring an opening reception, symposium, expressive arts workshop, and month-long exhibition honoring the legacy of Corey Anne Considine and uplifting emerging female artists.
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Blue Ridge Art Clan: We hosted 7 meetings of the Blue Ridge Art Clan (BRAC), an organization founded in 1978 by Florence Thomas to promote and support excellence in fine arts. BRAC provides monthly opportunities to engage in educational activities through programs, demonstrations, workshops, and critiques.
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Leadership Transitions: 2025 marked an important period of transition and growth in leadership. Jessa Gerrald stepped into the role of Director, and McCartney Piner joined as Associate Director. Together, they bring renewed energy, vision, and dedication to the school’s mission.
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Board of Directors Update: We were thrilled to welcome Devon Higginbotham, a passionate artist and community member, to our Board of Directors. We also extend heartfelt gratitude to Laurel Rumph, who stepped down in 2025 after dedicated service as Treasurer. Her guidance, care, and commitment helped strengthen the foundation of Florence Thomas Art School.
Looking Ahead to 2026...
As we enter 2026, we remain deeply committed to expanding access to art across all ages. In the year ahead, we look forward to:
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Expanding workshop offerings with new mediums and techniques
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Growing both children’s programming and creative aging initiatives
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Presenting exhibitions that reflect the diverse voices and talents of our region
In the first few months of 2026, we will:​​
Staff Transitions: We are grateful to retired Appalachian State University Senior Lecturer and Field Director Heather Thorp, who will serve as interim Programming Director during Director Jessa Gerrald’s maternity leave. We also welcome temporary intern Ysabel Catharina, a recent Appalachian State University art graduate.
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New Exhibition: Open Submission: Baby, It’s Cold Outside opens January 21, featuring a variety of perspectives on what the season inspires within each artist. An opening reception will be held January 23 from 1-3 pm.
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stART Program Expansion: In December 2025, every Ashe County 3rd grader received an art kit filled with watercolor paints, brushes, and creative prompts to inspire at-home creativity. Classrooms also received lesson-specific kits, with student work to be featured in the upcoming exhibit The Colorful Landscapes of Ashe County, opening February 26, 2026. Using Ashe County’s landscapes as inspiration, 3rd graders will create Fauvist-inspired works celebrating mountains, farms, forests, and rivers. These joyful, expressive pieces will be featured at FTAS from February 26–April 11, 2026. In March 2026, local artist and author Scott Ballard will do a Book Reading and presentation for each Ashe County Elementary School.
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2nd Annual Children's Art Crawl 2026: The Ashe County Arts Council, Doe Ridge Pottery, and Florence Thomas Art School are excited to announce the second annual Ashe County Children's Art Crawl, a special event dedicated to celebrating the creativity of young artists in our community. Families can stop by each gallery to see the inspiring artwork by young artists, enjoy kid-friendly snacks & drinks, and complete the art crawl challenge!
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For more information about the Children's Art Crawl, click here.
With Gratitude
None of this would be possible without the unwavering support of our community.
From workshop participants and instructors to donors, volunteers, and partners, your belief in the power of art carries us forward.
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As we step into 2026, we are reminded that art is essential—to healing, to hope, and to connection. Thank you for being part of the Florence Thomas Art School family. We look forward to another inspiring year together.