Saturday July 11, 5:30 – 9:30 PM

4th Annual Gratitude + Giving.

Join us for an evening of gratitude, community, and celebration at the 4th Annual Gratitude + Giving event on Saturday, July 11th at The Temple in Ocean Park.

Enjoy delicious tapas and charcuterie, celebrate this year’s award recipients, and take part in a live auction featuring unique experiences, artwork, local getaways, and more. Invitations have been mailed and ticket availability is limited—return the TICKET FORM to the OPA Office to reserve your spot today!

Preview the Live Auction below! We are adding new items daily!

Auction Items 

Mastering Pottery: a weekend in Bill Griffith’s Gatlinburg Studio

ARTIST: Bill Griffith

VALUE: $2,500

DONOR: Bill Griffiths, Gatlinburg, TN

SPECIFICATIONS: Two days of individual pottery making by Master Potter Bill Griffith in his Gatlinburg, TN studio. Four people will have the opportunity to create works of art or functional pottery to grace their home. In addition to time in the studio, Bill will offer a tour of the international art shows in Arrowmont’s galleries, maybe view a couple of local bears, and visit the Arts and Crafts Community, the largest in the United States.

ABOUT THE ARTIST: Bill Griffith is a ceramic artist, educator, and internationally known pottery. As an arts administrator at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, he built a world-class crafts program. Bill is best known for his art pottery that has been influenced by his studies in Japan. He has received numerous awards and fellowships including the Tennessee Arts Commission Fellowship, the Outstanding Achievement Award for his contributions to the field of ceramics by the National Council on Education in the Ceramic Arts. His work is in international collections including the Tennessee State Museum, Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, Tokoname Cultural Museum, Japan, Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute, China, and numerous private collections. Most recently, he established the Bill Griffith Ceramics Study Collection at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts.

Rustic Mug Shelf with Six Handthrown Mugs

ARTISTS: Mugs by Buie Hancock, Shelf by Jim Cocker

VALUE: $325

DONORS: Buie Hancock Pottery-Gatlinburg, Jim Cocker-Ocean Park

SPECIFICATIONS: Mugs-Six 14 ounce, custom-glazed, hand thrown

Rustic Shelf- 25” x 6.25” and 8” in height

Made from reclaimed weathered wood

Stain: Off-white

ABOUT THE ARTISTS: Buie Hancock’s motto is “We make dirt look good”. Buie has been creating beauty and function from mud since age 17. She is a major functional potter creating a wide range of kitchenware and utilitarian clay works. She is best known for her glazes which represent the earth and sky of the Great Smoky Mountains. With a fine arts education from the University of Tennessee’s craft program, she is in high demand as an instructor. Jim Cocker is a man of many talents, minister, church administrator, musician, gardener and most recently Facilities Manager at Ocean Park Association. He is a talented craftsman, building replacement carpentry and structures on the OPA campus, and creating one of a kind pieces such as the rustic mug shelf in this auction.

Multi-Media Resin Art Workshop for Four

ARTIST: Pam Chute

VALUE: $750

SPECIFICATIONS: Private workshop for four on August 15. You will receive individual instruction to create an ocean inspired piece. Materials, including shattered and cut glass as well as ocean items will be provided for inclusion in your 8×10 art work. You will be able to take your work home after 24 hours. The workshop will be held in Pam Chute’s home in Ocean Park. Participants must be 12 years of age or older.

ABOUT THE ARTIST: Pam Chute is the creator of multi-media resin art inspired by the ocean. Items are transformed with recycled shattered glass and beach finds into captivation creations that embrace creativity and sustainability. These one of a kind art objects are on wood, vintage windows, or glass, and will bring color, texture, and inspiration to any home