American art - Stella Sassoon, “Gold Dress,” (c. 1942), Oil on Canvas, 24” X 18”, Courtesy of Tryon Fine Arts Center @tryonfineartscenter
Stella Sassoon, “Gold Dress,” (c. 1942), Oil on Canvas, 24” X 18”, Courtesy of Tryon Fine Arts Center @tryonfineartscenter

Discover the rich Tryon NC artist colony history at the Earl Scruggs Center’s ‘Masters in the Mountains’ exhibition.

For a half-century before the Second World War, the small town of Tryon, North Carolina was a haven for a community of visual artists. From its founding in the late 1870s its population was cosmopolitan, a “country colony” for Northern intellectuals and creative people, especially for those from Boston, Philadelphia, and Chicago.

January 21 through February 1, 2025, the Earl Scruggs Center in Shelby, NC, is hosting “Masters in the Mountains: Early Work from the Tryon Artist Colony.”

Tryon NC artist colony history - Amelia M Watson, “Screven Plantation Near Tryon,” c.1910, Watercolor on Board, 14.5” x 10”, Courtesy of Litchfield Carpenter & Washington Dender
Amelia M Watson, “Screven Plantation Near Tryon,” c.1910, Watercolor on Board, 14.5” x 10”, Courtesy of Litchfield Carpenter & Washington Dender

More from the organizers:

When Amelia Watson from Connecticut arrived in Tryon in 1892, at the invitation of renowned actor William Gillette, the small town near Asheville, NC had already established a reputation as a welcoming environment for intellectuals looking for inspiration in nature. Watson would become the first in a long line of many serious artists that continued their craft when moving to the Western North Carolina mountains.

Tryon NC artist colony history - Elliott Daingerfield, “Study for Christ Stilling the Tempest,” (c. 1905), Pastel on Paper, 4.5” X 6”, Courtesy of Blowing Rock Art & History Museum @brmuseum
Elliott Daingerfield, “Study for Christ Stilling the Tempest,” (c. 1905), Pastel on Paper, 4.5” X 6”, Courtesy of Blowing Rock Art & History Museum @brmuseum

The community of Tryon was host to an eclectic community of artists, writers, locals, and even celebrities who were famous in the early half of the 20th century and still relevant today. F. Scott Fitzgerald would stay in Tryon when visiting his wife Zelda in the Asheville Sanitorium, leaving his daughter Scottie with famed actor and longtime Tryon resident “Lefty” Flynn. Nina Simone (born Eunice Waymon) studied classical piano for many years with Muriel Mazzanovich, wife of Impressionist painter Lawrence Mazzanovich. British actor David Niven playing a round of golf at the Tryon Country Club where Lady Nancy Astor was also known around the greens.

Gabrielle Clements, “Chestnut Hill,” Oil on Panel, 11” x 7”, (unknown date) Courtesy of Michael McCue
Gabrielle Clements, “Chestnut Hill,” Oil on Panel, 11” x 7”, (unknown date) Courtesy of Michael McCue

Zachary Dressel, Curator at the Earl Scruggs Center has developed this unique show from private and public collections with the assistance of Michael McCue and Cynthia Davis. Some of the artists included are George Aid, John Sylvan Brown, Stella Sassoon, Gabrielle Clements, Elliott Daingerfield, Alfred C Hockings, Lawrence Mazzanovich, and Amelia Watson.

Josephine Sibley Couper, “A Portrait,” Watercolor on Paper, 20” x 17.5” Courtesy of Litchfield Carpenter and Washington Dender
Josephine Sibley Couper, “A Portrait,” Watercolor on Paper, 20” x 17.5” Courtesy of Litchfield Carpenter and Washington Dender
Tryon NC artist colony history - John Sylvan Brown, “Tryon Peak,” Watercolor on board, 1944, 9” X 11.5”, courtesy of Cynthia Davis
John Sylvan Brown, “Tryon Peak,” Watercolor on board, 1944, 9” X 11.5”, courtesy of Cynthia Davis

For more information, please visit earlscruggscenter.org.


Attention Art Collectors!
May 20-22, 2025: Visit the Plein Air Convention & Expo’s robust pop-up art gallery at the Nugget Casino Resort in Reno, Nevada, where hundreds of artists, including our master faculty, will have studio and plein air works on display and ready to purchase. Register for the full event at PleinAirConvention.com now.

View more fine art gallery exhibitions here at FineArtConnoisseur.com.


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