Visual Arts Tapestry Program

Tapestry History

"Tapestry" is the Gwinnett Fine Arts Festival and is sponsored by the Fine Arts office of Gwinnett County Public Schools in conjunction with nationwide observances of Youth Art Month. The festival started in 1980. The art teachers organized the Gwinnett County Art Education Association, and one of the first projects was "Tapestry." This exhibition of GCPS students’ artwork was organized to make the visual arts more "visible" in the county.

At that time most all of the middle and high schools had an art teacher, but there were not many art educators in the elementary schools. There were twenty-five art teachers in grades K-12 in 1980. The art teachers campaigned for more art teachers at the elementary level and for a fine arts coordinator to help improve art education in the county. Shortly, thereafter, Dr. John Otwell, was hired as the county’s first fine arts coordinator.

The first "Tapestry" was held in the lunchroom of Lawrenceville Elementary School. One of Barbara Willis's Commercial Art students at Parkview High School, Michelle Chilcoat, designed the first logo for the event, and the art teachers screen printed banners with the logo to hang outside the school. The logo was used on posters, invitations, etc. It evolved over the years, but the basic design is the same. There were performances in the lunchroom by choruses from various schools rounding out the event. The event was held at Lawrenceville Elementary one more year, and was organized that year by the new fine arts coordinator, Dr. John Otwell.

The next year the art teachers decided that more space was needed for the display of artwork, so Tapestry was moved to the newly opened Brookwood High School. The event was held at Brookwood High School a couple more years, and then it moved to the outlet mall at Gwinnett Place. The following year and for several more years, Tapestry was held at Gwinnett Place Mall before the exhibit was moved to the Gwinnett Civic Center. Afterwards, the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center housed the exhibit for a number of years.

Currently, the Tapestry exhibit is held for three weeks during the month of March. Gwinnett County Public Schools visual arts students from all clusters proudly display their artwork at this time. This art exhibition is held at the Instructional Support Center of Gwinnett County Public Schools, 437 Old Peachtree Road, Suwanee, Georgia. { View on Map }

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