Fall 2017 A Viewa newsletter From from the Lillianthe E. Smith Mountain Center This Issue 2 Lillian Smith Play 3 Advisory Board Visit 4 2017 Residencies 5 Diane Roberts visits Strange Fruit Script 6 Residency Awards 7 Property donations Lillian Smith Awards Planned Giving Planned gifts are a perfect way to provide Grant pays for trail fellowships for artists in residence at the Center or scholarship funds for students enhancement enrolled in the Lillian E. Smith Scholars Program at Piedmont College. FOR MORE INFORMATION A grant from the Bright Wings Foundation Amy Amason, Vice President of The LES Center is Institutional Advancement For Hikers located approximately one mile from the funded development efforts this year at the The trail system is perfect for a brisk hike or leisurely Highway 76 EAST/441 stroll. The trail system is maintained by volunteers, intersection in Clayton, students, and staff of Piedmont College. It is Georgia. The entrance For Birdwatchers [email protected] divided into two loops: the Reservoir Trail and the to the property from Our trail system winds its way through a wildlife Bottomland Loop Trail. Highway 76 EAST is via Old Chechero Road to Audubonsanctuary that is home to many interesting Society-certified bird wildlife sanctuary at the Hershey Lane (.10 mile). species. In winter, there are ample opportunities 0.60 M The Reservoir Trail to observe mixed flocks of foraging songbirds, 706-776-0148 This is a moderately steep trail that begins including chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, and at the trail entrance and from there travels Wetlands kinglets, calling back and forth as they search for along the heavily wooded north facing slope LESfood. In spring Center. and fall, the trees come alive with The gift allowed Piedmont College of a ravine until it reaches “The Reservoir,” an the songs and colors of migrating songbirds. In old rock structure once used to collect water the summer, the woods function as a breeding plannedgiving.piedmont.edu for the camp. This ravine is the first of five ground for many of these migrant species, including nearly identical ravines on the property. These toground design nesters such as ovenbirds andand worm-eating print a new nature Trail & Map ravines— and the sharp ridges separating warblers, and canopy nesters including the blue- them—make up the southwest flank of Bottomland Loop Trail headed vireo and scarlet tanager. Screamer Mountain, which is visible from the Common Room. The trail then turns back Intermittant Stream For Plant Enthusiasts and follows the south facing slope downhill Old Swimming Pool Parking & Chimney Guide,Common trees on the property complete include chestnut with a detailed map showing the towards the Bottomland Loop Trail. When the oak, yellow poplar, and sourwood along the ridges trail stops descending you will see the old camp Common Room and ravines, combined with mid-story shrubs such swimming pool on your right, and the trail will as mountain laurel and flame azalea. Red-maple take a sharp left, going around an enormous and holly trees are common in the bottom area. The pine tree. Several feet beyond the tree (0.46 Center’s two hiking paths: the Reservoir Trail and understory is carpeted with the flowers of trillium, miles) you will reach the junction with the violets, and dwarf iris in the spring. Orchids, such as Bottomland Loop Trail (0.4 miles). Continuing cranefly orchid and rattlesnake plantain, add color straight will take you back to the entrance. Bunk Houses to the forest floor in the late summer. 0.64 M The Bottomland Loop Trail Cottages theFor Scientists Bottomland Loop Trail. The brochure includes LES Center Advisory Board This gentle trail is accessed from the Reservoir Trail Entrance Reservoir Trail Outside of the sanctuary, the property includes Trail by either going right from the trail entrance a large undeveloped area of ravines and ridges (0.46 miles) or left (.13 miles). The loop passes that provides a valuable resource for students, the old swimming pool and runs adjacent to descriptionsfaculty, and scientists from around the region. of the trails, along with information James F. Mellichamp, Chair two wet areas, which are generated by water Visiting groups of botanists, entomologists, and seeping out of the mountainside. The seeps, ornithologists have been busy cataloging the which remain wet all year, are home to a diverse diverse assemblages of plant, insect, and bird assemblage of wetland plants and are great N species that can be found here. Permanent plots Nannette Curran places to watch birds. ofwithin theinterest forest have been set aside for the to birdwatchers, plant enthusiasts, and collection of long-term ecological data to help The north facing slopes scientists understand the changes occurring in southern forests. Nancy Smith Fichter of the ravines are covered in dense stands scientists. The grant also paid for five new directional EXPLORE of mountain laurel and rhododendron. Lillian Eugenia Smith piedmont.edu/lillian-smith-center Robert W. Fichter Lillian E. Smith lived most of her life on her property in Clayton, Georgia. For over twenty years at this location she signs for the trails and two foot-bridges to carry hikers directed the Laurel Falls Camp for Girls, which developed quite a reputation for being a progressive and well-rounded TRAIL Margaret Rose Gladney camp for young women, not only throughout the South, & but across the country. BIRD MAP safely across creeks. Bright Wings Foundation was Smith emerged in the 1940s at the forefront of the Southern GUIDE Sue Ellen Lovejoy debate on segregation, where she was at least a decade ahead of other white liberals and stood virtually alone in calling for an immediate end to segregation laws and HIKE practices. Before her death in 1966, Smith published two Tommye Scanlin novels, several works of nonfiction, and numerous articles EXPLORE established by Mrs. Martha H. Ellis and primarily supports and essays on social justice and racial equality, all of which were written at her mountain home in Clayton. Lillian E. Smith Center interests such as youth and nature projects in north John Siegel The LES Center serves as an educational center and an artist retreat. It is an ideal location for recreational, social, and instructional activities. With over 130 acres in the northeast Georgia mountains, the Center is surrounded by beauty W. Austin Smith and equipped with facilities for book club meetings and Georgia. We are truly grateful for the investment in our other social gatherings. Tours of the Center are available by appointment. Ann Suich Contact Craig Amason efforts from the Foundation that this gift represents. Director of Lillian E. Smith Center and College Archivist 706-894-4204 | [email protected] John H. Templeton Lillian E. Smith Center of Piedmont College P.O. Box 10 | Demorest, GA 30535 Support the Center Bill Tribby Amy Amason Vice President of Institutional Advancement 706-776-0148 | [email protected] EXPLORE piedmont.edu/lillian-smith-center 496 Hershey Lane, Clayton, GA 30525 piedmont.edu/lillian-smith-center Spirit of Lillian Smith comes through in one- person play Lulu Fogarty, a New York-based actress and playwright, presented “Lillian Smith: Being Heard” on August 30 at Piedmont College in Demorest. Students from the Piedmont College Theatre Department were joined by faculty and staff and community members to see the life, work, and legacy of Lillian Smith come alive on the stage in this creative and provocative one-woman show. “This production asks the audience to consider who they choose to segregate themselves from and why,” Fogarty explains. “In a post 9/11 America, where immigration, gay rights, gun control, and protesters proclaiming ‘Black Lives Matter’ occupy the headlines, who are we really afraid of?” The show concludes that, while we have come a long way toward creating a world of acceptance, there is still a long way to go. Fogarty was gracious enough to stay on stage after the lights went up and answer questions from many of the students and other audience members. She finished off the evening with the students on stage for a fine group photograph. Lulu Fogarty answers questions after the show. 2 | A View From the Mountain LES Center Advisory Board meeting The 12 members of the Advisory Board came to the LES Center in October for their annual meeting. The group enjoyed a reception hosted by Piedmont College on the new deck of the Common Room the evening before the meeting. The Advisory Board includes family members and friends who were the governing board of the LES Foundation, which gifted the Center and its operation to Piedmont College in 2013. Piedmont College also welcomed two new members to the Advisory Board at this meeting: Tommye Scanlin and Sue Ellen Lovejoy. A View From the Mountain | 3 2017 Residency Season Wrap-up Piedmont College hosted 28 residents at the LES 13 Georgia 1 Virginia Center this year, with fields of interest including fiction, poetry, drama, nonfiction, 4 Florida 1 Nebraska visual arts, and music. There were 11 new residents and 4 17 returning LES Center New York 1 Pennsylvania Fellows. This year, our residents came to us from 3 Alabama 1 Texas eight different states. 1 One of our new residents this year is Houston composer and librettist Dr. Michael Remson, who has performed throughout the United States and in Europe. Remson has dedicated more than 25 years to a dual career as a working artist and arts administrator/advocate. A dual Irish-American citizen, Dr. Remson grew up in New York City and completed doctoral studies in composition and libretto writing with Grammy Award-winning composer Carlisle Floyd, composer Robert Nelson, and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Edward Albee.