by Julie Dodd
Friends of the Smokies is partnering with the University of Tennessee Gardens, Knoxville on a special art exhibit celebrating bears. Sale of the bear art will raise funds for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) and for the UT Gardens.
The exhibit features the black bear and is titled Ursa Curiosa: A Garden Art Exhibit – ursa curiosa, meaning “curious bear.” More than 50 painted three-dimensional wooden bears are on display in the UT Gardens through Oct. 6, 2026.
The garden exhibit, which opened in June, culminates with an online silent auction of the artwork from Sept. 22 through Oct. 6.
“We were excited to partner with UT Gardens in such a creative way to both celebrate the iconic black bear of the Smokies and raise awareness about how to protect them,” said Dana Soehn, Friends of the Smokies President and CEO. “
In its ninth year, Art in the Gardens promotes community participation and artist collaboration with the UT Gardens. Each year, a nature-focused theme is selected and area artists are invited to contribute their work to be displayed. At the end of the exhibit, the artwork is auctioned to raise funds for the gardens. In previous years, the theme has included bunnies, foxes and birdhouses.
Partnership between Friends of the Smokies and UT Gardens
The partnership of UT Gardens and Friends of the Smokies began a year ago when education staff at the gardens and GSMNP education staff worked together on developing teaching units for Knoxville students.
That collaboration led to brainstorming on possible future collaborations – and then to the idea of the black bear to be the theme for the 2026 garden exhibit. Friends of the Smokies joined the planning and became the UT Gardens’ first partnership.
“The support for the project from Friends of the Smokies has been a great addition for us — a thrilling first partnership,” said Beth Shannon, UT Gardens Membership Coordinator.
Recruiting artists
Once the theme was chosen, UT Gardens called for artists to create bear art. The gardens provided artists with wood forms cut from marine-grade plywood for outdoor display. Adult artists could choose a walking bear cub, a sitting bear, or a mama bear. Children could choose either a bear head or an acorn.
All total, 300 plywood forms were cut by a volunteer at the Gardens. More than 70 of the wood bear heads and acorns became artwork created by students at the Pi Beta Phi Elementary School in Gatlinburg. That project will be shared in a future blog post.
The completed bear art was weather-sealed by the staff and installed in the UT Gardens, Knoxville. The children’s art was installed in a special Children’s Garden.
Educating visitors about bears
Shannon explained that an important part of the annual Art in the Gardens program is to educate visitors about the nature theme selected for the exhibit.
GSMNP Ranger Julianne Geleynse developed a list of bear facts that were used to create signage displayed in the gardens. When the exhibit opened in June, National Park Service staff attended and shared information about bears.
Bear art displayed at Sugarlands Visitor Center
The park and the UT Gardens worked together to host a special bear art display at Sugarlands Visitor Center during the summer.
Seven pieces of art from the Garden Art Exhibit were selected for display. Shannon said that visitors to the park from out of state contacted her to see how they could purchase the bear art.
Artist Mazdyn Miller worked with Ranger Geleynse to create a special bear to be displayed as part of the Sugarlands exhibit.
“Since the bear art was going to be seen by thousands of visitors, I wanted the visitors to learn something from the art,” Geleynse said.
Geleynse asked Miller to depict the bear’s natural food diet of acorns and berries on one side of the wooden bear and the non-natural diet of apple cores and garbage on the other side of the bear.
“My hope was to artistically depict a healthy diet versus an unhealthy diet for a bear, and how humans impact that diet,” Geleynse said.
Silent Auction of Bear Art
The online silent auction of the bear artwork is from Sept. 22 to Oct. 6. Photographs of more than 50 pieces of bear artwork for auction are on display on the UT Gardens website. Use this link to the auction to make a bid — https://tiny.utk.edu/artauction
Money raised by the sale of the three bears by artists invited by Friends of the Smokies will be donated to the park. The money from the sale of the other bear artwork will benefit the UT Gardens, with three invited artists
The bear art is being offered ‘as is,’ and bidders are encouraged to preview the auction in person at the UT Gardens in Knoxville.
Winning bidders will pick up their items during the Fall Plant Sale on Friday, Oct. 10 or Saturday, Oct. 11. No shipping or delivery is available.
Shannon said her favorite aspect about the whole garden exhibit each year is the diversity and creativity of the artists.
“The infinite responses are really inspiring,” she said. “By bidding and purchasing a bear, you’re getting a unique piece of art, created by a local artist. With the variety of bears, there’s something for every taste, from abstract to representational, and a choice of colors to show off your landscape to its best.”
Friends of the Smokies artists
Friends of the Smokies invited three artists — Alice Fisher, Pinkie Mistry and Woods Hippensteal — to create bear art to be auctioned to benefit the park. The money from the sale of their art will be donated to the park’s bear program.
“We were especially honored to have three talented artists create bears for the exhibit that will now be auctioned to benefit Friends of the Smokies,” Soehn said. “From UT Gardens in Knoxville to Sugarlands Visitor Center, these beautiful works of art gave visitors from near and far a chance to learn more about bears and to be inspired by the creativity of the artists.”
Alice Fisher
Alice Fisher is a fine artist and Gatlinburg-Pittman High School Fine Arts Department chair and art instructor. She has coordinated art initiatives for her students with Friends of the Smokies and Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts.
What was your inspiration for the bear?
The bear’s full name is “Vedia: Holy Spirit of the Forest”. “Vedia” comes from the Latin word “videre,” which means “to see,” and it carries symbolic meanings of knowledge, wisdom, and perception. Some alternative uses of the name translate it informally to “holy spirit of the forest.”
Since I first visited the Smokies as a little girl with my family, I have felt a deep, personal connection to these mountains. Hiking in the Smokies has always been a great source of healing, relaxation and peace for me. As soon as I enter the forest, I sense a deep, spiritual connection. In truth, I feel closest to God when I am in these mountains! When I was first asked to complete this project, I knew immediately that I needed to find a way to represent that in my painting. Since springtime is so beautiful here, I chose to paint wildflowers and trees with fresh green leaves. As one of the largest animals in the national park, black bears are, in many ways, guardian spirits of the forest. By painting the wildflowers and trees on the bear, I wanted to represent the interconnectedness of all life in our national park.
You created the art on the 3-dimensional marine-grade plywood. What was challenging or interesting about how the medium affected your painting?
I wanted the head and back end of the bear to fade into the image of the forest, and I wanted to express both close-up views of wildflowers as well as more distant views of the mountains. Working around the raised areas created by the attached legs made that a little more challenging. Choosing how to fade the bear into the forest also took some time.
Why is supporting Friends of the Smokies and Great Smoky Mountains National Park so important to you?
Throughout all the years that I have lived in this area, I have witnessed the powerful impact Friends of the Smokies has on the national park. Raising funds to improve the park for visitors as well as to preserve all forms of native life within the park is a passion for Friends of the Smokies. I share the organization’s goals, so I am honored and happy to be able to help in any way that I can. Friends of the Smokies has had a powerful, positive impact on our national park.
Pinkie Mistry
Pinkie Mistry is a fine artist who lives in Maryville. She studied fine art at Maryville College and graphic design at Pellissippi State Community College. Her work has evolved from graphic design to fine art, murals and illustrations. Her website: https://pinkiemistry.com/
What was your inspiration for your bear?
I wanted to do something bright and colorful for summer and that would stand out in a natural landscape.
You created the art on the 3-dimensional marine-grade plywood. What was challenging or interesting about how that wood form affected your painting?
I love a good challenge and getting out of my comfort zone. I used acrylics as it’s fast drying. I’ve painted wood birdhouses for a local charity in Maryville so doing this wood form was a little familiar and so much fun.
Why is supporting Friends of the Smokies and Great Smoky Mountains National Park so important to you?
I love supporting Friends of The Smokies. I grew up in Sevierville and the mountains, especially the river was my playground. I still love swimming in the river in our national park and visit multiple times in the summer months. Our national park is a true paradise and a treasure for us all. Helping to keep it preserved is important to me.
Woods Hippensteal
Woods Hippensteal graduated Magnum Cum Laude from the University of Tennessee with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree and a concentration in Drawing. He lives in Gatlinburg, where he paints, draws, sculpts and designs. His website: https://www.woodshippensteal.com/
What was your inspiration for the bear?
My inspiration for my work on this project came from my very inquisitive son, who often reminds me of the curious little cubs we often encounter on hikes or around our home.
You created the art on the 3-dimensional marine-grade plywood. What was challenging or interesting about how the medium affected your painting?
I actually love working on 3D objects when I can. My original love was sculpture, and it always made me think outside of my normal 2D world. Wood is also the original substrate that I learned to paint on, so I was right at home on the bear.
Why is supporting Friends of the Smokies and Great Smoky Mountains National Park so important to you?
Supporting Friends of the Smokies has always been a staple in my family and the community that raised me. The park was so often underfunded.
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You can bid on the bear artwork through Oct. 6, 2026. Use the auction link to make a bid — https://tiny.utk.edu/artauction