Artists aid in Great Smoky Mountains 75th Anniversary

A new limited edition print by artist Robert A. Tino, a Smokies’ native son, will be sold for the benefit of Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park as an official component of the Park’s 75th Anniversary. The work entitled “Finding the Way Home” will make its formal debut at the Robert A. Tino Gallery’s Smoky Mountain Homecoming festival on October 4th & 5th in Sevierville, but is available for pre-order now through both gallery locations in Sevierville, TN and Highlands, NC.

Robert and Mary John Tino are very special Friends of the Smokies. As original Charter Members they joined only 149 other donors to provide start-up funding for the organization. Over the last fifteen years, they have given generously to support Park needs. Now, as the 75th anniversary of Great Smoky Mountains National Park approaches in 2009, Robert and Mary John are making another very important contribution to the Park’s lasting preservation. Robert Tino’s timeless Smokies’ scene “Finding The Way Home” will be offered as the official 75th Anniversary painting in both print and giclee format. A generous portion of the proceeds from each sale will benefit Friends of the Smokies.

“Finding the Way Home” presents an opportunity for those who love these mountains to support the Park and to own a 75th anniversary commemorative treasure by one of the Smokies’ most beloved and widely collected local artists. The money raised will help improve and maintain Great Smoky Mountains National Park for the next 75 years- and beyond.

Funds from the print sales will enable Friends of the Smokies to continue its annual commitment of giving more than $1 million for Park needs, including maintenance of more than 800 miles of hiking trails. The organization was founded in 1993, and through the generosity of individuals, corporations, and foundations has raised more than $24 million to-date to help provide science education programs, restore historic structures, research and protect black bear and elk populations, and save the eastern hemlock trees which are currently threatened by the destructive hemlock woolly adelgid.

For more information about Friends of the Smokies and the 75th Anniversary Celebration throughout 2009, please visit http://www.greatsmokies75th.org/. The website includes a historical timeline, a way for folks to upload and share their own Smokies’ memories, and a calendar of special 75th Anniversary community events.

To learn more about the Smoky Mountain Homecoming, please visit http://www.smokymountainhomecoming.com/.

Friends of the Smokies is an independent, 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization that helps preserve and protect Great Smoky Mountains National Park. More information is available online at http://www.friendsofthesmokies.org/ or by calling (800) 845-5665.