My Appalachian Home-Wayne C. Henderson School of Appalachian Arts

This Episode finds Rick at The Wayne C. Henderson School of Appalachian Arts in Marion Virginia.Catherine Schrenker is the executive director of The Wayne C. Henderson School of Appalachian Arts (“The Henderson”) in Marion, Virginia. Since her appointment as the founding director, The Henderson has become a flagship for embracing traditional arts and culture in Virginia. In 2018 The Henderson received the 50/50 Award from The Virginia Commission for the Arts as “Best Emerging Arts Organization.” Catherine continues to bring national recognition for outstanding programs which include the Henderson Guitar Building Workshops, the “Introduction to Lutherie: Ukulele Building Workshops and the Burke Letterpress Workshops. Schrenker is recognized for her ambitious programs focused on helping her community understand and take pride in their unique Appalachian history and heritage.Educated as a graphic designer, Schrenker, taught color theory and graphic design for almost twenty years, including nine years at the University of Notre Dame. She received her Master's of Fine Arts (MFA) from the prestigious Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan and a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) from Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana. Her research while at Notre Dame led to her work with color, emotions, and behavior and she became a distinguished pioneer in color theory and the integral role color plays in our emotions and behavior.Internationally, Catherine has lived and worked as a graphic designer in Den Haag, Netherlands. She has lived and worked in Warsaw, Poland and taught “The Philosophy of Color” at Warsaw University. In 2004, Catherine moved to Southwest Virginia and co-founded Integrated Health Concepts (IHC) of Bristol, Tennessee with her brother, James H. Schrenker M.D primarily working with education, marketing, and community outreach; helping the public to understand the importance of an emotional connection in the healing process. IHC remains a prominent medical resource center for the region. In 2010 Catherine was the national spokesperson for “The Color Prescription” campaign for Freshaire Choice paint brand, carried exclusively at The Home Depot, which gave her the opportunity to travel and speak throughout the United States.In 2014, The Town of Marion, Virginia, hired Schrenker. She serves in the Department of Community and Economic Development and is in charge of The Henderson, a 501c3. As founding director, she has envisioned and implemented music, craft and art programs that now reach international levels, and highlight the rich cultural heritage of our southern Appalachian region. She is President of The Art League of Marion, sponsors of The Hungry Mother Arts & Crafts Festival Festival, and serves as Festival Chair. Catherine is an Adjunct Professor of Graphic Design at Emory & Henry University, teaching 2D Foundations/Color Theory and Graphic Design/Typography. She finds her passion in The Burke Letterpress Shop @ The Henderson, or in her watercolor studio. In 2020 Catherine presented her “Letterpress Crankie” to an international audience, introducing the world to this unique Appalachian tradition by typographically illustrating the lyrics of Texas Gladden’s ballad: “The Devil’s 9 Questions” through Letterpress prints. She combined the prints into a “scrolling poem”, known in Appalachia as a “Crankie” because you turn the knobs (cranks) to move the scroll as you sing the ballad or tell your stories. (Catherine calls them “Appalachian Motion Pictures”). The world was introduced to both, Texas Gladden AND an innovation of Appalachian craft.According to Catherine: “Creating a resource that is an integral part of Smyth County, Virginia is a dream come true. I have been given the opportunity to participate in the preservation and nurturing of our rich Appalachian heritage through the magic and craft that is the heart of Appalachia. One could not ask for a greater honor. I love my job.”