Submitted by Beauvais Lyons:

On Saturday July 21, 2007 on the Rhea County (Tennessee) Courthouse lawn the Hokes Archives presented a kiosk on behalf of the Association for Creative Zoology. The event coincided with the 20th Annual Reenactment of Trial of John Scopes, who was prosecuted for teaching the Theory of Evolution in violation of a recent law passed by the Tennessee legislature.

Formed in 1908, the Association for Creative Zoology asserts that creation is far too complex and beautiful to result from a random process of natural selection. Instead, they posit that species variation has resulted from the direct hand of God, who not only creates flora and fauna whole-cloth, but uses previously existing creative works as the building blocks for creating new species. This explains the common attributes of many plants and animals and is reflected in the principle of “zoomorphic juncture.”

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Visiting George and Helen Spelvin”™s modest house in Lenoir City, Tennessee, is like making a pilgrimage to a sacred temple of American Folk Art. While their neighbors purchased bass boats, home entertainment systems, recreational vehicles, and patio furniture, the Spelvins were quietly amassing a significant collection of contemporary folk art.

The Spelvins seldom purchased work through art galleries. Instead, they believed it was important to establish relationships with the artists whose work they acquired. As an agent for State Farm Insurance, George Spelvin loved to meet people and had a way of making the artists they encountered feel at ease. However, it was actually Helen Spelvin who was the driving force behind their collecting habits. (more…)