NashvilleArts.com December 2O12 | 73

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L eiper’s Fork may be considered an Artful Day Trip, but the experience cannot be described based on

art alone. An easy excursion from Nashville, one right turn o! Hillsboro Road onto Tennessee Highway 46 (Old Hillsboro Road) and ten miles in takes you to a wide spot in the road where town meets country and earthy meets chic, giving this village a unique and unmistakable atmosphere.

"e village is infused with reverence for historical roots and handsomely restored nineteenth-century buildings with tasteful interiors. Storefronts are graced with rockers, old handmade tables, #re pits, and plenty of holiday embellishments. As the season turns cold, they become perfectly warm and welcoming spots to socialize or watch passersby. "is mere block and a half has everything from A to Y: Arms to Yeoman’s.

First to welcome visitors to town is !e Barn, a rejuvenated rustic space with a tin ceiling and original scent in the air, showcasing the art and artful gift items of David Arms (www.davidarms.com). Arms describes his art as “mixed lifestyle, things I love and are message driven.”

Next door is the beautifully renovated 1890s McCandless House, now home to !e Copper Fox: Art of the American Hand (www.thecopperfoxgallery.com). "e gallery features three-dimensional artisan crafts, pottery, turned wood, glass, jewelry, and children’s vintage clothing. "e space holds abstract to functional pieces from thirty-#ve artists.

Artful Day TripsLeiper’s Forkby Rebecca Bauer

Raku by Melodie Grace at The Copper Fox The Copper Fox

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David Arms Gallery at The Barn

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The 2012 Leiper's Fork Christmas Parade will be on Dec. 8 at 2 p.m.

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Mike Cotter, Director of Operations. Yeoman’s o!ers personalized services ranging from commissioned Fore-Edge books to #nding a literary favorite.

To be found in these artful havens is an array of more collectibles, antiques, fashion, home décor, and treasured gifts. Way Out West (www.gowayoutwest.com) sells Western couture including Old Gringo and Double D ranch wear. Serenite Maison (www.serenitemaison.com) o!ers sophisticated interior design with nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century antiques and furnishings. "e grand Victorian house on the corner recently opened with Berlin, a home and gift store. And the little cottage that holds Studio Antiques is a short car ride just over the hill.

If an appetite beckons, it can surely be satis#ed by several good choices: the old country traditions of Puckett’s Grocery with a dash of Creole and nightly music, Southern cooking at the Country Boy Restaurant, or farm-to-table style from Joe Natural’s organic menu. Note also that in the area are several cozy inns worth considering for an overnight stay.

Your best bet is to take a peek at www.visitleipersfork.com and pay a visit to Leiper’s Fork between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.

Laurel Leaf (www.laurelleafgallery.com) has gracefully grown since opening two years ago. It o!ers handcrafted jewelry, pottery, and #ne art representing over twenty artists, as well as oil painting classes and upscale clothing from independent fashion designers. “A little something for everyone,” proprietress Bethany Laurel Reiser likes to say.

Leiper’s Creek Gallery (www.leiperscreekgallery.com) sits in what used to be the town’s #lling station and repair garage. "e longest-running retailer represents, in traditional gallery style, twenty-one artists with pieces from abstract to impressionistic to sculpture and includes the renowned artist Anton Weiss. Gallery owner Lisa Fox says, “I think people really like it here. It’s comfortable and makes them think of the spaces they live in.”

Do not stop where the sidewalk ends. Past the stop sign is the two-story high-rise !e Galleria with the painted furniture of Suzanne Fitch and the Upstairs Gallery with eight multi-media artists.

Just beyond that, a cream-colored colonial with large pillars invites you in to celebrate the art of the book at Yeoman’s in the Fork (www.yeomansinthefork.com), a rare book and document gallery. Signed letters and papers from virtually every U.S. president cover the walls. Shelves display antique #rst editions and seldom-seen Fore-Edge painted books (decorated page edges), including works by most recognized Fore-Edge artist, Martin Frost. “It’s almost a lost art,” says

Left: Laurel Leaf, right: Serenite Maison

Yeoman's in the Fork

Leiper's Creek Gallery

Three Swimmers by Buddy Jackson at Leiper's Creek Gallery

Serenite Maison, interior

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