A family business that began with a shovel and an old barn is storming the local arts scene in Clarkesville.
The Art-Full Barn Art Community, a creative haven nearly three decades in the making, has officially reopened its doors to the public, offering immersive arts experiences for all ages.
From chicken litter to paint
Founded in 1998, the Clarkesville family team of Greg and Gail Kimsey, Tonya Kimsey Fowler, and Dawn Gunn cleaned out an old 1920s-era chicken barn to create their first co-op-style gallery and artist space.
“I cleaned out chicken poop when I was only 12. It was yucky,” said Tonya, who began exhibiting her work at the barn as a young teenager, winning awards by the age of 13.
Soon after opening those original barn doors, the family business began to grow.
“As people came in to look at the original art on furniture, canvas, and functional items, they would ask if we could teach them how to paint it,” said Gail.
The Kimseys responded by offering classes in painting and pottery. When students struggled to find materials locally, they expanded to include a full line of art supplies.
Still a family affair
Over the past 28 years, the business has steadily grown, moving locations several times to keep pace with demand. Today, the Art-Full Barn is a thriving creative campus located just a mile west of Clarkesville’s town square. Spread across several acres, the property includes three houses, outbuildings, art studios, wooded trails, and spaces for both retail and instruction.
Tonya went on to earn an art degree at the University of North Georgia and now teaches pottery classes at the barn. Her husband, Jason Fowler, a fellow artist and graphic designer/illustrator, also shows his work and occasionally teaches there.
The Art-Full Barn now hosts regular classes, workshops, and gallery events, and features work by regional artists, including Greg Kimsey’s paintings and nature-inspired drawings. Visitors can shop for yard art, birding supplies, and model-making kits, and even join a local model club.
Artist-in-residence Dawn Gunn helps guide customers to the right materials and leads workshops alongside a team of well-regarded instructors.
An arts destination
(Photo by Jim Chapman)
The barn also shares its campus with The Appalachian Gap: An Artsy Shop & Studio, which offers classes in traditional crafts, such as weaving and felting.
Together, these businesses have helped shape Clarkesville into a top arts destination in the Northeast Georgia mountains.
Looking ahead, the team hopes to expand class offerings at their new location, 143 Highway 17, to include raku pottery, photography, plein air painting, guided nature walks, and even on-site retreats. But for now, their message to the community is familiar and straightforward: The barn door is open.
