Surgoinsville Library Honors Local Artist Charles Grow

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The Surgoinsville Public Library is hosting an art exhibit featuring the work of local artist Charles Grow, a former U.S. Marine Corps combat artist and museum curator. The exhibit, which runs until February 23rd, showcases a variety of Grow's pieces in different mediums. Grow, who graduated from Volunteer High School in 1982, has had his art displayed in prestigious venues like the National Museum of the Marine Corps and the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, but says it means something special to be recognized in his hometown.

Why it matters

The exhibit highlights the artistic talents of a local Surgoinsville resident who has gone on to have a distinguished career as a combat artist and museum curator, preserving and presenting Marine Corps history to the public. It also demonstrates the importance of community institutions like the public library in celebrating local artists and their contributions.

The details

The art exhibit features around 70 pieces by Charles Grow, depicting various subjects in a representational style. Grow's artwork includes a portrait of a local Rogersville resident known as "Bluebird" that he drew on black paper, winning a national Hallmark Honor Prize in 1982 when he was a student at Volunteer High School. Grow also painted two murals for the Surgoinsville school, the first as a student and then again 40 years later when the school became Surgoinsville Middle.

• The art exhibit runs until February 23, 2026.
• Grow graduated from Volunteer High School's second-ever senior class in 1982.

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