We wouldn’t be here without the vision, creativity, and dedication of our founder, Cher Cornett. As the driving force behind Create Appalachia and a recent retiree from East Tennessee State University’s Digital Media Department, Cher has not only shaped our mission—she’s lived it. This month, we’re honored to celebrate her extraordinary talents, not just as our founder and former Board President, but as a nationally recognized digital artist and photographer.
A Show Rooted in Memory, Emotion, and Experimentation
Cher’s new exhibition is a deeply personal collection of images—some surreal, others abstract, all emotionally resonant. These aren’t commercial works or client projects. They’re the result of decades of artistic exploration, made simply for the joy and therapy of creating. Whether layering images to tell a new story or capturing the poetic glitch of a broken TV signal, Cher’s art invites us to see the beauty in imperfection and the story within the everyday.
Some of these pieces have already graced the walls of national and international exhibitions. Many, though, are being shown for the first time—one-off artist proofs that hold a mirror to a creative life well-lived.
A Creative Life of Firsts
With an MFA from Syracuse University and a BFA from the University of Georgia, Cher began her career as a graphic designer, illustrator, and photographer in 1980. She founded CC Design, the first digital media studio in Tallahassee, Florida, and later served as a professor, mentor, and industry leader. Her accolades include being a Senior Fellow with the International Digital Media Arts Association and a judge for the American Advertising Federation’s ADDY Awards.
An Invitation to See Differently
Cher’s work reminds us that art doesn’t have to shout to be powerful. Sometimes, it’s in the quiet act of observation—of seeing a small moment and turning it into something bigger—that the strongest stories emerge.
We invite you to experience and celebrate the artistic spirit that continues to inspire everything we do at Create Appalachia.
I just saw the coolest thing!
As a designer, my brain is trained to recognize patterns and compositions in my surroundings and to spot little elements that might provide a clue to a story. I use my camera to find and capture things that I find wonderful in some way. I then recreate the images as I remember them, not just as the camera captured it. My photos are never really finished until the post-processing is done. That is part of the artistry.
Sometimes in post-processing, I intentionally combine multiple images to construct a photographic illustration that creates a story or idea. Sometimes I add a visual effect. I recently started experimenting with abstract imagery made from photographs of natural glitches such as television signal interruptions. These express a digital story in a different way and are more about the emotion and energy of the idea than actual photorealistic representation.
When I see something cool, the image I capture can become anything from a tangible sharable memory, an abstraction that just satisfies the eye, or the seed for a visual story.
This show is a collection of my favorite personal images.
I’ve spent over 40 years as a graphic designer, illustrator, and digital media educator. As an “artist for hire” my creative works were focused on the needs of the job—whether it was a solution to someone else’s’ visual communication challenge or a demonstration to instruct. I got pretty good at the technical stuff.
Along the way, I also produced a lot of photography and digital fine art for my own personal practice. None of this work was intended for sale or commercial use, but to provide myself with a creative outlet. It was fun, and it was very therapeutic.
Some of these images have appeared in national and international juried exhibitions. Most of the prints displayed are one-off artist proofs.
