“Big Rock Candy Mountain,” an exhibit of photographs by East Tennessee State University student Tammy Mercure, is on display through Dec. 18 at the Carroll Reece Museum.The free public show is Mercure’s thesis exhibition, the culmination of her master of fine arts degree in photography.

The color photographs are from tourist towns scattered throughout the Great Smoky Mountains, the most notable being Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg in Tennessee and Cherokee in North Carolina. Mercure’s project, which she started in 2007, is ongoing, and the exhibition coincides with the 75th anniversary of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most visited national park in the United States with over 9 million visitors a year.

Several themes run through this large body of photographs and its accompanying limited edition book set.

These include the cultural icons of the area, such as Dolly Parton, Indians and bears; the intersection of nature and commercialism; and the cornerstones of “tourist traps” – gas, food and lodging.

The exhibit is free and open to the public.

Regular museum hours are Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and Thursday from 9 a.m.-7 p.m.

Three special parking spaces at the east end of the Reece Museum are designated for patrons of the museum and the Center for Appalachian Studies and Services, a Tennessee Center of Excellence of which the museum is a division.

To receive a temporary permit to park in these spaces, patrons should visit the ETSU Parking Office, 908 W. Maple St., or call 423-439-5636 or e-mail parking@etsu.edu.

For more information or special assistance for those with disabilities, call 423-439-4392.

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