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On Exhibit: The 2018 Tennessee Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program

 

By Bradley Hanson, Director of Folklife –

This exhibit presents photographs and objects documenting the second year of the Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program. The nine master and apprentice teams include gospel musician Willie Artison and apprentice Kenneth Artison, from Memphis; fife and drum musician R.L. Boyce and apprentice Kesha Burton, from Brownsville; pollera dressmaker Malvina Carrera and apprentice Angela Webb, from Knoxville; fiddler Michael DeFosche and apprentice Trenton Caruthers, from Whitleyville; luthier Manuel Delgado and apprentice Ava Delgado, from Nashville; square dance caller Louis Frazor and apprentice Daniel Rothwell, from Shelbyville; buck dancer Thomas Maupin and apprentice Jake Fennell, from Murfreesboro; chair maker Mark Newberry and apprentice Malika Scheu, from Red Boiling Springs; and white oak basket maker Sue Williams and apprentice Michelle Hennessee, from Morrison.

The program is designed to encourage the preservation of our state’s diverse folklife traditions, especially those that are rare or endangered. The master artists are recognized by their communities as exceptionally skilled tradition bearers representing the best of their cultural heritage. The apprentices are talented students who wish to strengthen their abilities. The teams embarked on one-on-one training for a 9-month period in late 2017. This exhibition presents highlights from their work. Artists from the program will demonstrate and discuss their experiences at a gallery reception on June 23 from 2-4 p.m.  The reception is open to the public.

Tennessee Arts Commission Gallery is located at 401 Charlotte Ave., Nashville, TN 37243. Hours: Mondays-Fridays 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., free admission. For ADA inquiries, please call (615) 532-9797

Cover photos (left to right): Malika Scheu, Sue Williams, Kesha Burton, Daniel Rothwell, Manuel Delgado, Trenton Caruthers, Angela Webb, Jake Fennell and Willie Artison. Photographs by Bradley Hanson and Langston Collin Wilkins.