On Exhibit June 14-August 2: The 2019 Tennessee Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program
By Bradley Hanson, Director of Folklife –
This exhibit presents photographs and objects documenting the third year of the Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program. The twelve master and apprentice teams include Honduran woodcarver Rafael Casco and apprentice Hector Figueroa; mandolinist Mike Compton and apprentice Jackson Carter; flint marble maker Paul Davis and apprentice Kenzie Adams; folk sculptor Hattie Marshall Duncan and apprentice Keesha Marshall-Reid; banjo player Rhiannon Giddens and apprentice Uma Peters; blues musician Dudley Harris and apprentice Rita Nicole Perry; ballad singers Daniel Hicks, Freeda Beaty, and Carmen McCord Hicks and apprentices Summer Boyd, Angela Bailey, Mack Bailey, and Erin Bailey; Tatreez embroiderer Samira Jubran and apprentice Areej Itayem; autoharp player Will Smith and apprentice Sarah Carter; cooper Rick Stewart and apprentice Brendon Stewart; fiddler Robert Townsend and apprentice Isaiah Northcutt; and white oak basket maker Sue Williams and apprentice Rhonda Elkins Brown.
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 2018. This exhibition presents highlights from their work. Artists from the program will demonstrate and discuss their experiences at a gallery reception on June 22 from 2:00-5:00 p.m. The reception is open to the public.
The Tennessee Arts Commission Gallery is located at 401 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Nashville, TN 37243, 615.741.1701 (V/TDD). Gallery hours are Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m., free admission.
To schedule a gallery tour, contact Bradley Hanson, 615-532-9795.
