National Arts & Humanities Month
From Anne B. Pope, Executive Director —
With great pleasure, the Tennessee Arts Commission will take part in honoring and advocating the arts during the 2015 National Arts and Humanities Month (NAHM), which was started in 1985 by Americans for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Since it became a month long celebration in 1993, America now spends all of October nationally celebrating the arts and recognizing the importance of culture to an individual, as well as to overall community and economic development. All Americans are encouraged to participate and discover new opportunities in the arts and humanities.
One of the greatest female artists of the 20th century, Georgia O’Keeffe painted for many reasons, including that of giving a certain experience to those who looked at her art and to be sure that people saw the beauty around them. When asked why she painted her flowers on such a large scale, she replied, “I decided that if I could paint a flower on a huge scale, you could not ignore its beauty. ”
In the same spirit, I urge you to seize the opportunity this month presents. Breathe in our crisp fall air, and take the time to appreciate the numerous experiences available. As Tennesseans, we are privileged to live in a state that is culturally rich from Mountain City to Memphis. The arts have deep roots in our state and are a key ingredient for a healthy and vibrant community. In fact, Tennessee blues legend B.B. King is said to have declared music to be one of the three things he couldn’t live without.
Ours is a state known for its natural beauty, volunteer spirit, hospitality and rich arts culture. Tennessee is 440 miles in length, and locals typically identify themselves first as belonging to one of the Three Grand Divisions—East, Middle or West. However, in each of these parts there is the unifying presence of the vast breadth and depth of arts and culture.
Tennessee is known for music across the entire state. Start with the Mississippi delta and Memphis in the west, home of blues, soul, rock and roll, Elvis and Justin Timberlake. Then traverse the rolling hills of Middle Tennessee to Nashville, the epicenter of country music, and head east to the Appalachian and Smoky Mountains, where Davy Crockett was born and bluegrass is played.
The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development (TDTD) defines the state’s brand as music and actively works to spread awareness of the expanse of opportunities the states offers, including arts and culture. TDTD’s recent initiative Made in Tennessee gives visitors and natives alike a comprehensive view of Tennessee experiences, regionally and statewide. You can download a free vacation guide, explore the state through an interactive map and learn of upcoming events on a statewide calendar. Click here to view the calendar.
Pulling from this calendar, you can clearly see the breadth and depth of arts and culture in Tennessee. While it would take pages to justly represent the happenings from this month alone, here are a few highlights:
In the west, Memphis’s famed Orpheum Theatre officially opened the Halloran Center just two weeks ago and it is already bursting with events. Join the Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers on October 21 for a viewing with a post Q&A session of the documentary 1971. Or step next door on October 26 to the Theatre for a concert by 9-time Grammy-winner Nora Jones. Jackson proudly supports a symphony now in its 55th season. On October 24 the Jackson Symphony will be joined by the The Jackson Symphony Youth Orchestra for the annual side-by-side concert, bringing their haunted tunes to the halls.
Moving to Middle Tennessee we have Artober Nashville. This event is held in conjunction with NAHM and partners hundreds of arts and cultural organizations with the Metro Arts Commission and NowPlayingNashville.com throughout the entire month of October. Click here to view Artober’s calendar of events.
To the east, Chattanooga will kick off its annual Oktoberfest with Artoberfest on October 14, celebrating all of the city’s art community. Moving north, Knoxville will also be hosting an incredible number of arts events, including a performance by the Afro-disiacs at the Knoxville Museum of Art on October 9. Jonesborough is home of the International Storytelling Center, which features storytellers weekly. Also on October 9, the Great Smokey Mountains Heritage Center will be holding a night of its Sunset Music Concert series. And to the very top corner, Bristol’s Paramount Center for the Arts will feature various shows and events throughout the month, including Jack and the Bean Stalk on October 11.
And these are just a small sample of what our state has to offer. Join this month-long national movement to appreciate the arts in our country and experience the cultural heritage that Tennessee has to offer.
