Cristy Dunn, of Mountain City, is a professional artist, teacher, and community leader, who serves as the Executive Director of the Johnson County Center for the Arts. She is a steadfast rural arts leader, who has elevated regional music and history, fostered community pride and enhanced her City and County as a destination for public art and cultural tourism.
Dunn’s deep connection to her Appalachian heritage is evident in every mural, class, and cultural initiative she leads. She was the visionary behind Mountain City’s Mural Mile, a downtown Mountain City walking tour with 17 murals, each depicting songs, musical artists, or themes tied to Johnson County’s rich musical legacy. She co-founded the Long Journey Home Musical Heritage Festival in 2015, an annual celebration of Appalachian arts and music and in 2016, helped launch and now presides over the Johnson County Junior Appalachian Musicians program, nurturing the next generation’s connection to traditional music.
In 2017, Dunn, along with a handful of dedicated citizens, started the Johnson County Center for the Arts. She became its founding Executive Director helping to transform the Center for the Arts into a regional cultural hub that supports over 100 local artists, offers community classes, and serves as an inclusive gathering place. Her quiet but effective leadership and hands-on commitment—from installing floors to curating exhibits—demonstrate her unwavering dedication. In 2024, after rapid growth, she led the charge to expand the Center for the Arts into a larger and more central Main Street location, while retaining the original building as a frame shop, pottery studio and gathering space.
Dunn serves on the board of the statewide advocacy group Tennesseans for the Arts and is also a nationally recognized oil painter. Her work has been exhibited in venues from Blowing Rock, NC to the Salmagundi Club in NYC and is archived on the moon as part of the Lunar Codex. Beyond her impressive achievements, her true legacy lies in her conviction that the arts are for everyone, and in cultivating an appreciation for her native Appalachian heritage in her hometown.
