Craft Master Artist Apprentice Program (MAAP) Virtual Exhibition and Online Artist Talks 2024
Master and Apprentice Online Artist Talks
Craft MAAP participants discuss their experiences in the program. Join us!
Jewelry: Brie Flora, Master and Kayla Byrd, Apprentice
Tuesday, October 15 at 12:30pm Central/1:30pm Eastern RSVP HERE
Sculpture: Sherri Warner Hunter, Master and Buffy Holton, Apprentice
Friday, November 1 at 11am Central/12pm Eastern RSVP HERE
Fiber/Chair Caning: Doug Lowman, Master and Carolyn Lowe, Apprentice
Wednesday, November 6 at 11am Central/12pm Eastern RSVP HERE
By Krishna Adams, Director of Visual Arts, Craft, Media, and Design –
Celebrating its 15th year, the Master Artist Apprentice Program (MAAP) is a recognized cooperative partnership between the Tennessee Arts Commission and Tennessee Craft. The mission of this collaboration is to encourage and invest in the continuation, advancement, and creation of craft in Tennessee by recognizing the role of the master craft artist and apprentice relationship to preserve the state’s cultural heritage. This partnership provides craft artists with relevant and alternative educational experiences and promotes and facilitates fine craft as a viable career path for Tennessee artists through mentoring and professional development of emerging craft artists.
This year, three accomplished Tennessee artisans provided six months (December 2023-June 2024) of one-on-one mentoring instruction with apprentice artists to encourage, strengthen, and grow their artistic foundation. Each apprentice chose challenging goals that helped to catapult their skills and knowledge as craft artists. The MAAP partnership continues to cultivate the traditional master/apprentice relationship by awarding selected artists with a grant to ensure craft art is nurtured in Tennessee.
Learn more about the Master Artist Apprentice Program for FY25 Applications are open now! Deadline is November 1, 2024.
Check out the current exhibition here.
The following partners worked together to sustain craft for the next generation:
Jewelry: Master, Brie Flora and Apprentice, Kayla Byrd
Master, Brie Flora (Cookeville/Putnam County)
A graduate from MassArt with a dual degree in Metalsmithing + Jewelry and Art Education, Flora is an artist and jeweler. She co-owns The Silver Fern gallery and fabricates wearable art and wall sculptures out of steel, brass, and silver and applies powder coat and illustrations to the surfaces. Taking inspiration from folk art, fantasy, and nature she merges her love for drawing and metal fabrication. Flora creates unique sculptural objects and wearable art and looks to achieve an organized maximalist aesthetic that celebrates pops of color, intricate marks, and illustrative forms. She has taught workshops virtually and/or in person at Metalwerx Studios, Pocosin Arts, Appalachian Center for Craft, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, and Haystack Mountain School of Craft. Visit her website here.
Apprentice, Kayla Byrd (Johnson City/Washington County)
Byrd enjoys exploring themes inspired by shapes and textures found during her regional explorations of Appalachia. She works with a variety of metals and uses powder coating techniques, illustration, and gemstones to add colorful interest to her designs. She takes inspiration from nature, folklore, and traditional crafts to create contemporary wearable art pieces.
“During my apprenticeship we worked collaboratively to build my experience and skills in a variety of areas. My work was focused on learning jewelry design with production considerations in mind, mastering basic and advanced powder coating techniques, gaining experience as an independent artist at craft fairs, as well as online and in-person teaching, gallery work, and building an online presence for sales. My time as an apprentice has been invaluable in helping me become a more well-rounded metal artist with the confidence and knowledge to pursue creating, collaborating, selling, and teaching on my own.” Learn more about Byrd here.
Sculpture: Master, Sherri Warner Hunter and Apprentice, Buffy Holton
Master, Sherri Warner Hunter (Bell Buckle/Bedford County)
Sherri Warner Hunter is a sculptor, teacher, facilitator, author, manipulator of tile, and a big fan of concrete. She received her B.F.A. from the Kansas City Art Institute, and M.A. from Claremont Graduate School in California but thinks of herself as a lifelong learner, expanding on her skills through research, experimentation, and a few targeted learning experiences. About 30 years ago she and her husband, Martin, settled in Bell Buckle, where she established her studio, SWH Art Studio Inc. In 1995 Hunter received her first public art commission through a state-wide competition to create a sculpture for one of Tennessee’s Interstate Welcome Centers. Dozens of projects later, Hunter continues to create large-scale concrete and mosaic forms for exterior installations. More recent commissions include the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford, Palo Alto, CA; Seasonal Tree of Life, Memphis, TN; and at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. Hunter also has a passion for community-built projects. International, national, and regional organizations invite Hunter to give presentations and teach hands-on workshops. Visit her website here.
Apprentice, Buffy Holton (Lewis County)
Holton spent much of her artistic life as a photographer, with an emphasis on the patterns and textures in nature, and a love of working in the darkroom. When she retired in 2016 and moved from Nashville to Lewis County, she began working with concrete and mosaic. The use of stains and colorants, as well as stones from her rockhounding expeditions and found object mosaic materials fits naturally into her love of pattern and texture. She loves working with her hands to construct the pieces.
“The MAAP program gave me the opportunity to work with patterns on a much larger scale and to explore the use of glass and porcelain tiles in my work. I also learned the basics of MIG welding and other methods for armature construction so that I can construct larger pieces. “Box Turtle Pelt” and “Trametes Versicolor” are my tributes to the turtles and lichens that I frequently encounter in the woods around my home. “Swerve” is a celebration of textures and lines, using many of my favorite “interesting” collected rocks.” See more of her work here.
Fiber/Chair Caning: Master, Doug Lowman and Apprentice, Carolyn Lowe
Master, Doug Lowman (Telford/Washington County)
Chair caning has a rich craft tradition in the Appalachian region. Lowman is a fiber artist who specializes in the seat weaving of chairs and rockers. In addition to cane work, he also weaves chairs and stools with flat reed and rush. In the early 1990’s, he caned his first rocking chair. After retiring from Eastman Chemical Company as a research chemist, he became serious about this craft as he explored refurbishing chairs and rockers. His finds in flea markets, yard sales, and antique malls turn into beautiful chairs and rockers using classic Appalachian patterns, such as Daisies and Buttons, Daisy Chain, Double Victoria, Spider Weave, Star of David, Honeycomb, and Lace as well as original patterns. His work has been exhibited in Tennessee, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Ohio. Lowman received Best of Show recognition at the Summer Craft 2017 Exhibition in Tennessee. He also offers classes in chair caning and stool seat weaving. In Tennessee, he has taught at the Washington College Academy School of Arts & Crafts in Limestone, Jonesborough Senior Center, the Exchange Place in Kingsport, and Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg. Through teaching classes, he has experienced the joy of watching new students struggle and succeed to learn the art of the handwoven caning craft. Learn more about Lowman here.
Apprentice, Carolyn Lowe (Greeneville, Greene County)
As a dedicated seat weaver, Lowe specializes in cane, shaker tape, fiber rush, plastic wicker, and paracord. Her journey into this craft began with a single seat weaving class that ignited a profound passion for restoring and revitalizing damaged and forsaken chairs. What started as a simple hobby has evolved into a lifelong commitment to preserving and enhancing this intricate art form. Inspired by the challenge of weaving seats that stand the test of time, both aesthetically and functionally, she began collecting old chairs and stools.
“Being accepted into MAAP was a pivotal moment in my journey. Under the mentorship of renowned Master Seat Weaver Doug Lowman, I delved deeper into advanced techniques, particularly in caning. This experience pushed me to explore new methods and embrace the creative challenges that fuel my passion. Now, I am excited to share my knowledge and enthusiasm through lectures, demonstrations, and teaching. My mission is to ensure that the art of seat weaving endures, inspiring a new generation of enthusiasts. Whether guiding beginners or sharing insights with seasoned practitioners, I am committed to keeping this timeless craft alive and accessible.” See more of her work here.
Learn more about the Master Artist Apprentice Program for FY25
Applications are open now! Deadline is November 1, 2024.
