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Master Artist Apprentice Program on Exhibit

Posted Mar 31, 2016 | Posted in:

The Tennessee Arts Commission is currently exhibiting The Master Artist Apprentice Program (MAAP), featuring the recent work of multiple master artist and apprentice mentorships, from September 24 – November 14, 2015.

The MAAP is a cooperative partnership of the Tennessee Arts Commission and Tennessee Craft. The mission of this collaboration is to encourage and invest in the continuation, advancement and creation of Tennessee craft by recognizing the role of the master craft artist and apprentice relationship as a way to preserve the state’s cultural heritage.

This year’s featured work was created from 580 hours of one-on-one mentoring instruction by masters with apprentice artists to encourage, strengthen and grow their artistic foundation. MAAP cultivates the traditional master/apprentice relationship by rewarding selected artists with a grant to ensure craft art is nurtured and not lost in Tennessee.

The 2015 MAAP artists are: Pulp Painting: Master Chery Cratty (Smithville) and Apprentice TraciPaden (Chattanooga); Wood Furniture: Master Scott DeWaard (Walland) and Apprentice StephenShankles (Maryville); and Papermaking: Master Claudia Lee (Liberty) and Apprentice Gail Looper (Smithville).

The Tennessee Arts Commission Gallery is located at 401 Charlotte Ave., Nashville, TN 37243. The gallery is free and open to the public Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. To schedule a gallery tour, contact Krishna Adams at (615) 532-9798. For ADA inquiries, contact Kim Johnson (615) 532-9797. Learn more about MAAP. 

Tennessee Arts Commission Now Accepting Applications for FY17 Annual Grants
The Tennessee Arts Commission is accepting applications for fiscal year 2017 Annual Grants through January 2016 for projects and activities that occur between July 1, 2016 and June 17, 2017. Grants are announced in July 2016 after extensive paneled reviews.Annual Grants provide funds for: a variety of arts education projects, such as professional development for teachers, arts education in communities and programming for children in grades PK-12; operating support for well-established arts organizations; and project support in urban and rural counties.

In fiscal year 2016, the Commission awarded 311 Annual Grants, investing $3,925,710 in Tennessee communities to help fund arts and cultural activities for schools, local governments, nonprofits and artists.

“These investments support and encourage sustainable communities built through the arts in both urban and rural areas,” said Anne B. Pope, Executive Director of the Tennessee Arts Commission, “the funded projects help improve quality of life, drive economic development and tourism, and help provide a more balanced education for our children.”

For more information about grant eligibility, contact Associate Director of Grants Hal Partlow, hal.partlow@tn.gov, or visit tnartscommission.org.