Community Engagement
Community News
March 15, 2025
“Artists in Schools: Craft Stories” in Lake County & Lauderdale County
Tennessee Craft continued the 3rd Year of presenting Artists in Schools: Craft Stories (AIS) 2025. The AIS 2025 Program reached a total of 224 4th and 5th Grade students at two schools in two western Tennessee Counties: Lara Kendall Elementary, in Lake County and Ripley Elementary in Lauderdale County. The Tennessee Craft AIS Program brings demonstrating Tennessee Craft Member Artists to underserved elementary schools identified by using data collected by the Tennessee Arts Commission.
March 13, 2025 Lake County, Lara Kendall Elementary
Demonstrating Artist – Carrie Mercer whose main focus is tatting lead fourth and fifth graders in hands-on art and craft activity of bead making, designed to explore the rich history of the Native American
Chickasaw Tribe, who lived around Reelfoot Lake and the surrounding region. Mercer explored how the Chickasaw people relied upon these lands and local natural resources for fishing and trade, emphasizing the connection between knot-making in creation of fishing nets which lead to the core methods of what has become her focus in tatting. Mercer also made the connection to beads made from stone and clay which were an essential part of the trade culture of the Chickasaw Tribe. The students also learned techniques, materials, and inspirations behind Mercer’s creations with examples of her tatted art, jewelry, accessories and embellishments.
Friday, March 14, 2025. Ripley Elementary School, Lauderdale County
During the event, 127 fifth-grade Students engaged with demonstrating Artist, Shelby Rector in hands-on work with clay, inspired by the Hatchie River, which runs through Lauderdale County. The students explored the river’s importance to local transportation, trade, and ecosystems, while learning the fundamentals of working in clay and embellishing the surface with the ‘sgraffito’ technique of scratching through a slip glaze. Additionally, Rector guided the students through a demonstration of building a coil pot from a ball of clay and encouraged them to create their own pot or explore other ideas for shaping the ball into their own creation.
December 1, 2024
Crafts and Drafts (Memphis, TN)
Tennessee Craft and the Southwest Chapter were at the Crafts & Drafts Festival on November 9, 2024 at the Crosstown Concourse, Memphis.
Demonstrating Artist was Memphis Ceramist – Lester Jones.
Over 4,000 people attended the Crosstown Concourse throughout the day, with hundreds stopping by to make art with Lester and learn more about the Southwest Chapter and Tennessee Craft!
Novemebr 25, 2024
Metro Arts Coffee Chat
On Wednesday, December 4, Metro Arts had their monthly Coffee Chat at Tennessee Craft Midstate at Arcade Arts Gallery 56. Arts and Community Members gathered to hear the latest news from Metro Arts Community Engagement Manager, Chuck Beard, and learned more about Tennessee Craft Midstate Artists being featured in the juried exhibition, sponsored by Arcade Arts Nashville, curated by M Kelley, located in the second floor Gallery 56 space in Downtown Nashville’s beautiful newly renovated Arcade.
The exhibition is open on weekends, Friday’s and Saturday’s from November 29 through December 21, from 1 pm to 6 pm, ART CRAWL DECEMBER 7 until 9 pm!
Arcade Arts is part of the Downtown Nashville CULTURAL VIBE and we are so proud and grateful to have the opportunity to be a part of this exciting Arcade Arts Space!
August, 2024
Southeast Community Day (Nashville)
On July 27, Tennessee Craft participated in the Southeast Community Day, Backpack Give Away at Hadley Park in Antioch. Students and their families enjoyed a walk in the park where participants including locals schools and organizations distributed school supplies to fill their new backpacks in preparation for the upcoming school year. Tennessee Craft’s back pack supply contributions included colorful metal pencil boxes; sparkling glitter coated pencils and miniature watercolor paint palettes which produced huge smiles! We also provided line drawings of craft objects for the children to color with pastels while they were at our tent! Special thanks to Joy Styles, Councilwoman District 32 for inviting us to participate in such a meaningful event.
