While McNairy County has certainly contributed to Tennessee's rich musical heritage, visual arts have not been under represented. Brian Tull, a native of McNairy County who currently resides in Nashville, has been contracted to do the mural.  Brian is, simply stated, one of the finest young artists working in the state.  We are proud to welcome his home for this historic project.  Learn more about Brian and his work (sample above) at his website:   www.briantull.com

Do you have information about the cultural heritage of McNairy County?  How about newspaper clippings, flyers or posters about concerts, dances or singings held in the county?  Do you have, or know someone who has pictures of the old time Bluegrass and string music pickers, the Elvis show in Bethel Springs, or square dances at Finger?  Do you own old broom making, weaving and spinning equipment or items used in any of the other folk and heritage crafts?  If so we want to hear from you!

 

In 2009 the Arts in McNairy Heritage and Culture Committee will renew the cultural assessment efforts that began in 2006 with the groundbreaking Community, Culture and Commerce project. The goal is to gain a deeper understand of the cultural legacy of McNairy County and Southwest Tennessee.  To be successful we will need everyone's help.  We would like to document the various folk art traditions and musical heritage through pictures, print, local publications and those wonderful family stories passed down through the generations. 

 

Several ways to approach the assessment are being considered but we wanted to get the word out early.  Dust off the old scrap books and take a turn through the attic.  You never know what you might find.  There will be a meeting and call for information sometime in the spring of 2009.  Until then, pass this story along to the family historian or anyone interested in such a project.   

 

Please direct all inquires and information to the AiM Heritage and Culture Committee at:

 

 

Vicki Sisco Cowan can usually be found playing in the mud.  It is a habit, she admits, that developed in early childhood and it has served her surprisingly well.  Mud, in this case, means clay and Vicki's messy dabblings now yield stunning works of art instead of mud pies.  Some of the pieces produced in her Selmer studio are functional, some are purely decorative but all bear the unmistakable mark of a masters touch.  With a duel degree in art and creative writing, Vicki has exhibited widely and is a published poet.  She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Arts in McNairy where she is an active member of the Visual Arts, Heritage and Culture and Literary Arts Committees.   

 

Though Vicki's skills are well known and in demand around the region, she was recently honored with a commission that has a more international flair.  She is shown above with an original piece of stoneware pottery which was recently presented to His Majesty the Emperor of Japan at a birthday celebration and reception held in his honor.  The piece was designed and built specifically for the occasion and presented by McNairy County Economic Development Coordinator, Ted Moore at a December economic summit in Nashville.  "We wanted to present him with a unique gift that expressed something about the people of McNairy County," said Moore, "and a piece of handmade pottery from an artist like Vicki was the perfect choice."  The gift was gratefully accepted on the Emperor's behalf by the Japanese Consulate-General, Hiroshi Sato, and will be on display in the private collection at his office in Nashville.

 

The choice seems particularly appropriate since the Japanese themselves have a long and rich pottery

tradition.  In fact, Vicki combined a traditional Japanese glaze called Tenmouko with more familiar American glazes in a perfect expression of the cooperative spirit demonstrated at the economic summit. The piece was fettled and sgraffitoed from a slab of stoneware clay and finished with golden splashes and edging.  The piece was signed and numbered and presented with a certificate of authenticity that read in part,  "The pottery leaf incorporates modern techniques while remaining an artistic symbol of the heritage-steeped traditions of McNairy County, Tennessee." 

 

It is quite an honor to receive such a prestigious commission and we congratulate Vicki for this and her many fine contributions to the cultural life of McNairy County.