The AiM Visual Arts Committee begins accepting entries for the annual amateur photography contest and show this month.  The contest is open to everyone regardless of age.  Only the panel of judges and professional photographers are ineligible for participation.  There is a $10 fee for each of the first three entries and $5 fee for every entry thereafter.  Contestants can enter as many photos as they like.   Please pay by check or money order payable to Arts in McNairy.

• Photos must have been taken since the year 2007
• Photos can be taken anywhere except those entered in the McNairy County category
• Photos must be submitted in 8x10 or 5x7 format
• Photos must be matted (preferably in white)
• Photos must be unframed
• Photos can be digital or film, black and white or color
• Photos can not be previously published
• Photos that have received awards in past AiM contests are not eligible for the 2011 contest
• Photos are the responsibility of the individual artists and Arts in McNairy will accept no liability for loss or damage to photos during the contest and show 

Please contact George Souders at (731) 645-5441 with further questions about the AiM photography show and contests.  Good luck shutterbugs!

New Book/Exhibit Features Broom Maker, Jack Martin

If there ever was any doubt, a new publication and companion exhibit, just out by the Tennessee Arts Commission, confirms that Jack Martin is numbered among the state's most valued cultural treasures.  Tradition - Tennessee Lives and Legacies, traces the heritage and lasting legacy of 25 Tennesseans who preserve a diverse group of our state's cultural traditions.  The inspiration for the project draws on 25 years of field work experience by Dr. Robert Cogswell, Director of the Tennessee Arts Commission Folklife Program.  Nashville photographer Dean Dixon was contracted to provide images that compliment Cogwell's expressive essays.  Dixon traveled across the state photographing the subjects in their homes and communities for the project.  

The exhibit opened last fall at the Hunter Museum in Chattanooga and will be traveling the state on a thirteen stop tour over the next three years.  West Tennessee locations readily accessible to McNairy County will include West Tennessee Regional Arts Center in Humboldt and Germantown Performing Arts Center.  The hardcover book is now available for purchase at the Tennesseans for the Arts online store. 

The book is a stunning achievement both easy to ready and beautiful to behold.  It will be valued by anyone with even a remote interest in folk art or Tennessee heritage and culture. The essay on Jack Martin gives a brief history of the family business, Hockaday Handmade Brooms, and the photo's picture him in a familiar setting at his shop on the family farm in Selmer.  Those who have been privileged to see Jack at work will immediately appreciate how the words and images capture the spirit and substance of Jack's efforts to preserve his family's time-honored craft of broom making.  Twenty four other essays about Tennesseans who preserve various cultural traditions are just as illuminating.          

In 2005 Arts in McNairy appointed the first heritage and culture committee to inventory and assess local cultural attributes and make recommendations to the board of directors about the feasibility of local cultural preservation efforts. The committee developed a concise survey and polled hundreds of respondents around the area about cultural features, past and present, that were valued most.  The result was a stunning list of assets in musical history, material culture, foodways, community activities, etc. 

Since that time, the committee has continued to compile information in several areas of interest.  Many families and individuals have graciously shared their oral histories, photos, newspaper clippings, etc..  The above photo of old time string players Con and Elvin Crotts is one good example provided by the Crotts and Bain families.  We are indebted to all those who have proudly shared their family stories with us. 

More than a mere academic enterprise, the information gathered over the last few years has actually lead to a shift in the organization's programming.  The AiM Artisan Trail and Rockabilly Highway Revival projects are a direct result of information gathered through the committee's efforts.  Just this year, Arts in McNairy received a Commission Initiative grant from the Tennessee Arts Commission to preserve the recordings of Stanton Littlejohn.  These will be used for educational purposes as well as local music programming.   

In 2011 the asset inventory will continue with a revised and focused questionnaire to obtain information about a variety of cultural assets.  Of special interest are musical heritage and broom making traditions but all information is welcome.  Arts in McNairy is now seeking organizations like churches, Ruritan Clubs, lodges and other community groups to host community survey sessions.  The process if fun and easy and involves having a representative from the committee go over a list of questions with your group that often sparks lively and nostalgic discussion about the area's cultural past.  If you are interested in participating in or hosting a session in 2011, contact heritage and culture committee chair, Shawn Pitts at: [email protected] Pitts' email address was incorrectly listed in last month's newsletter so please email him again if you already tried without a reply.