Twenty-five accomplished folk artists are profiled in a new exhibit in Etowah, Tenn. "Tradition -- Tennessee Lives & Legacies" will run through June 12 at the L&N Depot/Railroad Museum, 727 Tennessee Ave.
In addition to the artwork, a companion book features essays by Dr. Robert Cogswell, director of folklife for the Tennessee Arts Commission, and photographs by Nashville photographer Dean Dixon.
According to exhibit organizers, Cogswell drew on 25 years of fieldwork experience with Tennessee folk culture to select subjects for the project, and Dixon photographed them over a period of a year and a half. Dixon's photography captures the personalities of these mostly unsung people in settings significant to them. Cogswell's accompanying text provides details on their art and life stories.
The exhibit was developed by the Tennessee Arts Commission and curated in partnership with the Hunter Museum of American Art in Chattanooga. It is presented by the Tennessee Overhill Heritage Association and Etowah Historical Commission.
"Honoring our folklife traditions is an important part of Tennessee Overhill's mission," said executive director Linda Caldwell. "This exhibit clearly demonstrates the cultural, artistic and social value that Tennessee folk artists bring to our communities."
The museum is open 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday and on weekends, according to passenger train schedules. It will be closed on Memorial Day.
For more information, call 423-263-7232 or 877-510-5765; or visit www.tennesseeoverhill.com.