MTSU’s Todd Art Gallery shares state award of excellence for Black craft exhibit

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — MTSU’s Department of Art and Design’s Todd Art Gallery recently received the 2024 TAM Award of Excellence from the Tennessee Association of Museums for its collaboration on an exhibit featuring Black craft artists from across the state.

Middle Tennessee State University’s Todd Art Gallery was a recent co-recipient of the 2024 TAM Award of Excellence from the Tennessee Association of Museums for its collaborative efforts in this exhibit titled “Black Bodies Making Form: 100 Years of Black Craft History in Tennessee,” featuring Black craft artists from across Tennessee. The exhibit was on display March 1-23 at the gallery on MTSU’s campus in Murfreesboro, Tenn. (MTSU photo by Johari Hamilton)

Titled “Black Bodies Making Form: 100 Years of Black Craft History in Tennessee,” the traveling exhibit was on display March 1-23 at Middle Tennessee State University and is a part of the Crafting Blackness Initiative, a five-year collaborative research, publication and exhibition series to advance the visibility of African American craft history in Tennessee from 1920 to the present.

Lynn Bachman’s “untitled” painted denim jacket was one of several pieces included in the “Black Bodies Making Form: 100 Years of Black Craft History in Tennessee” exhibit on display March 1-23 in Todd Art Gallery at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tenn. (MTSU photo by Johari Hamilton)

The Todd Art Gallery shares the prestigious TAM award with East Tennessee State University curators Karlota Contreas-Koterbay and Karen Sullivan, the Tipton and Slocumb Galleries, Tennessee Craft, and Tennessee State University’s Hiram Van Gordon Gallery.

“We are honored to be part of the Crafting Blackness Initiative, a powerful testament to the enduring legacy and creative resilience of Black artists in Tennessee,” said Jimmy Mumford, MTSU’s Department of Art and Design chair.

“This recognition not only celebrates the profound impact of our collaborative efforts but also highlights MTSU’s commitment to fostering inclusive and equitable narratives within the arts.”

To find out more about the Crafting Blackness Initiative and the list of artists involved in the MTSU exhibit, visit the Tennessee Craft website at https://tennesseecraft.org/crafting-blackness/.

TAM Award of Excellence

According to their Facebook page, the Tennessee Association of Museums, or TAM, was founded in 1960 and “fosters communication and cooperation between museums, cultural societies, and other members on matters of common interest to all to inform the public on the importance of understanding and preserving Tennessee’s cultural, historical, and scientific heritage.”

Hattie Marshall-Duncan’s sculpture titled “Lady in Blue” was one of several pieces included in the “Black Bodies Making Form: 100 Years of Black Craft History in Tennessee” exhibit on display March 1-23 in Todd Art Gallery at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tenn. (MTSU photo by Johari Hamilton)

“TAM encourages the publication and dissemination of information on the state’s past as well as the development of professional standards of members who bring that past to the public.”

The TAM award recognizes, encourages, and promotes excellence within the Tennessee museum community and focuses public attention on the outstanding programs, projects, and services Tennessee museums offer. Awards are not competitive and are based on individual accomplishments and achievements.

Awards of Excellence are given for an outstanding and exemplary accomplishment, as defined in the guidelines, by an institution or organization in Tennessee whose primary purpose includes preserving and interpreting natural history, cultural history, folklore, humanities, art, and science.

The exhibit offers various art mediums and culminates into a collection of quilted narratives, a bibliography with artists’ statements, and Q&A/video narratives, including historical and contemporary figures such as William Edmondson, Bessie Harvey, Greg Ridley, Fritz Massaquoi, and Sammie Nicely. Tennessee Governor’s Arts Award recipients Hattie Marshall-Duncan and Bill Capshaw were also included in the project.

About the exhibit

Sullivan describes the project as “works memorializing history, celebrating protest, venerating faith, and honoring family.”

“We came across works that encompassed, celebrated, elevated and revealed Black life through craft,” added Sullivan.

“Through projects like Crafting Blackness, we strive to amplify marginalized voices, reclaim overlooked histories, and inspire meaningful dialogue that transcends boundaries,” said Mumford, who was among dozens of artists featured in the exhibit.

A piece from the Orange Mound Collective in Memphis, Tenn., titled “Form Meets Function Quilt” was one of several pieces in the exhibit, “Black Bodies Making Form: 100 Years of Black Craft History in Tennessee,” on display March 1-23 in Todd Art Gallery at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tenn. (Photo by Johari Hamilton)

About Todd Art Gallery

Free and open to the public, MTSU’s Todd Art Gallery hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. During Saturdays@Todd programs, hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The gallery is located on the second floor of Andrew L. Todd Hall in the heart of the MTSU campus at 542 Old Main Circle. Visitor parking information, including temporary permits for weekday visits, is available at www.mtsu.edu/parking/visit.php, and a campus map is at https://bit.ly/MTSUParkingMap.

For directions or other questions, call 615-898-5532 or 615-898-2455 or contact Todd Gallery coordinator and director Eric Snyder at eric.snyder@mtsu.edu. Or visit www.mtsu.edu/art/gallery-main.php to learn more.

— Johari Hamilton (jah2gk@mtmail.mtsu.edu)