Art of Tennessee - Frist Center for the Visual Arts

1 

A Teacher’s Guide 

to selected works from the exhibition 

Art of Tennessee was organized by the Frist Center for the Visual Arts and guest curators Robert Hicks and 

Benjamin Caldwell. A component of the exhibition is on view at the Tennessee State Museum, in honor of 

the Museum’s distinguished history of collecting the art and material culture of the state. 

The Art of Tennessee Teaching Packet was created by the Education Department, 

Frist Center for the Visual Arts, 2003. 

Narratives provided by the Exhibitions Department, Frist Center for the Visual Arts.

2 

Table of Contents 

About the Teaching Packet 

A Note to Teachers page 5 

What’s in This Packet? Page 5 

How Can I Use This Packet in My Classroom? Page 6 

Introduction to Art of Tennessee 

By Mark Scala, Exhibitions Curator, Frist Center for the Visual Arts page 7 

Section Themes 

Gallery Section 1: Native Americans, Frontier, & Settlement page 9 

Gallery Section 2: Antebellum Tennessee page 15 

Gallery Section 3: Tennesseans on the National Stage page 23 

Gallery Section 4: Turn of the Century: Tradition & Transformation page 29 

Gallery Section 5: Twentieth-Century to Contemporary Art page 35 

Gallery Section 6: Twentieth-Century to Contemporary Craft page 47 

Appendix 

Vocabulary page 56 

Suggested Reading For Teachers page 57 

Reproducible Activity Sheets page 60

3 

A Note to Teachers… 

At the Frist Center for the Visual Arts, we greatly value our relationship with teachers. We 

extend special thanks to our Educator Advisory Group of K-12 art and classroom teachers 

whose valuable input provided direction for the development of this packet. The Art of 

Tennessee Teaching Packet was designed with the needs of teachers in mind, and we hope you 

will find it helpful in preparing your students to see the exhibition and in follow-up study. 

What’s in This Packet? 

Art of Tennessee Lesson Plans 

Art of Tennessee is divided into several themes, and the teacher’s guide is organized 

into six sections that correspond with those themes. Each section includes two to four 

lessons that encourage students to: 

o EXPLORE works of art by looking closely and discussing initial observations. 

o DISCOVER artists, artwork, and historical periods through discussing and/or 

reading the narratives provided. 

o CREATIVELY RESPOND to a work of art through a variety of hands-on 

activities related to social studies, language arts, and visual arts curricula. 

Supplemental Social Studies Lesson Plans from the Tennessee State Museum 

o Frontier Highlights 

o Common Man Heroes or Three Presidents 

o The Civil War 

Art Reproductions 

o 17 Color Reproductions (8 ½ x 11 in.) 

o 6 Color Postcards

4 

How Can I Use This Packet in My Classroom? 

When using this guide to prepare for a tour or classroom study, teachers may choose to use 

only the specific themes or lessons that correspond with their current curriculum. 

Curriculum Connections for the lessons are displayed on the first page of each section. 

Each lesson opens with a series of questions (“Explore”) followed by information on the 

artist, artwork, and historical period (“Discover”). This page may serve as a teacher’s 

dialogue for the lesson or it may be duplicated and given to older students as a reading 

assignment. 

Designed to be adaptable to all ages, the suggested activities (“Creative Response”) often 

incorporate the use of reproducible activity sheets located in the appendix. 

All art reproductions have been formatted to be as large as possible in hope that teachers 

might be able to display them in their classroom. Students might also use them in small 

group activities such as “Be a Curator.” This activity encourages students to explore the 

role of a curator in a museum. Basic guidelines can be found on page 68 in the appendix. 

This logo indicates that a work of art has been reproduced and appears 

at a station in ArtQuest, the Center’s interactive gallery. The station 

to which an artwork relates is briefly explained so students can 

participate in an ArtQuest activity in their own classroom! These 

activities are designed for self-guided learning and will work well at 

classroom centers. However, concepts from these stations can also be 

incorporated into a teacher-guided lesson on a specific topic (noted in lesson plans).

5 

Introduction to Art of Tennessee 

Art of Tennessee celebrates momentous achievements in Tennessee’s visual arts through time 

and in every region of the state. The exhibition includes art and decorated artifacts from the 

Native American, frontier, and settlement periods; nineteenth- and twentieth-century paintings 

and sculptures; furniture from vernacular rural expressions to refined styles imported from the 

Eastern seaboard; colorful textiles and graceful pottery; and innovative examples of 

contemporary craft, art, and folk art. These works were produced by Tennesseans or by artists 

from other places who depicted the people or environs of the state. 

Rather than demonstrating a stylistic identity that is particular to the region, Art of Tennessee 

shows that the aesthetic production relating to the state is part of a larger tapestry of influences 

that define the American experience. 

—Mark Scala, Exhibitions Curator 

Frist Center for the Visual Arts

6 

Gallery Section 1: Native Americans, Frontier, & Settlement 

Native American 

Félix Marie Ferdinand Storelli, Souvenir de Tokouo, 1819 

Cherokee, River Cane Double-Weave Basket with Lid, ca. 1790 – 1838 C.E. 

Frontier and Settlement 

Tomahawk Owned by Daniel Smith, ca. 1778 

Daniel Smith, A Map of the Tennassee Government…, 1794 

Curriculum Connections 

Tennessee State Curriculum Standards 

Social Studies Benchmarks (4-8) 

The student will… 

4.1.spi.4 examine how Native 

American culture changed as a 

result of contact with European 

cultures. 

4.3.spi.3. recognize the reasons 

settlements are founded on major 

river systems. 

4.3.tpi.3. write a journal article 

from the perspective of an early 

European visitor with special 

attention to the surrounding 

geography. 

4.5.spi.1. identify Native American 

groups in Tennessee before 

European explorations. 

5.1.tpi.1. explore cultural 

contributions of individuals from 

various Tennessean and American 

communities in music and art. 

5.3.spi.5. identify the physical and 

political boundaries of Tennessee. 

8.3.spi.2. identify and use the key 

geographic elements on maps. 

8.3.tpi.18. create a map of 

Tennessee featuring the three 

geographic regions and major 

landforms. 

8.2.tpi.11. write a short essay 

answering the question – How did 

both Native Americans and the 

early colonists benefit from trade 

with each other? 

Language Arts Benchmarks (4-8) 


4.1.spi.23. select sources from 

which to gather information on a 

given topic. 

4.2.tpi.6. produce written work in 

various genres and formats (poems, 

stories, instructions). 

4.2.tpi.8. write creatively and 

imaginatively. 

5.1.tpi.16. participate in creative 

responses to texts. 

5.2.spi.6. choose vivid and active 

words when writing. 

5.2.spi.16. write well-developed, 

organized, and coherent essays in 

response to narrative prompts. 

5.2.tpi.18. write in expressive and 

imaginative modes. 

5.2.tpi.11. create a well-developed 

story or passage summary. 


responses to text. 

8.2.spi.20. choose vivid words, 

active voice verbs, figurative 

language, imagery, colorful 

modifiers, and sensory details to 

enhance writings. 

8.2.tpi.20. react and respond to 

content area information in creative 

ways (create graphic 

representations, compose poems, 

create works of art). 

Visual Arts Benchmarks (5-8) 


Standard 2: 

o differentiate and appraise the 

function of works of art; 

o compare, analyze, judge, and 

value the functionality of works 

of art. 

Standard 4: 

o describe how artists contribute 

to community, society, and 

culture; 

o speculate on how factors of time 

and place give meaning or 

function to a work of art from a 

variety of cultures, times, and 

places. 

Standard 5: 

o identify various purposes for 

creating works of art; 

o understand and apply visual arts 

vocabulary when observing, 

describing, analyzing, and 

interpreting works of art; 

o examine different ways that 

visual arts provide opportunities 

for expressing ideas, actions, 

and emotions; 

o describe, interpret, and analyze 

different ways that human 

experience is reflected in 

contemporary and historic 

works of art.

7 

Focus Native American Art and Life 

Long before today’s borders were set, Native Americans hunted, farmed, and traded freely 

throughout the region. Works from the period of Paleoindian habitation (10,000- 8,000 B.C.E.) 

until the nineteenth century reveal their makers’ aesthetic impulses when shaping objects for 

daily and religious use. 

Explore Souvenir de Tokouo 

 

 

 

 

What detail(s) in this painting reveal 

evidence of the European influence 

on Native American culture? 

In what types of activities do the 

people appear to be engaged? 

Why were Native American villages 

like this one often located on 

riverbanks? 

Does this seem to be an idealized 

scene or a realistic depiction of the 

daily life of this Cherokee village? 

What led you to this opinion? 

Discover Souvenir de Tokouo 

Félix Marie Ferdinand Storelli 

b. Italy 1778–d. 1854 France (?) 1854 

Souvenir de Tokouo, 1819; Oil on canvas; 21 ¾ x 29 ¾ in. 

Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Ridley Wills II 

Photograph courtesy of the New Orleans Museum of Art 

This lush landscape documents the travels of three exiled Frenchmen in 1797 to Toqua, a 

Cherokee village on the banks of the Little Tennessee River. Their fascination with its 

inhabitants and architecture was recorded in detailed sketches by Antoine-Philippe d’Orleans 

and in the exhaustive diary of his brother Louis-Philippe, who would later become king of 

France. More than twenty years later, the Italian artist Félix Storelli made this detailed, if 

somewhat idealized painting, based on those descriptions. 

Following the winding dirt path, we catch a glimpse of the daily life in this peaceful village. 

Near the river’s edge fishermen prepare to disembark their dugout canoe. Just below strides a 

hunter carrying a long rifle. Behind him, a woman walks with two small children in tow. 

Simple log cabins, adapted from the houses of white settlers, dot the perimeter of the village. 

At the right, we see a cone-shaped structure. This is a Cherokee townhouse, or civic center. 

To heat more efficiently, it is windowless and completely covered with cornstalks and cane 

that grew in abundance along the riverbanks and creek beds. 

Discover River Cane Double-Weave Basket with Lid 

The women of the village used river cane to make baskets. This 

fine example demonstrates the maker’s concern for both function 

and beauty. It is double-woven, meaning that there are actually 

two baskets, one woven inside the other, with a common rim. 

Some of the cane splits have been dyed with walnut hulls to 

provide the geometric pattern decoration. 

LEFT: Southeastern Native American; Cherokee; Knox County, Tennessee 

River Cane Double-Weave Basket with Lid, ca. 1790 – 1838 C.E. 

River cane and natural dyes; 6 7/8 x 9 7/8 x 15 3/8 in. 

Frank H. McClung Museum, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 29/602

8 

Creative Response Souvenir de Tokouo 

Social Studies/Language Arts “Journal Account of a European Visitor” 

Put yourself in Storelli’s painting sitting at the edge of this quaint Cherokee village. Imagine 

how Louis-Philippe and his brother must have felt as they took in the sights and sounds of this 

place. Try to re-create Louis-Philippe’s dairy account that helped Storelli construct his 

seemingly accurate depiction of this village years later. Pay special attention to the people, 

architecture, and geography portrayed in the painting. Use vivid, descriptive words to capture 

every detail. 

Try this activity in your own surroundings. Spend time in one location closely observing the 

people, architecture, and surrounding geography. Create sketches and journal entries 

describing the location and then share them with your classmates. If you took your classmates 

to this place later, would they think it looked just as you described it? 

Visual Arts “Where the Sky Meets the Ground” 

Storelli’s beautifully composed landscape reveals an extremely balanced sense of space. Can 

you identify the parts of this landscape? Using your finger, trace the lines that define the 

foreground, middle ground, and background in the painting. 

Creative Response River Cane Double-Weave Basket 

Social Studies/Language Arts “Baskets for Trade” 

Baskets were commonly made for use within the village, to store food and clothing, or 

medicines and ritual objects. But some were made for trade, a practice that involved Cherokee 

women in life beyond their own community. 

Baskets were not the only items made for trade. Discover other goods that were traded among 

the Native Americans and early colonists, and then write a short essay answering the question 

“How did both Native Americans and the early colonists benefit from trade with each other?” 

Cite examples of traded goods and why one side had an advantage in producing it. 

Visual Arts “Basic Weaving Techniques” 

This river cane basket is rather complex with its double-woven structure and geometric 

patterns. Try your hand at the basic weaving activity on page 63 in the appendix. This simple 

activity will give you a true appreciation for the craftsmanship and artistry of this beautiful 

basket! 

Resources 

Art of Tennessee Exhibition Catalogue 

Tennessee Bluebook Online 

http://www.state.tn.us/sos/bluebook/online/bbonline.htm 

See also suggested reading in appendix. 

For more ideas on teaching 

frontier life refer to Tennessee 

State Museum’s Frontier 

Highlights Lesson Plans.

9 

Focus Frontier and Settlement 

As frontiersmen and settlers came into the region through the eighteenth and early nineteenth 

centuries, they brought with them necessities, from tools and weapons to simple textiles, 

vessels, and furniture. These utilitarian objects often had an aesthetic dimension. Clearly, 

even in times when efficient function was vital, artistry was appreciated in the early period of 

settlement. 

Explore Tomahawk Owned by Daniel Smith 

 

 

 

 

What do you believe was the primary 

purpose of this tool? 

Does it appear to have a secondary 

purpose? If so, what was it? 

Why might this tool be an important 

sidearm for a soldier, surveyor, or 

frontiersman? What other items might 

have been useful to them? 

What do the elaborate silver inlay and 

fancy engraving suggest about this tool’s 

owner? 

Discover Tomahawk Owned by Daniel Smith 

Although we most commonly associate the 

tomahawk with Native Americans, it was also an 

indispensable tool and weapon for the early 

settlers of Tennessee. This fine example is no 

common axe, however. The handle, made of curly 

maple, has been hollowed out so that it doubles as 

a pipe. And the elaborate silver inlay and fancy 

engraving tell us that it was a treasured sidearm, 

made for a person of means. 


Maple, silver, and steel; 11 ¼ x 7 3/8 x 1 in. 

Collection of William H. Guthman 

Photograph courtesy of the owner 

The proud owner was soldier and surveyor Daniel Smith. Notice on the blade a silver inlay in 

the shape of a scalping knife, inscribed with Smith’s name. You can also see the word 

“Opost,” referring to the French trading post near Vincennes, Indiana, where Smith might have 

purchased the tomahawk. On the reverse side is another silver inlay around which the name 

“James Stephenson” is much more crudely incised. 

In 1779 Smith led a survey of the wilderness west of the Allegheny Mountains to help establish 

the boundaries of Tennessee. On this journey, Smith noted in his diary that he lost his prized 

tomahawk. We know that a James Stephenson was one of the militia riflemen guarding the 

survey party. But how he became the tomahawk’s new owner remains a mystery.

10 

Creative Response Tomahawk Owned by Daniel Smith 

Language Arts “If This Tomahawk Could Talk…” 

No one knows exactly how Smith’s lost tomahawk ended up in the possession of James 

Stephenson. The mystery remains with the tomahawk. Write a short story titled “If This 

Tomahawk Could Talk” describing your idea of what might have happened. Refer to the 

activity sheet on page 62 in the appendix. 

Visual Arts “My Multi-Purpose Tool” 

At first glance, you might not have realized that Smith’s tomahawk had a secondary function. 

Think of an object that you use every day. How could you redesign that object to incorporate a 

secondary function? Create a simple sketch with captions describing how your redesigned 

object works. 

Social Studies “Surveying and Mapmaking” 

This map was made from Smith’s survey of the “Tennassee Government,” the name given to 

the territory before Tennessee was made a state in 1796. This wonderfully simple map 

documents not only the state’s great rivers and mountains, but also the names of growing white 

settlements in the lands long inhabited by Native Americans. 

Study Smith’s map and other historical records and maps of Tennessee. Then, create your own 

map of Tennessee featuring the three geographic regions and major landforms. 

Daniel Smith; b. Stafford County, Virginia 1748–d. Sumner County, Tennessee 1818 

A Map of the Tennassee Government formerly Part of North Carolina taken Chiefly from 

Surveys by Genl. D. Smith & others, 1794; Published by Mathew Carey (Philadelphia, 1794) 

Engraving on paper; Ann Harwell Wells Tennessee Map Collection, Nashville Public 

Library Special Collections Division; Photograph by Bill LaFevor 

Resources 


Tennessee Bluebook Online 

http://www.state.tn.us/sos/bluebook/online/bbonline.htm 


For more ideas on teaching 

frontier life refer to Tennessee 

State Museum’s Frontier 

Highlights Lesson Plans.

11 

Gallery Section 2: Antebellum Tennessee 

Antebellum Furniture, Sugar Chests 

Sideboard Sugar Chest, ca. 1820–30 

Sugar Chest, ca. 1800–1810 

Antebellum Painting, Portraits 

William Stamms Shackelford, James O. Shackelford Jr., 1857 

Antebellum Painting, Landscapes/Cityscapes 

Attributed to James E. Wagner, Tennessee State Capitol from Morgan Park 

ca. 1857–60 





4.2.spi.1. recognize the concept of 

supply and demand. 





5.1.tpi.7. give examples of folk 

tales, art, or music that represent a 

particular culture or time period. 

8.1.tpi.7. trace the role of diverse 

cultures on the development of the 

United States through the 

development of music and art. 

8.2.tpi.19. choose a colonial 

product and make up a 

hypothetical situation regarding a 

change in demand or supply and 

explain how price would be 

affected. 





given topic. 































Standard 2: 






Standard 4: 



culture; 





places. 

Standard 5: 










and emotions; 






12 

Focus Antebellum Furniture, Sugar Chests 

One of the simplest, yet most distinctive types of vernacular furniture in antebellum 

Tennessee was the sugar chest, used by settlers throughout the backcountry to store the 

precious commodity that came by riverboat from New Orleans. 

Explore Sugar Chests 

 

 

 

 

What is the function of this piece of furniture? 

Why was it considered an important item for 

Tennesseans to own during the early 1800s? 

What is it made from? Why does the material 

suggest about its origin (where it was made)? 

Compare this chest to the one below. In what 

ways are they similar and different? 

Discover Sugar Chests 

This dovetailed box on tapered legs is a sugar chest, a 

form of vernacular furniture especially popular in 

Tennessee. Under the hinged lid is a divided storage 

space where cones of white sugar, bulk brown sugar, 

and coffee were kept under lock and key. The drawer, 

adorned with original brass pulls, probably held a ledger 

to record how much sugar was on hand at all times. 

Sugar Chest, ca. 1800–1810 

Davidson County, Tennessee 

Cherry, walnut, tulip poplar, and original brass 

35 x 26 x 18 ½ in. 

Collection of Lucy Scott and Sam Kuykendall 

Photograph by Bill LaFevor 

The price of sugar followed the law of supply and demand—at times, a pound of sugar cost 

more than an acre of land! Still, sugar was one commodity that few families were willing to do 

without. Even after steamboats made sugar more readily available and prices fell, the sugar 

chest remained a popular household item. 

Sugar chests were usually made of cherry or walnut, 

woods commonly found in Tennessee. Variations of the 

simple form abound. For example, the stylistically 

earlier tapered leg is less common than the turned leg. By 

the second quarter of the nineteenth century, 

cabinetmakers were adapting the lowly sugar chest into 

sugar tables, sideboard sugar chests, and sugar desks. 

This is “sideboard sugar chest” (left) could double as a 

server in the dining room. Instead of a hinged top, this 

chest has three large drawers that allowed for storage of 

both types of sugar as well as coffee. 

LEFT: Sideboard Sugar Chest, ca. 1820–30; Wilson County, Tennessee 

Cherry and tulip poplar, with mahogany veneer; 38 5/8 x 38 ¼ x 20 3/8 in. 

Collection of Nathan and Jean Harsh; Photograph by Bill LaFevor

13 

Creative Response Sugar Chests 

Social Studies “Supply and Demand” 

The price of sugar followed the law of supply and demand, and at times, a pound of sugar cost 

more than an acre of land! Think of another prized product used during the 1800s. Then, in 

groups or individually, come up with a hypothetical situation regarding a change in supply or 

demand, and explain how price of the product would be affected. 

Visual Arts/Language Arts “Comparing Sugar Chest” 

Take a closer look at Woodworking Tools and Techniques (pages 64-65). Then, reexamine the 

Sugar Chest and Sideboard Sugar Chest and complete the comparison activity on pages 60- 

61in the appendix. 

Resources 


Tennessee Bluebook Online http://www.state.tn.us/sos/bluebook/online/bbonline.htm 

See also suggested reading in appendix.

14 

Focus Antebellum Painting, Portraits 

People and their social interactions have been depicted through the visual arts throughout time, 

particularly in portraits. Although a portrait generally represents a particular person, the style 

varies according to when and where both the subject and the artist lived; why the portrait was 

created; and the artist’s own particular temperament, background, and skills. 

Explore James O. Shackelford Jr., 1857 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you think this young child is a boy 

or a girl? Explain. 

How would you describe the clothing 

the child is wearing? What do the 

clothes tell us about the time period of 

the painting and status of the child’s 

family? 

What does the child’s facial expression 

suggest to you? 

What did the child appear to be doing 

at the time the portrait was painted? 

Does the background of the portrait 

appear to be imagined or painted from 

life? Explain your opinion. 

Discover James O. Shackelford Jr., 1857 

This charming portrait depicts the artist’s 

nephew dressed in a lace-trimmed blouse and 

mid-calf pants, customary attire for young 

boys from wealthy antebellum families. The 

tasseled military cap on the ground and stick 

in the child’s hand suggest that play has been 

interrupted. The dog looks imploringly up at 

his young master for a sign that activity will 

soon resume. 

William Stamms Shackelford 

b. Fleming County, Kentucky ca. 1814–d. Missouri ca. 1878 

James O. Shackelford Jr., 1857 

Oil on canvas; 46 ¾ x 39 in. 

Tennessee State Museum Collection, 76.190 


This is one of six portraits that Clarksville artist William Stamms Shackelford painted of his 

sister’s family in the late 1850s. He worked in various Kentucky towns before settling in 

Clarksville, where his prominent brother-in-law and distant cousin, attorney James O. 

Shackelford, likely arranged for other commissions. 

William Shackelford was a professional artist, but little is known about his training. Although 

the portrait is skillfully painted, the child appears monumental against the hazy backdrop. The 

romanticized landscape with church ruins in the distance adds to its charm.

15 

Creative Response James O. Shackelford, 1857 

Social Studies/Language Arts “19 th Century Clothing and Games” 

Using the library and Internet, research to find examples of customary dress and games for 

children during the mid-1800s. Then, create a presentation board comparing nineteenth- and 

twenty-first-century children’s clothing and games. Include illustrations (drawings or 

photocopies) and captions describing how the items would be worn or used as toys. 

Visual Arts “Me and My Pet” 

Many of us have pets that are our best friends, playmates, and constant companions. The same 

seems to be true for young James O. Shackleford Jr. with his dog close by his side in this 

portrait. Create a portrait of you and your pet (or a pet you would like to have). Think of the 

activities that you enjoy doing with your pet and how you feel when you’re playing together. 

How would you show these feelings and interests in your portrait? 

Resources 




16 

Focus Antebellum Painting, Landscapes/Cityscapes 

By 1850, Tennessee was the fifth most populous state, and Nashville was among the fastestgrowing 

cities in America. Tennesseans took pride in the growth of their cities, and paintings 

came to include city views. 

Explore Tennessee State Capitol from 

Morgan Park, ca. 1857–60 

 

 

 

 

Do you recognize the building that 

is the focal point of this painting? 

How did the artist compose the 

work so that your eye is drawn to 

this point? 

Describe the activities taking place 

in the foreground of the painting. 

What are the people doing? How 

are they dressed? What appears to 

be their preferred mode of 

transportation? 

What do your findings suggest 

about the time and place in which 

the work was created? 

Attributed to James E. Wagner 

Active Nashville, Tennessee ca. 1840–60 

Tennessee State Capitol from Morgan Park, ca. 1857–60 

Oil on canvas; 35 3/8 x 43 3/8 in. 

First Tennessee Heritage Collection 


Discover Tennessee State Capitol from Morgan Park, ca. 1857–60 

This painting captures a busy summer afternoon at the sulphur spring in Nashville’s Morgan 

Park, where residents came to drink mineral water for its supposed medicinal properties. The 

park was also a center where business deals were made and local news exchanged in the shade 

of the huge trees. 

Despite the bustling activity in the foreground, the true focus of this painting is the newly 

completed State Capitol building sitting atop a hill in the distance. This Greek Revival 

masterpiece by renowned Philadelphia architect William Strickland was “the pride of every 

Tennessean.” You can experience this same view of the Capitol Building today from the 

Tennessee Bicentennial Mall. 

The artist, James E. Wagner, worked in Nashville from 1840 to1860, and exhibited his work at 

the Capitol in 1858 with what the Tennessee Historical Society called “some of our very best 

artists.” Wagner also produced lithographs of Nashville in the years leading up to the Civil 

War, including an 1858 view of Nashville’s Zollicoffer Bridge and levee on the Cumberland 

River.

17 

Creative Response Tennessee Capitol from Morgan Park, ca. 1857-60 

Social Studies/Language Arts “Read all about it!” 

As a class, select a year in the mid-1800s. Pretend you are reporters during that time. 

Research a few specific events that occurred in your town or city during that year, and consider 

how these events affected community members. (Morgan Park would have been a great place 

to interview community members about their thoughts on Nashville’s current events!) Write a 

newspaper article based on your findings and speculations of public opinion. Then, combine 

the articles into a class publication. Refer to the activity sheet on page 66 in the appendix. 

Visual Arts “Making Sense of Space” 

As an object recedes in space it gets smaller in scale. Did you realize that the people in the 

foreground of this painting are actually larger in scale than the Capitol Building in the 

background? Next time you look at a landscape painting, compare the scale of objects in the 

foreground and background. 

Social Studies/Language Arts “Nashville Then and Now” 

You can experience this same view of the Capitol Building today from the Bicentennial Mall. 

Compare Wagner’s painting with the current photograph of this scene on page 67 in the 

appendix. Create a “Then & Now Chart” to demonstrate changes in the place from 1860 

to 2003. 

Resources 




For more information about architect, William Strickland, visits these websites: 

The Great Buildings Collection Online 

http://www.greatbuildings.com/architects/William_Strickland.html 

Virtual American Biographies 

http://www.famousamericans.net/williamstrickland/ 

US History Online 

http://www.ushistory.org/architects.html#02

18 

Gallery Section 3: Tennesseans on the National Stage 

Tennessee’s Political Leaders 

Ralph E. W. Earl, Andrew Jackson, 1838 

The Civil War 

William Gilbert Gaul, Waiting for Dawn, 1903 





4.5.spi.2. identify major Tennessee 

political leaders (e.g., Andrew 

Jackson, Sam Houston, James K. 

Polk, David Crockett). 

5.5.spi.2. recognize military and 

nonmilitary leaders from the North 

and South during the Civil War. 

5.1.tpi.1. explore the cultural 











8.4.spi.9. analyze the contributions 

of Tennessee political leaders on 

the national scene (e.g., Andrew 

Jackson, Andrew Johnson, James 

K. Polk, Sam Houston). 

8.4.tpi.25. differentiate the 

contributions and political views of 

Tennessee’s national leaders. 

8.5.spi.4. recognize causes and 

consequences of conflict. 





given topic. 































Standard 2: 






Standard 4: 



culture; 





places. 

Standard 5: 










and emotions; 






19 

Focus Tennessee’s Political Leaders 

In the first half of the nineteenth century, a number of national leaders emerged from 

Tennessee, bolstering the state’s political influence. 

Explore Andrew Jackson, 1836 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you recognize the man in this 

portrait? Who is he? 

How is he posed? Why do you think 

the artist chose to pose him this 

way? 

How would you describe his 

clothing? What do the clothes tell 

us about his position in society and 

the time period of the painting? 

Where is he standing? What is the 

significance of this location? 

What visual elements does the artist 

include to reinforce a sense of 

strength and stability? 

Discover Andrew Jackson, 1836 

This grand painting is a portrait of President 

Andrew Jackson. In Tennessee history, 

Jackson stands larger than life, and here, his 

six-foot, one-inch frame assumes mythic 

proportions. With a commanding air that 

defies his seventy years, Jackson is shown 

standing on the south portico of the White 

Ralph E. W. Earl 

b. Norwich, England 1785–d. The Hermitage, Nashville, 

Tennessee 1838 

Andrew Jackson; Oil on canvas; 126 x 93 in. 

Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the U.S. 

District Court for the District of Columbia, 1954.11.12 

House. He is carefully posed next to a classical column, a motif that recalls a Roman 

statesman. Such a portrayal may be an allusion to Jackson’s military victories and to his role 

in the rise of the Democratic Party. He is wearing a scarlet-lined military cloak; his stovetop 

beaver hat lies in a nearby chair. In the distance, the sun sets in a blaze of color on 

Washington’s Capitol Building. The year is 1837, and Jackson, the “Champion of the Common 

Man,” has just completed his second term 

as president. 

Perhaps no one admired Jackson more than Ralph Earl. He painted more than two dozen 

portraits of him, including this one that he dubbed “The National Picture.” Earl once described 

Jackson as “the most admirable man …I ever saw, and a most perfect gentleman … He is a 

strong friend … and a formidable enemy.” Earl not only knew Jackson personally, he also 

married his wife’s niece. He went on to live with Jackson at his mansion, The Hermitage, and 

later at the White House.

20 

Creative Response Andrew Jackson, 1836 

Social Studies/Language Arts “A Politician’s Point of View” 

In groups or individually, identify and analyze the political views of one of Tennessee’s 

national leaders (Andrew Jackson, James K. Polk, Andrew Johnson, etc.). Produce a list of the 

leader’s major contributions to American history. Then, following the guidelines below, 

design a political poster that displays this person’s accomplishments and views. 

• Emphasize one or two points from your list that best represent the leader. 

• Create a slogan that will help your audience to instantly identify with the individual. 

• Use simple shapes and one or two bold colors to make a strong statement. 

Visual Arts “Its All in the Pose” 

Pose a classmate for a portrait. Try several different poses, changing the facial expressions, 

postures, and props each time. For one of the poses, try to make your classmate look proud 

and dignified like Andrew Jackson in Earl’s portrait. Make several sketches of your classmate 

in the various poses, remembering to include your friend’s whole body in the portrait. 

Resources 




For more ideas on teaching Tennessee’s 

political leaders refer to Tennessee State 

Museum’s Common Man Heroes or 

Three Presidents Lesson Plans.

21 

Focus The Civil War 

Tennessee’s influence on the nation’s politics was diminished when it seceded from the Union 

in 1861. During the Civil War, significant battles from Memphis to Lookout Mountain near 

Chattanooga were fought, although few works of art from the period document these battles. 

After the war, artists such as Gilbert Gaul painted imagined and romanticized scenes of the 

“Lost Cause” of the Confederacy. The state’s Confederate past led to its marginalization in 

national politics, which lasted well into the twentieth century. 

Explore Waiting for Dawn, 1903 

 

 

 

 

How would you describe this 

scene? What war is depicted in 

this painting? 

Describe the general mood of 

this work. How did Gaul create 

the mood? 

How would you describe the 

colors? What effect do they 

have on the work? 

This painting is one of a series. 

Why do you think Gaul created 

this series? 

William Gilbert Gaul 

b. Jersey City, New Jersey 1855–d. Ridgefield Park, New Jersey 1919 

Waiting for Dawn, 1903 

Oil on canvas; 32 x 44 in. 

Birmingham Museum of Art; Gift of John Meyer 

Discover Waiting for Dawn, 1903 

The devastation of the Civil War in Tennessee was profound, and the human costs 

considerable. Here, Gilbert Gaul paints a grim picture of a Confederate army camp in the 

aftermath of battle. Dead soldiers lie unattended, while the survivors seem too weary or cold 

to stir in the hours before dawn. This work was part of a series intended to memorialize the 

sacrifices and heroism of the Confederate soldier. 

Gaul, born in New Jersey, was just a boy during the Civil War, but his sympathy for the Lost 

Cause of the South may have been nurtured by his Tennessean mother. When poor health 

dashed his hopes for a military career, he decided to study art at the National Academy of 

Design. By the age of twenty-two, he was making military paintings that were nationally 

recognized. Soon after, Gaul moved to Van Buren County, Tennessee. He spent a number of 

years there and in Nashville where he painted this picture in 1903.

22 

Creative Response Waiting for Dawn, 1903 

Social Studies/Language Arts “The Civil War” 

Research and identify differences between the North and South, and complete the activity sheet 

found in Tennessee State Museum’s Civil War Lesson Plans. 

(Prelude to War, Section B) 

As a class, create a time line that depicts major historical pre–Civil War events identifying 

issues that divided the North and South. Refer to Tennessee State Museum’s Civil War Lesson 

Plans. (Prelude to War, Section C) 

Identify the Civil War battles fought in Tennessee. Then, locate and label the battles on a map 

of the state. Refer to Tennessee State Museum’s Civil War Lesson Plans. 

(War Comes to Tennessee, Section B) 

Early romantic notions of war quickly faded as thousands lost their lives on the battlefield. 

This feeling was reflected in music of the time. Compare lyrics of Civil War music found in 

the Tennessee State Museum’s Civil War Lesson Plans. 

(War Comes to Tennessee, Section E) 

Visual Arts “A Series of Your Own” 

Like Gaul, create a series of drawings or paintings to document an event. Determine the mood 

you wish to convey in the work. Experiment with color. Notice how different colors and color 

schemes reflect different moods. 

Resources 




For more ideas on teaching the 

Civil War refer to Tennessee State 

Museum’s Civil War Lesson Plans.

23 

Gallery Section 4 

Turn of the Century: Tradition & Transformation 

African American Furniture Makers 

Richard “Dick” Poynor, High Chair, ca. 1850–70 

Table, ca. 1840-80 

Academically Trained Artists 

Lloyd Branson, Women at Work, 1891 




















given topic. 































Standard 2: 






Standard 4: 



culture; 





places. 

Standard 5: 










and emotions; 






24 

Focus African American Furniture Makers 

After the Civil War and into the twentieth century, many Tennesseans continued to employ 

traditional techniques in pottery, quilting, and furniture making. 

Explore Poynor High Chair, ca. 1850-70 

 

 

 

 

What is the purpose of this chair? 

Who was it meant for? 

What does it appear to be made from? 

There are no nails holding this chair together. 

How do you think it was constructed? 

Why are this chair and its maker significant? 

Discover Poynor High Chair, ca. 1850-70 

African Americans worked in cabinet shops from the 

time of the earliest settlements. However, their 

contributions went largely unheralded, with only a few 

remarkable exceptions. 

Dick Poynor, a freeman from Williamson County, is 

the best known nineteenth-century African American 

furniture maker in Tennessee. By the early 1850s, 

Poynor was making well-crafted chairs with split oak 

seats, like the child’s high chair you see here. Made of 

maple and hickory, the chair’s tight construction was 

achieved by driving dry rungs into green posts, thus 

eliminating the need for nails or glue. Signatures of 

Poynor’s work are the arching “mule-eared” posts 

secured at the top slat by a single wooden peg and the 

distinctive turning seen on the front posts. 

Richard “Dick” Poynor 

b. Halifax County, Virginia 1802–d.Williamson 

County, Tennessee 1882 

High Chair, ca. 1850–70 

Williamson County, Tennessee 

Maple with hickory rungs and arms; 39 x 18 x 11 ¾ in. 

Collection of John and Jane Luna 


Other African Americans made furniture for their families. To 

the left is a simple table that has been decorated with 

elaborately stylized designs. On the legs, you can see a pattern 

of slithering snakes, and on either end, you’ll find a catfish and 

a lizard. Oral history suggests that the letters “T” and “B” on 

the front are the initials of the table’s maker and designer, 

Thomas Bragg, who lived near Dandridge, Tennessee. Bragg’s 

descendants referred to the piece as the “Bible Table.” 

LEFT: Table, ca. 1840–80 

Jefferson County, Tennessee 

Walnut and yellow pine; 29 ¾ x 26 x 18 ¾ in. 

Collection of Carole Carpenter Wahler; Photograph by Charles Brooks

25 

Creative Response Poynor High Chair, ca. 1850-70 

Visual Arts “ Your Signature Style” 

Signatures of Poynor’s work are the arching “mule-eared” posts and the distinctive turning 

seen on the front posts of his high chair. Create a sketch of a basic chair. Then, consider ways 

to incorporate a personal touch that could become your “signature” style. For ideas refer to 

Woodworking Tools and Techniques on pages 64-65 in the appendix. 

Creative Response Table, ca. 1840–80 

Language Arts “The Origins of a Name” 

Thomas Bragg’s descendants referred to this piece as the 

“Bible Table.” Why do you think it was given that 

name? Speculate about the origin of the table’s name. 

Then, compose a paragraph expressing your ideas of 

where and with whom the name originated. 

Resources 



26 

Focus Academically Trained Artist 

After the war and into the twentieth century, many Tennesseans continued to employ 

traditional techniques in pottery, quilting, and furniture making. At the same time, Tennessee 

became home to an increasing number of artists who had studied in some of the leading art 

academies in New York or Paris. 

Explore Women at Work, 1891 

 

 

 

 

 

What are the women doing in 

the painting? 

How would you describe the 

setting for their activity? 

What time of day and time of 

year does it seem to be? 

Describe the kinds of clothes 

the women are wearing. What 

do the clothes tell us about the 

time period of the painting 

and status of the women? 

Two women are engaged in 

conversation. What might they 

be discussing? 

What do their facial 

expression suggest to you? 

Lloyd Branson 

b. Union County, Tennessee 1854–d. Knoxville, Tennessee 1925 

Women at Work, 1891 

Oil on canvas; 29 ½ x 44 ½ in. 

Collection of Namuni Hale Young 

Photograph by Charles Brooks 

Discover Women at Work, 1891 

The old adage “Many hands make light work” comes to mind in this beautiful oil painting by 

Knoxville artist Lloyd Branson. Simply titled Women at Work, it expresses the customs of a 

bygone era, when household chores were often shared. Are these women sisters or neighbors? 

One group is quietly going about the task of gathering and peeling the apples, while two other 

women share a bench and some lighthearted conversation. Branson has imparted a quiet 

strength and dignity to these plainly dressed, barefoot women. 

Branson was one of a number of post–Civil War Tennessee artists who benefited from study 

abroad. In the 1870s he studied in France, where he admired the work of the French realists, 

including Gustave Courbet. These artists rejected the sentimentality and exotic subject matter 

favored by the French Academy in favor of an honest rendering of everyday people and places 

around them. Branson also absorbed the looser painting technique of the Barbizon school, a 

group of French painters who depicted the rural landscape outside of Paris. His choice to depict 

such an ordinary scene in a rural setting shows the influence of such artistic trends in France. 

After his time in Europe, Branson returned to Knoxville, where he taught the next generation 

of Knoxville painters.

27 

Creative Response Women at Work, 1891 

Social Studies “Customary Roles in the 1800s” 

Branson’s painting Women at Work expresses the customs of a bygone era, when household 

chores were often shared. Discuss and contrast the roles and responsibilities of men, women, 

and children in the 1800s to the roles and responsibilities of men, women, and children today. 

(Discussion from Tennessee State Museum’s Frontier Highlights Lesson Plans, Section D.) 

Visual Arts “The Figure in Space” 

Notice the variation in the poses of each woman pictured in Branson’s painting. One is 

reaching, another is crouching over a bucket, and yet another is twisting around to speak with a 

friend. Though these are very subtle differences, artists often create numerous preliminary 

sketches to get a pose just right. 

Ask a classmate to hold three quick poses (about a minute each) while you do a series of 

gesture drawings. To create a gesture drawing, draw a continuous line in loops, like winding 

string around the body. Your drawings will show how much space the figure takes up. 

Resources 



28 

Gallery Section 5: Twentieth-Century to Contemporary Art 

Self-taught Artists in Tennessee 

Joe C. Lee, The Buckeye Family, ca. 1925 

Twentieth-Century Figurative and Narrative Art 

Carroll Cloar, Where the Southern Cross the Yellow Dog, 1965 

Joseph Delaney, Macy’s Day Parade, 1974–75 

Modern Art for Modern Life 

Aaron Douglas, Building More Stately Mansions, 1944 

Contemporary Art in Tennessee 

Andrew Saftel, What’s All That Stuff…, 1993; Greenhouse, 2002 




















given topic. 































Standard 2: 






Standard 4: 



culture; 





places. 

Standard 5: 










and emotions; 






29 

Focus Self-Taught Artists in Tennessee 

Tennessee has been home to many gifted, self-taught artists, whose works often convey 

observations relating to rural life or simpler times. 

Explore The Buckeye Family, ca. 1925 

 

 

 

 

 

How would you describe these figures? 

What do you notice about their facial 

expressions? 

What does the clothing suggest about 

their position in society or occupations? 

Do they appear to be from the same 

family? Explain your opinion. 

This sculpture depicts a typical family 

in the early 1900s. How do they 

compare to families of today? 

Discover The Buckeye Family, ca. 1925 

“I never had much schooling and no art study 

at all …when art people came to see my 

figures I felt small and wanted to crawl under 

the store, but way before they were gone, they 

made me feel like I am somebody.” 

—Joe C. Lee 

That is how Joe Lee described his sculptures. 

Lee would be pleased to know that today, this 

piece, called The Buckeye Family, is one of the 

most recognized works of southern folk art. 

Joe C. Lee 

b. Sparta, Tennessee–d. Beaver Hill, Tennessee 1941 

The Buckeye Family, ca. 1925 

Buckeye wood and paint; height 56 inches x variable dimensions 

The Briskin Family Collection 


In the mid-1920s, living near Cookeville, Lee first carved Mr. Buckeye, named for the buckeye 

tree from which it was carved. Sensing that the soldier needed a wife, he made Mrs. Buckeye, 

and then daughter “Shelby Jean,” Lee’s admitted favorite. And last, he carved a nanny for the 

child. His intention of making a fifth figure, a playmate for Shelby Jean, was never realized. 

Lee discovered his love of carving when asked to improve upon a young boy’s wooden doll. 

He quickly moved from small scale to the near life-sized figures you see here. First, he 

roughed out each shape with an ax. He did the more detailed work with a pocketknife. 

Although Lee was unaware of the growing modern art movement, the bold stance and simple 

shapes and colors of these figures reflect the stylistic abstractions of many trained artists of the 

time.

30 

Creative Response The Buckeye Family, ca. 1925 

Visual Arts/Language Arts “My family in a Sculpture” 

Pretend you have commissioned Joe C. Lee to create a sculpture of your family. 

Unfortunately, he will not be able to meet everyone. It’s your assignment to give him the 

information he needs to get the job done! Write Mr. Lee a letter describing each member of 

your family in great detail – their personalities, their hobbies, and even the type of clothes they 

like to wear. Create a sketch to go along with the letter. 

Resources 



31 

Focus Twentieth-Century Figurative and Narrative Art 

Twentieth-century figurative and narrative art frequently reflects the place in which the artist 

lived and the environment that shaped his or her values. This is exemplified by the regionalist 

paintings of Memphis-based Carroll Cloar, which are luminous evocations of the pastoral South. 

Explore Where the Southern Crosses 

the Yellow Dog, 1965 

 

 

 

 

 

What region of America is depicted 

in this scene? Are you reminded of 

places you’ve been before? 

How would you describe the setting 

and time of day depicted? What 

time of year does it appear to be? 

What mood does Cloar create in this 

work? Describe the visual elements 

that contribute to the mood. 

How would you describe the colors 

Cloar used and the way he applied 

paint? 

What can you determine about the 

work from its title? 

Carroll Cloar 

b. Earle, Arkansas 1913–d. Memphis, Tennessee 1993 

Where the Southern Cross the Yellow Dog, 1965 

Casein tempera on Masonite; 23 x 33 ¾ in. 

Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Memphis, Tennessee; Brooks Fine 

Arts Foundation Purchase, 65.17 

© Carroll Cloar Estate, Patricia S. Cloar 

Discover Where the Southern Crosses the Yellow Dog, 1965 

Memphis artist Carroll Cloar painted Southern narratives that affirm the values of a rural life. 

This is a scene in Moorhead, a small town in the Mississippi Delta between Indianola and Itta 

Bena. And those railroad tracks are where the Yellow Dog, properly known as the Yazoo and 

Mississippi Valley Railroad, crosses the Southern Railway. But in fact, this could be just 

about anywhere in the rural South. Through his paintings, Cloar shares his memories from 

childhood, and his connection to place. At the same time, he creates a nostalgic snapshot of 

our own past, when life was simpler. Perhaps we are reminded of when we first crossed a 

railroad track or walked through a field of high grass, or saw a sugar maple in full fall color. 

In fact, photographs were the basis for many of Cloar’s compositions, whether taken with his 

own camera or from his mother’s family album. His paintings usually include figures 

surrounded by a magical landscape of rich color and decorative pattern. One scholar observes: 

“Each bright red maple leaf, each yellowing blade of grass is meticulously painted to create a 

mosaic of color and texture which plays against the translucent blue sky. The scene presents a 

moment frozen in time, quiet and dreamlike.”

32 

Creative Response Where the Southern Crosses the Yellow Dog, 1965 

Visual Arts/Language Arts “Stories in Art” 

A work of art can often tell a story. See if you can find the story or stories in Cloar’s painting. 

Then, write your story for the artwork. Remember to answer the questions, “who, what, when, 

where, and why?” 

Visual Arts “From Photographs to Magical Scenes” 

Photographs were the basis for many of Cloar’s compositions, whether taken with his own 

camera or from his mother’s family album. Working from a personal photograph or magazine 

clipping, re-create the image using colorful dots of paint. 

Visual Arts “Colors in Contrast” 

As you observed in Cloar’s painting, complementary colors placed next to one another can 

create high contrast. Try it out for yourself. Gather six sheets of colored paper (3 primary and 

3 secondary colors). From one of the sheets, cut a simple shape. Move the shape across the 

different colors and find the one that creates the highest contrast. The color with the highest 

contrast will be its complement (directly across from it on the color wheel). Is that the color 

you chose? 

Resources 


Carroll Cloar Online http://www.davidluskgallery.com/artists/cloar/art.cc1.htm 


33 

Focus Twentieth-Century Figurative and Narrative Art 

Twentieth-century figurative and narrative art frequently reflects the place in which the artist 

lived and the environment that shaped his or her values. Outside of Tennessee, the desire to use 

art to tell a story and capture a sense of place is reflected in the funky, dynamic New York 

street scenes by Knoxville-born Joseph Delaney. 

Explore Macy’s Day Parade, 1974–75 

 

 

 

 

 

What event is shown in this work? 

How would you describe the artist’s 

composition? How does it make you 

feel? 

How has he arranged the visual 

elements to make the scene seem 

crowded and chaotic? 

What are the various groups of people 

doing in the streets? What do their 

facial expressions suggest? 

What sounds would you hear if you 

were standing in these streets? 

Discover Macy’s Day Parade, 1974–75 

Joseph Delaney 

b. Knoxville, Tennessee 1904–d. Knoxville, Tennessee 1991 

Macy’s Day Parade, 1974–75 

Acrylic and mixed media on canvas; 81 ½ x 121 1/8 in. 

The Knoxville Museum of Art, Knoxville, Tennessee 

Although Joseph Delaney spoke often of his affection for his hometown of Knoxville, New 

York is the place he truly loved. “The curtain goes up on the stage of life every time we walk 

into the street,” he said, and for fifty-six years he painted the people and streets of New York 

City. Parades were a favorite subject. 

This is the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade as we’ve never seen it on television. On a 

monumental scale, Delaney has captured the sights, sounds and general chaos as the procession 

winds through the streets. In the foreground, the interaction of spectators with police diverts us 

only momentarily from the spectacle of chorus girls, marching bands, and gigantic balloon 

figures. 

Delaney was committed to portraying the everyday life of people at a time when many artists, 

including his brother Beauford, had turned to abstraction. He sketched people on the streets 

and regularly attended the life drawing class at the Art Students League, where renowned 

painter Thomas Hart Benton was his teacher. Delaney developed a style of exaggerated poses 

and facial expressions that approach caricature, and he rendered his subjects in vivid color.

34 

Creative Response Macy’s Day Parade, 1974-75 

Visual Arts “My City” 

Create a drawing by reorganizing the included photograph of Nashville (page 67) or your 

hometown and emphasize places or people that are important to you. 

Visual Arts/Language Arts “Stories in Art” 

A work of art can often tell a story. See if you can find the story or stories in Delaney’s 

Macy’s Day Parade. Then, write your story for the artwork. Remember to answer the 

questions, “who, what, when, where, and why?” 

Visual Arts/Language Arts “Comparison” 

Red Grooms’s work Times Square in the Rain provides an interesting comparison with the 

Delaney painting of the Macy’s parade. Both were painted in the mid–1970s and portray the 

hustle and bustle of New York City street life. Closely examine these works of art, paying 

special attention to their similarities. Complete the comparison activity on pages 60-61in the 

appendix. 

Red Grooms 

b. Nashville, Tennessee 1937–lives New York, New York 

Times Square in the Rain, 1976 

Gouache and watercolor on paper; 38 x 50 in. 

Collection of Walter and Sarah Knestrick 

© Red Grooms 


Resources 


Joseph Delaney Online http://sunsite.utk.edu/delaney/ 


35 

Focus Modern Art for Modern Life 

Early in the twentieth century, European avant-garde art was introduced to American 

audiences. By the 1930s, modern ideas such as abstraction and Surrealism began to filter out 

from New York and other large cities to Tennessee. Ambitious local artists often studied with 

modern masters in Europe, New York, or other places where they learned the concepts of 

modernism. 

At the same time that artists were receiving inspiration from outside Tennessee, university art 

departments began hiring accomplished modern artists to teach in undergraduate programs 

throughout the state. Among the most prominent was Fisk University’s Aaron Douglas, one of 

the pioneers of the Harlem Renaissance. 

Explore Building More Stately Mansions, 1944 

 

 

 

 

Describe how Douglas has arranged visual 

elements in this work. What colors and 

geometric shapes are repeated throughout this 

work? How have the forms been simplified? 

Describe the architectural monuments 

represented in this painting. What might they 

symbolize? 

What might the silhouetted figures in the 

foreground represent? 

What is the meaning behind the title of this 

work, Building More Stately Mansions? 

Discover Building More Stately Mansions, 1944 

Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote a poem, “The 

Chambered Nautilis,” inspired by the sea creature that 

builds itself larger and larger chambers to create an 

elegant curving shell. In this painting, artist Aaron 

Douglas took his title, Building More Stately 

Aaron Douglas 

b. Topeka, Kansas 1899 

d. Nashville, Tennessee 1979 

Building More Stately Mansions, 1944 

Oil on canvas; 54 x 42 inches 

Fisk University Galleries, Nashville, TN 

Mansions, from that poem. Like a chambered nautilis, the nations of the world had to be built 

anew after World War II. In this painting, architectural monuments representing the great 

civilizations of the world—Africa, Greece and Rome, Asia, Europe, and America—symbolize 

past accomplishments and hope for the future. Douglas pays special tribute to the cultural 

contributions of African Americans throughout time with figures representing agriculture, 

construction, science, and industry. 

Douglas studied art in New York where he was closely associated with the Harlem 

Renaissance, a flowering of black culture during the 1920s and 1930s. He was also influenced 

by the New Negro Movement, which expressed African Americans’ new pride in their 

African heritage.

36 

In developing his distinctive geometric style, Douglas’s work shows a combination of 

influences. African elements, particularly those from ancient Egypt, are seen in the silhouettes 

of the figures and in the sphinx-like head dominating the upper portion of the panel. However, 

Douglas’s interest in modernism is also evident. Forms are reduced to their basic shapes, then 

fragmented into shades of brown and violet by radiating concentric circles. 

Douglas painted this work for Fisk University’s Student Center in 1944. In 1939, he founded 

the school’s art department and went on to teach there for twenty-seven years. In doing so, he 

brought the ideas of international modernism to the Nashville community. 

Creative Response Building More Stately Mansions, 1944 

Language Arts “The Chambered Nautilis” 

Aaron Douglas took the title of his painting, Building More Stately Mansions, from Oliver 

Wendell Holmes’s poem, “The Chambered Nautilis.” Read the poem below and explain why 

he chose this title for his work. Remember what you’ve learned about the subject matter of the 

painting. 

Build thee more stately mansions, O my soul, 

As the swift seasons roll! 

Leave thy low-vaulted past! 

Let each new temple, nobler than the last, 

Shut thee from heaven with a dome more vast, 

Till thou at length art free, 

Leaving thine outgrown shell by life’s unresting sea! 

Visual Arts “Simplified Forms” 

The forms in Douglas’s work are reduced to their basic shapes. Notice how the figures in the 

foreground of his painting are silhouetted against a lighter background. Create a drawing in 

the style of Aaron Douglas. Simplify your forms, paying special attention to the contours and 

leaving out all details. 

Resources 


Aaron Douglas Online 

PBS: The Harlem Renaissance 

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/aaworld/arts/douglas.html 

Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture: Harlem: 1900-1940 

http://www.si.umich.edu/CHICO/Harlem/text/adouglas.html 


37 

Focus Contemporary Art in Tennessee 

The transience of today’s artists has led to expressions that are derived more from personal 

experience than from extended exposure to a particular place. At the same time, these works 

reflect their makers’ awareness of international trends that are taught in art schools, or 

conveyed through the art media and seen in galleries in New York and other major art centers. 

The following examples illustrate the diversity of expressions produced in Tennessee today. 

Whether created by lifelong residents of the state, or by artists who recently moved to 

Tennessee from another country, each work reflects on the beauty, meaning, or paradoxes of 

contemporary life. 

Explore What’s All That Stuff …, 1993 

 

 

 

What idea(s) do you think the artist 

intended to express through this work 

of art? What might the sculpture 

symbolize? See if title of the work 

provides any clues. 

What materials does this sculpture 

appear to be made from? 

Why do you think the artist chose to 

use these materials? Do you think the 

materials reinforce the meaning of the 

work? 

Discover What’s All That Stuff …, 1993 

Best known for his mixed-media paintings 

and works on paper, Andrew Saftel began 

making symbolic sculpture in the early 

1990s. This freestanding wood sculpture 

shows a roughly carved figure pulling a cart 

piled with an assortment of found objects, 

perhaps just unloaded on the dock. With 

humor and insight, Saftel comments on the 

psychological baggage we accumulate on our 

journey through life. 

Andrew Saftel 

b. New Bedford Massachusetts 1959–lives Pikeville, TN 

What’s All That Stuff You Have Piled Up in That Thing You’re Pulling 

Behind You, 1993 

Carved wood and found objects; 25 x 24 x 11 in. 

Courtesy of the artist 

Photograph by Gary Heatherly 

Saftel lives in the beautiful Sequatchie Valley near Pikeville, Tennessee, where he is a part of 

the unfolding spectacle of nature. Greenhouse (seen on the following page) is one of a series 

of paintings that reflects his growing concern for the environment and the way current notions 

of “progress” are forever changing our land.

38 

Discover Greenhouse, 2002 

Saftel describes life as an exploration of all 

that’s gone before. We might think of his 

mixed media paintings, then, as annotated 

maps of human history. We are drawn to this 

work first by its brilliant color and large scale. 

We stay to ponder the partly revealed, partly 

obscured clues he leaves behind. 

Under painted flowers struggling to bloom, a 

broken wagon or spinning wheel is attached to 

the panel. This early symbol of technology is 

paired with the outline of a car and the words 

“forward” and “backward.” At the far left is 

another car, accompanied by the stenciled 

phrase “27 orders of birds,” a reference to the 

environmental impact of highway emissions. 

At the upper right, a rope dangles, bringing to 

mind a noose or roots of a tree. The bands of 

hot color beneath suggest soil strata or the heat 

index. The imagery is complex and openended, 

leaving each of us to respond from our 

own experiences and interests. 

Andrew Saftel 

b. New Bedford, Massachusetts 1959–lives Pikeville, Tennessee 

Greenhouse, 2002 

Acrylic and found objects on carved birch panels; 86 x 78 in. 

Courtesy of The Lowe Gallery, Atlanta–Los Angeles and the artist 

Creative Response What’s All that Stuff…, 1993; Greenhouse, 2002 

Visual Arts/Language Arts/Social Studies “My in Environment—My Concerns” 

Investigate an environmental issue that we contend with on a daily basis—air and water 

pollution, overpopulation, etc. Research in the library and on the Internet to determine what 

causes the problem and how it affects the earth and its inhabitants. Express your findings and 

concerns about this environmental issue through a work of art (drawing, painting, or sculpture) 

and/or written statement. 

Resources 


Andrew Saftel Online http://www.lowegallery.com/andrew_saftel/index.html 


39 

Gallery Section 6: Twentieth-Century to Contemporary Craft 

Twentieth-Century Craft, Baskets 

Trevle Haley Wood, Butterfly Basket, 1999 

Dee and Dennis Gregory, Gizzard Basket, 2001 

Twentieth-Century Craft, Fashion Design 

Manuel Cuevas, Lavender Wagon Wheel Suit, 1974 

Bo Riddle, Cowboy Boots, 1995 

Contemporary Craft 

Craig Nutt, Radish Salad Bowl, 1998 




















given topic. 































Standard 2: 






Standard 4: 



culture; 





places. 

Standard 5: 










and emotions; 






40 

Focus Twentieth-Century Craft, Baskets 

The appreciation for beauty, even in everyday craft objects, is as enduring as humanity itself. 

Until the mid-to-late decades of the nineteenth century, when manufacturers began to massproduce 

a wide range of household goods, such craft objects were created by hand, giving them 

a unique aesthetic character that could not be achieved in machine-made products. 

Explore White Oak Baskets 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Over the years, baskets have been produced for 

a variety of reasons. Describe several purposes 

they have served and reasons for production. 

Why do you think these two baskets were 

made? (Notice the dates of completion.) 

Baskets are for sale almost everywhere you go. 

What makes these baskets unique? 

What material are these baskets made from? 

How do you think the baskets got their names? 

How has the tradition of basket making in 

Cannon County thrived throughout the years? 

Discover White Oak Baskets 

Trevle Haley Wood 

b. Cannon County, TN 1930–lives Sylva, NC 

Butterfly Basket, 1999 

White oak; 15 7/8 x 13 x 10 ¾ in. 

Tennessee State Museum Collection, 2002.68.8 


Most everyone uses baskets, and some people even collect them. But in this age of massproduction, 

very few people still make baskets. In Cannon County, however, the craft tradition 

from the nineteenth century continues today. This vibrant community is home to a number of 

oak basket-making families, some now fifth- and sixth-generation crafters. 

White oak baskets, as well as chairs from the same material, were a means of survival for many 

Cannon County families during the Depression. Baskets were bartered for food and other 

staples, or sold by “haulers” who drove their trucks loaded with baskets throughout the eastern 

United States. 

Trevle Wood made the Butterfly Basket (above), named for its unusual shape. Both Wood and 

her husband learned basket making from their mothers at any early age. She recalls gathering 

the materials. “We’d go into the woods and select a smooth, straight white oak. Using an axe, 

frow, mallet and a wedge, we’d burst the white oak into halves, quarters, and so on, until the 

wood is small enough to work with using a pocket knife.” 

Only after the long narrow splits were pulled, trimmed, soaked, and 

sometimes dyed, were they woven across carved ribs to make the 

basket. These labor-intensive baskets are truly remarkable. Their 

fine craftsmanship seems to involve the spirit as much as the hand. 

LEFT: Dee Merritt Gregory; b. Cannon County, TN 1954–lives Cannon County, TN 

Dennis Gregory; b. Smith County, TN 1954–lives Cannon County, TN 

Gizzard Basket, 2001; White oak; 10 ½ x 9 ¾ x 8 in. 

Tennessee State Museum Collection, 2001.49.21; Photograph by Bill LaFevor

41 

Creative Response White Oak Baskets 

Visual Arts “Basic Weaving Technique” 

These labor-intensive baskets are truly remarkable. Try your hand at the basic weaving 

activity on page 63 in the appendix. This simple activity will give you a true appreciation for 

the craftsmanship of these beautiful baskets! 

Visual Arts “The Name is in the Shape” 

These baskets were named for their unusual shapes. Draw a design for your own uniquely 

shaped basket. Think about the colors and patterns you would like to incorporate into the 

design. What would you name it? 

Resources 



42 

Focus Twentieth-Century Craft, Fashion Design 

In Nashville, behind every country music star is a great designer! 

Explore Lavender Wagon Wheel Suit, 1974 

 

 

 

 

How did the designer personalize this suit for 

his client? 

What types of designs are repeated throughout 

the coat and down the pant legs? 

How would you describe the colors of the 

suit? What type of statement does it make? 

The designer, Manuel, considers movement a 

critical design element. What has he added to 

this suit to emphasize the star’s movement? 

Discover Lavender Wagon Wheel Suit, 1974 

If clothes make the man, Manuel deserves at least 

some of the credit for the success of Porter Wagoner, 

whose image is tied to his sparkly suits. This one is 

studded with rhinestones and intricately embroidered 

with wagon wheels and flowers. With an uncanny 

ability to outfit an artist’s personality, Manuel not 

only designed this suit, but also put Johnny Cash in 

black and Elvis in the jumpsuit! Manuel considers 

movement a critical design element. He asks his 

clients to first show him their “moves,” so his 

creations will enhance their performances. Imagine 

when he asked Elvis that question! 

Manuel 

b. Coalcomán, Mexico 1933–lives Nashville, Tennessee 

Lavender Wagon Wheel Suit, 1974 

Wool and silk-blend tropical striped gabardine with 

rayon embroidery thread and rhinestones 

Coat, 33 x 24; Pants, 45 in. 

Collection of Porter Wagoner Enterprise 


Great boots are a must in the country music world, and this pair 

made by Bo Riddle demonstrates his mastery of design and 

craftsmanship. These were worn by country music star George 

Ducas. Although Riddle has been making boots for country 

music performers for more than twenty-five years, he is also a 

musician. His 1997 release is called, appropriately enough, “A 

Song to Boot.” 

LEFT: Bo Riddle; b. Fort Smith, Arkansas 1956–lives Batesville, Arkansas 

Cowboy Boots, 1995 

Dyed leather; 15 ½ x 12 ½ x 4 ½ in. 

Collection of George Ducas 

Photograph by Bill LaFevor

43 

Creative Response Lavender Wagon Wheel Suit, 1974 

Visual Arts “A Story Suit” 

Manuel has outfitted numerous artists, each time capturing their personalities in his designs. 

Using colored paper, fabrics, and various other materials, design a suit to represent your 

personality or personal story. 

Language Arts “A Song to Boot” 

Although Bo Riddle has been making boots for country music performers for over twenty-five 

years, he is also a musician. His 1997 release is called, appropriately enough, “A Song to 

Boot.” Write a song about your hobbies and interests and put it to the tune of a favorite song. 

Resources 


Online article on Manuel 

http://www.tennessean.com/features/living/archives/02/11/24683366.shtml?Element_ID=24683366 


44 

Focus Contemporary Craft 

Twentieth-century Tennessee witnessed a revival of interest in the handcrafted object, first as a 

means of generating income in the poverty-stricken regions of Appalachia, and later as a result 

of the international Studio Craft movement that gained momentum in the 1960s. Artists 

associated with this movement have focused on balancing function and self-expression in their 

works. In Tennessee, schools such as Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, the 

Appalachian Center for Crafts in Smithville, and the Memphis College of Art have encouraged 

both an attainment of technical mastery in traditional craft mediums and an awareness of 

contemporary art and critical theory. 

Explore Radish Salad Bowl, 1998 

 

 

 

 

 

Describe lines, shapes, colors, and textures of this 

sculpture. 

What material does it appear to be made from? 

What has it been created to look like? 

Artists are often inspired by their interests. What 

might be one of Nutt’s interests? 

Do you think this is a functional work of art? If 

so, what purpose does it serve? 

Discover Radish Salad Bowl, 1998 

Long before Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber 

made their debut in “Veggie Tales,” Craig Nutt was 

making stunning sculptural wood furniture that 

incorporates brightly colored, larger-than-life vegetable 

forms. This Radish Salad Bowl fulfills all our 

expectations for unique furniture; it’s as functional as it 

is aesthetically compelling. The radish head opens to 

reveal two large red salad bowls, the radish leaves are 

the salad servers, and three large chili peppers function 

as a stand. 

Craig Nutt 

b. Belmond, Iowa 1950–lives Kingston Springs, Tennessee 

Radish Salad Bowl, 1998 

Lacquer on carved wood; 56 x 21 x 17 in. 

Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the James 

Renwick Alliance, 1999.5A–L 

Photograph by John Lucas 

Humor and originality are hallmarks of Nutt’s work. Critics have connected his pieces to 

Magic Realism, a style of painting with overtones of fantasy and wonder. Another 

characteristic of the artist’s work is his meticulous craftsmanship. The organic shapes are 

made with a wide variety of woodworking techniques, including turning, carving, traditional 

joinery, and steam bending. Lacquers and dyes produce the exaggerated color that brings the 

sculptural forms to life. 

Not surprisingly, Nutt’s subject matter is inspired by an interest in gardening. Whether 

expressed as furniture or sculpture, vegetables have provided a visually and metaphorically 

rich vocabulary.

45 

Creative Response Radish Salad Bowl, 1998 

Visual Arts/Language Arts “Traditional Techniques—Contemporary Sculpture” 

Refer to Woodworking Tools and Techniques on pages 64-65 in the appendix. Then, closely 

examine Craig Nutt’s work, and determine how he used traditional woodworking techniques to 

create his contemporary sculpture. Describe your observations in a paragraph about the work. 

Visual Arts “A Sculpture That Reflects My Interests” 

Nutt’s subject matter is inspired by an interest in gardening. Draw a design for a sculpture 

based on your personal interests and hobbies. Would your work be functional or purely 

decorative? 

Resources 

Art of Tennessee Catalogue 

Craig Nutt Online http://www.craignutt.com 


Craig Nutt has recently adapted his vegetable 

theme to site-specific work, such as Corncorde, 

his ten-foot-long flying ear of corn, permanently 

installed in the Atlanta Airport. Find it online at 

http://www.craignutt.com/corncord/corncord.html

46 

Appendix 

Vocabulary page 56 

Suggested Reading For Teachers page 57 

 

 

 

 

Prehistoric Native American Art 

Young Tennessee and the Spirit of America 

Tennessee Maps 


Antebellum Painting 

Tennesseans on the National Stage 

Painting in Tennessee, 1865–1920 


Tennessee Folk Art 

 

 

 

Modern Art 

Aaron Douglas 

Contemporary Art 

Activity Sheets page 60 

Comparison Activity 

“If This Tomahawk Could Talk…” 

Basic Weaving: A Woven Newspaper Mat 

Woodworking Tools and Techniques 

“Read All About It!” 

View of the State Capitol, 2003 

Be A Curator

47 

Vocabulary 

Aesthetic The philosophy or study of the nature or value of art; sensitivity to or appreciation 

of art or beauty. 

Antebellum Existing before the Civil War. 

Avant-garde A group of artist that creates, produces, or applies new, original, or 

experimental ideas, designs, and techniques. 

Background Part of the picture plane that seems to be farthest from the viewer. 

Commission A work of art requested and paid for by an individual. 

Focal Point The first part of a work to attract the attention of the viewer. Focal points are 

created by contrast, location, isolation, convergence, and use of the unusual. 

Foreground Part of the picture plane that appears closest to the viewer. The foreground is 

usually at the bottom of the picture. 

Forms Objects that have three dimensions. 

Idealized The portrayal of a person (or place) with a greater degree of perfection than would 

ordinarily be found in any particular person (or place). 

Landscape Painting or drawing in which natural land scenery, such as mountains, trees, 

rivers or lakes, is the main feature. 

Middle ground Area in the picture between the foreground and background. 

Motif A single or repeated design or color. 

Portrait A likeness of a person or a group, made either from a posed sitting or photograph. 

Realistic In art, an accurate representation of real life without idealization. 

Space The element of art that refers to the emptiness or area between ,around, above, below, 

or with in objects. 

Style In art, the sum of characteristics associated with a particular artist, group, or culture, or 

with an artist’s work at a particular time. 

Stylized Descriptive of works based on forms in the natural world, but simplified or distorted 

for design purposes. 

Surrealism Twentieth-century artistic style in which dreams, fantasy, and the subconscious 

served as inspiration for artists. 

Vernacular Of, relating to, or being the common style of a period, place, or group. 

Visual Elements Line, shape, form, space, color, texture, value; the fundamentals with 

which artists construct works of art. 

Utilitarian Serving primarily for utility; something useful or designed for use.

48 

Suggested Reading For Teachers 

Selected books are available for reference use in the MTRC (Media and Technology Resource Center) 

at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts. 

Prehistoric Native American Art 

Brose, David S., James A. Brown, and David W. Penney. Ancient Art of the American Woodland 

Indians. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1985. 

Chapman, Jefferson. Tellico Archaeology: 12,000 Years of Native American History. Knoxville: The 

University of Tennessee Press, 1995. 

Cox, Stephen D., et al. Art and Artisans of Prehistoric Middle Tennessee. Nashville: Tennessee 

State Museum, 1985. 

Hudson, Charles. The Southeastern Indians. Knoxville: The University of Tennessee Press, 1976. 

Significant exhibitions on archaeology and the Native Peoples of Tennessee can be found at: 

The Frank H. McClung Museum, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. 

http://mcclungmuseum.utk.edu 

The Tennessee State Museum, Nashville. http://tnmuseum.org 

Chucalissa Museum, Memphis. http://cas.memphis.edu/chucalissa 

Young Tennessee and the Spirit of America 

DangerWeld, George. The Era of Good Feelings. New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company, 

1952. 

Eaton, Clement. The Growth of Southern Civilization. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1961. 

Finger, John R. Tennessee Frontiers: Three Regions in Transition. Bloomington: Indiana 

University Press, 2001. 

Nye, Russel B. Society and Culture in America, 1830–1860. New York: Harper & Row, 1974. 

Tennessee Maps 

Cumming, William P. The Southeast in Early Maps. 3d ed., rev. and enl. by Louis De Vorsey Jr. 

Chapel Hill and London: University of North Carolina Press, 1998. 

Ristow, Walter W. American Maps and Mapmakers: Commercial Cartography in the Nineteenth 

Century. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1985. 

Schwartz, Seymour I., and Ralph E. Ehrenberg. The Mapping of America. New York: Harry N. 

Abrams, 1980. 

Woodward, David, ed. Five Centuries of Map Printing. Chicago and London: University of 

Chicago Press, 1975. 


Harsh, Nathan, and Derita Coleman Williams. The Art and Mystery of Tennessee Furniture and Its 

Makers through 1850. Edited by C. Tracey Parks. Nashville: Tennessee Historical Society 

and Tennessee State Museum Foundation, 1988. 

Warwick, Rick. “Dick Poynor, Master Craftsman.” Williamson County Historical Society Journal, 

no. 8 (1977): 117–18. 

———. “Dick Poynor.” In Leiper’s Fork and Surrounding Communities. Franklin, Tenn.: 

Heritage Foundation of Franklin and Williamson County, 1999.

49 

Antebellum Painting 

Hoobler, James A. Distinctive Women of Tennessee. Exh. cat. Nashville: Tennessee Historical 

Society, 1985. 

Kelly, James C. “Landscape and Genre Painting in Tennessee, 1810–1985.” Tennessee 

Historical Quarterly 44 (summer 1985). 

———. “Portrait Painting in Tennessee.” Tennessee Historical Quarterly 46 (winter 1987). 

Tennesseans on the National Stage 

Bergeron, Paul H. Antebellum Politics in Tennessee. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 

1982. 

Remini, Robert. Andrew Jackson and the Course of American Freedom, 1822–1832. New York: 

Harper & Row, 1981. 

———. Andrew Jackson and the Course of American Democracy, 1833–1845. New York: Harper & 

Row, 1984. 

Williams, Frank B. Tennessee’s Presidents. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 1981. 

Painting in Tennessee, 1865–1920 

Gerdts, William H. Art Across America: Two Centuries of Regional Painting, 1710–1920. New 

York: Abbeville Press, 1990. 




Walker, Celia S., et al. “A Century of Progress: Twentieth-Century Painting in Tennessee.” 

Tennessee Historical Quarterly 61 (spring 2002). 


Knox, Ella-Prince, ed. Painting in the South, 1564–1980. Exh. cat. Richmond: Virginia Museum 

of Fine Arts, 1983. 



West, Carroll Van, ed. Creating Traditions, Expanding Horizons: 200 Years of the Arts in Tennessee. 

Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, in press. 

Tennessee Folk Art 

Hall, Michael D., and Eugene W. Metcalf Jr., eds. The Artist Outsider: Creativity and the 

Boundaries of Culture. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1994. 

Hemphill, Herbert W., Jr. Twentieth-Century American Folk Art and Artists. New York: E. P. 

Dutton and Co., 1974. 

Lipman, Jean, and Alice Winchester. The Flowering of American Folk Art, 1776–1876. New York: 

Viking Press, 1974. 

Loughauser, Elsa, et al. Self-Taught Artists of the Twentieth Century. New York: Museum of 

American Folk Art, 1998.

50 

Modern Art 




Knox, Ella-Prince, ed. Painting in the South, 1564–1980. Exh. cat. Richmond: Virginia Museum 

of Fine Arts, 1983. 



West, Carroll Van. Tennessee’s New Deal Landscape. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 

2001. 

———, ed. Creating Traditions, Expanding Horizons: 200 Years of the Arts in Tennessee. Knoxville: 

University of Tennessee Press, in press. 

Aaron Douglas 

Kirschke, Amy. Aaron Douglas: Art, Race and the Harlem Renaissance. Oxford: University Press 

of Mississippi, 1995. 

Leininger-Miller, Theresa. New Negro Artists in Paris: African American Painters and Sculptors in 

the City of Light, 1922–1934. New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press, 2001. 

Sims, Lowery Stokes. Challenge of the Modern: African-American Artists, 1925–1945. New York: 

Studio Museum in Harlem, 2003. 

Contemporary Art 

Art Papers. Atlanta: Atlanta Art Papers, 2000– (periodical). 

Kessler, Jane, and John Howatt. Southern Exposure: Not a Regional Exhibition. Exh. cat. New 

York: The Alternative Museum, 1985. 

Kuspit, Donald B. “The Postwar Period, 1950–1980.” In Painting in the South, 1564–1980, edited 

by Ella-Prince Knox, 145–62. Richmond: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, 1983. 

———. The Rebirth of Painting in the Late Twentieth Century. New York: Cambridge University 

Press, 2000. 

New Art Examiner. Chicago and Washington, D.C.: New Art Association, 1985– (periodical). 

Nosanow, Barbara Shissler. More than Land or Sky: Art from Appalachia. Exh. cat. Washington, 

D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1981. 

Pennington, Estill Curtis. Look Away: Reality and Sentiment in Southern Art. Spartanburg, S.C.: 

Saraland Press, 1989. 

———. A Southern Collection. Coll. cat. Augusta, Ga.: Morris Museum, 1992. 

Risatii, Howard. Postmodern Perspectives: Issues in Contemporary Art. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: 

Prentice-Hall, 1998. 

Sandler, Irving. Art of the Postmodern Era from the Late 1960s to the Early 1990s. New York: 

HarperCollins, 1996. 

Severens, Martha. The Southern Collection. Coll. cat., Greeneville County Museum of Art. New 

York: Hudson Hills Press, 1995. 


Caldwell, Benjamin H., Robert Hicks, and Mark W. Scala. Art of Tennessee. Exh. cat. 

Nashville: Frist Center for the Visual Arts, 2003.

51 

Comparison 

An ArtQuest Activity 

Use this activity with provided art reproductions and response cards on the following page. 

Compare two works of art. 

Use visual analysis 

to take an inventory of what you see 

and to examine artistic choices. 

Use Step One to guide your comparison. 

Use research to gather information. 

Use Step Two to guide your comparison. 

Add your own personal interpretation. 

Use Step Three to guide your comparison. 

How are these two works of art the same or 

different? 

Things to think about … 

In what ways did you … 

examine the art completely? 

read the label for more information? 

add your own interpretation? 

Step Two: Research 

Consider both works of art. 

Gather information by reading. 

Read about one; read about the other. 

Where was the art made? 

Who made the art? 

When was the art made? 

What information were you seeking? 

Does the art label reveal why the artist 

made the art? 

What surprised you? 

Step One: Visual Analysis 


Take a visual inventory. 

Look at one; look at the other. 

What lines, textures, colors, and shapes do 

you see? 

How would you describe each work of art? 

Analyze the choices made by the artist. 

What choices did the artist make? 

Materials? Tools? 

Use of space? Use of light? 

What is the point of view? 

What is most important in this work of art? 

Step Three: Personal Interpretation 


Add your own personal interpretation. 

Think about one; Think about the other. 

What was your first impression? Why? 

What associations or memories came to 

mind? Why? 

What are your feelings about the art? Why? 

What are your conclusions? 

What evidence supports your conclusions? 

This approach to informed comparison of art objects was first introduced by the Growing Up With Art program, 

Seattle Art Museum.

52 

My Comparison 

Visual Analysis: What did I see? What choices did the artist make? 

Research: What did you find out about the art? artist? time? 

Personal Interpretation: What associations do you have? 

What are your conclusions? 

Work of Art #1 

Artist 

Title 

My Visual Analysis: 

My Research: 

My Personal Interpretation: 

Work of Art # 2 

Artist 

Title 

My Visual Analysis: 

My Research: 

My Personal Interpretation:

53 

“If This Tomahawk Could Talk” 

In 1779 Daniel Smith led a survey of the 

wilderness west of the Allegheny Mountains 

to help establish the boundaries of 

Tennessee. On this journey, Smith notes in 

his diary that he lost his prized tomahawk. 

We know that a James Stephenson was 

one of the militia riflemen guarding the 

survey party. But how he became the 

tomahawk’s new owner remains a mystery. 

Write a short story describing your idea of 

what might have happened. 


Maple, silver, and steel; 11 ¼ x 7 3/8 x 1 in. 

Collection of William H. Guthman 


Written By: ______________________________________________________

54 

Basic Weaving: A Woven Newspaper Mat 

Materials: 

o 20 Full sheets of newspaper (color adds interest) 

o Clear acrylic spray to seal in ink (optional) 

Prepare strips for weaving. 

o Select 20 sheets of newspaper, and layer two sheets of 

newspaper at a time. 

o Fold long edges to center and crease. 

o Fold each edge to center again. 

o Fold a third and final time making a strip about 23" x 3.5" 

o Repeat to make ten folded strips. 

Begin weaving. 

o Lay out five folded strips lengthwise. 

o Weave five folded strips widthwise in an "over-one, 

under one" sequence. 

o Pack the woven strips so that each one is very close to 

the next. 

o Adjust the strips so they are squared up neatly. 

o Adjust the strips so that each end is an equal length. 

Tuck the ends neatly. 

o Tuck the ends neatly. Start with all strips that are last 

woven under the last crossing strip. 

o Fold the strip end over the outside strip and tuck the end 

back into the weaving. 

o Continue till all strips are tucked on the top side, then flip 

and tuck the strips from the other side. 

Add finishing touches. 

o No glue is needed, but be certain to tuck the ends neatly 

and securely. 

o Once your mat is complete you may want to spray it with 

clear acrylic finish to improve its water resistance and keep 

the printers ink from rubbing off. 

Resource http://basketmakers.org/topics/beginners/situpon1.htm

55 


Joinery 

The ability to cut fine joints takes 

practice and requires the mastery of a 

variety of cutting techniques using 

saws, planes, and chisels. Some joints 

are designed to conceal the methods 

used to hold the parts together, while 

others, such as decorative dovetail 

joints, are made as a feature. 

Types of Joints 

A joint is a place where two pieces of 

wood come together. Carpenters 

carefully carved joints so the pieces 

would fit snugly. They used different 

joints for different projects. 

trunnel 

tenon 

mortise 

Steam Bending 

Steamed wood can be 

bent into relatively tight 

curves. The steam softens 

the wood fibers and 

allows them to bend and 

compress as the wood is 

bent around a shaped 

form. 

Mortise-and-tenon joints connected 

the beams in a house frame. Wood 

pegs called trunnels, or “tree nails,” 

secure the joints. 

Woodturning 

Woodturning not only requires the 

mastery of very special techniques, but 

also an appreciation of what 

constitutes a pleasing shape. In this 

process, the wood is connected to a 

lathe (machine for shaping wood). As 

the wood spins on the lathe, it is 

shaped with a hand-held cutting tool. 

A notch was cut into each piece of a 

lap joint. The notches were the same 

size, so the two pieces fit together 

snugly. 

An early lathe was connected 

to a wheel that was turned by 

a hand crank, foot pedals, or 

running water. 

The pieces of a dovetail joint had 

triangular parts, which fit so securely 

that they did not need nails to hold 

them together. Dovetail joints were 

used to make furniture parts such as 

drawers.

56 


Ever since early man discovered that a sharp instrument could be used to 

shape a piece of wood, carving has been employed to produce all manner of 

functional and decorative artifacts ranging from basic utensils to sacred icons. 

The principal forms of woodcarving are relief carving and carving in the round. 

Relief Carving 

A relief carving is meant to 

be viewed from the side and 

is nearly always carved from 

a flat board or thin stock. 

This technique is used for 

embellishing furniture and 

wall panels, and for creating 

non-functional works of art. 

Step 1 

Step 2 

Step 3 

Carving In The Round 

A carving in the round is fully three-dimensional and is meant to be seen from 

all sides. It gives the carver great freedom of expression and is perhaps the 

most challenging kind of carving since it requires a well-developed and 

intuitive sense of form. 

Resource: Day, David, Albert Jackson, and Simon Jennings. The Complete Manual of Wood 

Working. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. 1996.

57 

“Read all about it!” Write about a significant event in your community in the 1800s. 

Write the name of 

your town or city in 

Tennessee. 

Write the date 

of the event. 

Write a 

headline to 

title your 

article. 

Create a 

drawing of 

the event as 

you picture it. 

Write a 

short article 

describing 

the event .

View of the Tennessee State Capitol Building from Bicentennial Mall, 2003 

58

59 

Be a Curator 

An ArtQuest Activity 

The gallery is ready for a new exhibition. Be a curator. Plan an exhibition. 

A museum curator … 

selects a theme, 

considers a big idea to think about, 

selects art that represents a big idea, 

organizes the art so people can see the idea. 

Read the curator's big idea (below). 

Art of Tennessee is comprised of superb works of art that exemplify the 

tastes, history, and values of Tennessee's people from Native American 

times to the present. 

Select the five works from the provided art reproductions that best represent 

the curator's theme and big idea. 

Organize the art on your gallery walls. 

Consider if your exhibition demonstrates the curator's theme. 

You may decide your exhibition needs a new theme or big idea. 

Write your own big idea on a card. 

My exhibition’s title 

My exhibition’s theme

Art of Tennessee - Frist Center for the Visual Arts

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