Cordell Hull Park Grant Received

The Friends of Cordell Hull Association received a $4900 grant for folk art classes from the Tennessee Arts Commission.

This year marks the sixth year the grant has been awarded to the association and the Cordell Hull State Park. Park Manager Monique Johnson said the funds are vital to the public folk art courses and cultural preservation.

“We’re really proud to have received this grant and we’re really grateful to the Tennessee Arts Commission for allowing us to do these classes,” Johnson said. “This grant money really assists us and makes these classes possible; we probably couldn’t do as many or make them as cost-effective without it.”

Johnson said they offer a variety of options from soap making to basket weaving and even furniture crafting. She said the courses are a great way to find your own community and connect with others.

Johnson said the grant itself is used to offset the cost of paying instructors of the courses. She said many people have begun the programs with no background in art and left with impressive skills, and the instructors are to thank.

“We are lucky we have some really great teachers that teach the classes,” Johnson said. “A lot of them are locals from the Upper Cumberland; some do travel some distance, but the majority of our teachers are local artists.”

Johnson said she looks forward to carrying on the relationship with the state in order to provide these services in the future. She said she encourages everyone to join the courses because they can be nostalgic, preserve local culture, and bring the community together.

“A lot of times it brings back memories of your grandparents making art, another person said it reminded them of someone making a chair,” Johnson said. “So passing down these crafts to future generations is very important and it helps keep these crafts alive.”