News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Fentress County Chamber of Commerce is pursuing some $70,000 in grant funding to upgrade the Ye Ole Jail Museum.
Executive Director Jacob Rosenbaum said that they are applying for the Rural Arts Facilities Grant through the Tennessee Arts Commission.
“It will allow us to promote the museum further and by improving the visibility of the museum, that’s going to give us more traction so that we can continue to maintain it,” Rosenbaum said. “And that will allow us to serve Fentress County in an arts and culture capacity moving into the future.”
Rosenbaum said that the building was built in 1898 and is in need of some serious upgrades. He said that the grant would cover new windows, new permanent display cases, and new lighting.
Rosenbaum said that the museum is home to all kinds of art ranging from paintings, to metalwork, to sculptures. He said that the upgrades will help the museum to better preserve its pieces.
“It is the primary arts and cultural facility in Fentress,” “We have displays from all periods of Fentress County’s history, we have original artworks from local artists ranging from landscapes to portraits, watercolors, etc. (…) We’re looking to get new windows so that we can better climate control the facility and better regulate the UV light.”
Rosenbaum said that they hope the display cases and the new lighting will enhance the experience of the museum patrons. He said that the grant application is near completion and is due in February. He said that they hope to have the work started and completed in the next fiscal year.
