TTU Center for Craft Receives Painting From Former Artist, Supporter

The work of a local artist now the property of the Tennessee Tech Appalachian Center for Craft thanks to a family gift.

The painting is a multi-panel piece titled “Reminiscences” by the late Sally Crain-Jager who passed away in 2014. She was involved in the development of multiple art programs at Tennessee Tech. Director of the School of Art, Craft and Design Kimberly Winkle said the artist’s husband gave the painting to the university to make sure it is loved and celebrated.

“It’s sort of like her welcome, welcoming the community into the craft center,” Winkle said. “She was such a big player in developing and growing the arts community in our region, and so I think it’s just perfectly fitting that she’s the one that gets to welcome them as people enter into the lobby.”

Winkle said the painting will be kept on display in the center’s lobby for the foreseeable future. She said the painting was chosen for the lobby due to its large size and Crain-Jager’s history as a former interim director of the center.

Winkle said the painting was on display in the artist’s home for several years after she passed before her husband gifted the work to the university.

“I think he was just wanting to hold onto it for as long as possible. You know, there’s such – so much of the artist goes into their artwork and so it’s just sort of having another way of having her there with him every day, so I suspect that’s part of the reason why there was a little bit of a delay.”

“We intend for it to be there for a long time just to greet visitors as they enter the building,” Winkle said.

Winkle said the painting is its own display in the lobby and is not a part of any other program or exhibit.

“It’s a large-scale painting and as you enter into the lobby of the Appalachian Center for Craft it’s one of the first things that greets visitors as they come,” Winkle said. “It has a strong presence, and so definitely doesn’t need to be accompanied with other things.”