Author: Carroll Van West, Editor-in-Chief; Margaret Duncan Binnicker, Associate Editor
Publisher: University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville

ISBN:  1-57233-239-5

At first glance, A History of Tennessee Arts: Creating Traditions, Expanding Horizons gives the impression of a textbook. The magnitude of the undertaking which the Tennessee Arts Commission and the Tennessee Historical Society planned to document this wide range of topics for a state with such a rich history of the arts resulted in a hefty tome. But Editor Carroll Van West enlisted a stellar ensemble of authors who contributed essays based on their expertise, participation, and interest in their fields to create a very enjoyable and readable book.

As a newcomer to the state, I started reading with little name recognition, but because I have studied quilt history, when I found Bets Ramsey’s and Merikay Waldvogel’s bylines in the textile arts section of the book, I understood the caliber of the contributors. These are the people who have not only studied facets of Tennessee art from a scholarly perspective; they are people who are passionate about their interests. This comes across in the essays and sidebars, the two formats blended to give an overall scope as well as more anecdotal details about the subject areas.

Most people equate country music with Nashville and would likely identify Memphis as giving birth to the blues, but some of the other arts honed in the state might elicit surprise. For instance, furniture was made in many locales, both urban and rural, and included the unique chairs crafted by a freed slave, Dick Poyner, from Williamson County.

The literary and performing arts have also counted numerous Tennessee natives among their ranks. But in all these areas, the book recounts the stories of not only the luminous but the less celebrated whose contributions were no less important, and now here are recognized. A substantial effort was made to record the achievements of African-American artists as well.

The documentation in notes and suggested readings provides significant reference material with which to investigate topics further.

The only detail that would have enhanced the book for a non-native Tennessean would be maps pinpointing the highlighted towns so that the reader would have the benefit of placing the state’s art and history into a geographical context. I found myself consulting my own maps to chart places throughout the state I hope to visit to see the treasures described.

I think any patron of the arts, Tennessee historian, or regional art historian would find this volume an invaluable resource for the bookshelf.

 The above review was contributed by Beth Burke who is a freelance editor, a fiber artist, and a stay-at-home mom. Previous hats she has worn include procedure and proposal writer for government, commercial nuclear, and environmental services concerns; advertising copywriter; newspaper reporter; and college-level writing instructor.