Ars Gloria, a statewide visual arts initiative developed through a partnership between the Tennessee Press Association (TPA) and the
Tennessee Art League (TAL), today announced the inaugural ten artists who will be featured during the initiative’s first publication season. Click for More News
Beginning Monday, August 3, Ars Gloria will publish one in-depth feature story every Monday. Over the course of the next 50 weeks, readers across Tennessee will be introduced to artists whose work is helping shape visual arts communities throughout the state.
Each feature explores the artist’s creative journey, artistic practice, influences, and contributions to Tennessee’s cultural landscape, creating one of the most comprehensive editorial celebrations of Tennessee’s visual artists ever undertaken.
The first group of featured artists, listed in no particular order, includes:
- Andrea Morales
- Wayne White
- Nadine Shillingford
- Brady Haston
- Camille Engel
- Jairo Prado
- Sharon Harms
- Lynn Goldsmith
- Peach McComb
- Sherri Warner Hunter
These ten artists represent the beginning of Ars Gloria’s inaugural publication series. The opening publication schedule features artists representing a broad range of artistic styles, disciplines, geographic regions, and career stages.
Additional artists will be announced and featured throughout the year as Ars Gloria continues building toward its statewide art prize competition.
Ars Gloria combines long-form journalism, statewide storytelling, public engagement, and a statewide art prize competition to celebrate Tennessee’s visual artists while strengthening connections among communities, cultural organizations, and local media across the state.
By pairing long-form storytelling with statewide distribution, Ars Gloria seeks to increase public awareness of Tennessee’s visual artists while fostering greater engagement with the state’s arts community.
While Ars Gloria’s mission extends well beyond a traditional competition, the initiative will ultimately culminate in a statewide art prize competition recognizing outstanding achievement among Tennessee’s visual artists. Throughout the initiative, participating artists will have opportunities for statewide editorial coverage, public engagement, exhibition opportunities, and other forms of professional recognition.
Additional information regarding artist recognition opportunities, sponsorship-supported initiatives, and expanded programming will
be announced as Ars Gloria continues to grow.
At launch, Ars Gloria is supported by a statewide communications network that includes over 90 participating Tennessee Press Association member media outlets and more than 60 cross-promotional partner organizations. Those partners include colleges and universities, public libraries, municipal governments, tourism organizations, arts organizations, and additional media outlets committed to celebrating and strengthening Tennessee’s creative community.
In addition to the primary competition, Ars Gloria is also developing a dedicated Student Track, tentatively scheduled to launch in October. The Student Track will provide college and university student artists with expanded opportunities for statewide editorial coverage, recognition, and community engagement.
“The Tennessee Art League exists to support and celebrate artists across our state, and Ars Gloria represents an exciting new chapter in that mission,” says LeAndra Crystal, President of the Tennessee Art League. “By partnering with the Tennessee Press Association, we’re aiming to create unprecedented opportunities for artists to share their stories, connect with new audiences, and gain recognition for the remarkable work they’re creating throughout Tennessee.”
“Local newspapers have always told the stories of Tennessee’s communities,” says Mark Millsap, Executive Director of the Tennessee Press Association. “Ars Gloria gives our member publications the opportunity to introduce readers to the artists enriching communities across our state while demonstrating the enduring value of local journalism.”
Artist registration for the inaugural Ars Gloria competition will open soon. Until online registration becomes available, artists interested in participating or learning more about the initiative are encouraged to contact the Ars Gloria team at arsgloriatn@gmail.com. Additional information regarding eligibility requirements, competition rules, and registration procedures will be announced in the coming weeks.
Participation is open to eligible artists from across Tennessee. Complete eligibility requirements and registration instructions will be published on the registration page.
The first Ars Gloria feature will be published on Monday, August 3, with a new artist profile appearing every Monday thereafter.
Readers are also encouraged to visit the Ars Gloria website and follow the initiative on social media for weekly artist features, competition updates, artist announcements, behind-the-scenes content, and future programming.
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About Ars Gloria
Ars Gloria is a statewide visual arts initiative created through a partnership between the Tennessee Press Association and the Tennessee Art League. Through long-form journalism, statewide storytelling, public engagement, and a statewide art prize competition, Ars Gloria celebrates Tennessee’s visual artists while connecting communities through the power of art,
storytelling, and statewide collaboration.
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