CLARKSVILLE, TN – The Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts (CECA) at Austin Peay State University’s 2023-24 recipient of the Tennessee Artist Fellowship, artist Jonathan Adams of Knoxville, Tennessee, will speak on Thursday, March 21, at the Frist Art Museum in Nashville. The presentation is from 6:30-7:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public; entry to the Frist galleries is free with a valid APSU ID.

Adams received $5,000 through the fellowship to aid in creating new artwork, along with additional funding to present his artist lecture at the Frist Art Museum.

“We are impressed with Adams’ work and how he excavates the psychological, symbolic and social ghosts of contemporary Black life,” said the CECA Tennessee Artist Fellowship’s selection committee in a statement. “These themes are set against the backdrop of the culturally complex Appalachian region of the American South. Of note are his large-scale drawings and performances based on his early experiences in the church, family drug abuse, systemic class racism and Southern mysticism. His creative practice embodies the richness of Southern – or Tennessean – storytelling.”

CECA’s Tennessee Artist Fellowship was created to celebrate contemporary art and support exceptional Tennessee artists and their continued creative work. Unlike other fellowships, nominations and applications from artists are not solicited. Rather, a committee of faculty from Austin Peay’s Department of Art + Design compiles a list of outstanding artists from across the state and selects the fellowship recipient.

Past recipients of the CECA Tennessee Artist Fellowship include Maysey Craddock of Memphis, Alicia Henry of Nashville, Andrew Scott Ross of Memphis, Bryce McCloud of Nashville, Carl E. Moore of Memphis, Benjy Russell of Dowelltown, Karen Seapker of Nashville, Ashton Ludden of Knoxville and Yancy Villa of Memphis.

To learn more about this event, visit the Frist Art Museum website. To learn more about Adams, visit his website or follow him on Instagram @the_jonathanadams.

For more information on the CECA Tennessee Artist Fellowship, please contact Dr. Andrea Spofford, director of CECA, at spofforda@apsu.edu. To stay informed about upcoming CECA events, including Adams’ upcoming artist talk, please visit www.apsu.edu/ceca or follow CECA on social media.