Pam Weston
VSA Tennessee Young Artists in partnership with Middle Tennessee State University
Tennessee’s ornaments were designed and created by VSA Tennessee’s young artists with disabilities. These young artists traveled from all across the state to gather at Middle Tennessee State University to work together on this project. In an effort to reflect the diversity of the state of Tennessee, the young artists created a design to represent each one of the state’s three grand divisions, east, middle, and west. Drawing inspiration from Cades Cove and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the east, the Civil War era stone Fort Negley in middle Tennessee, and Reelfoot Lake in the western division of the state, the young artists used a mixture of native materials such as twigs and cones, acrylic paint, and cellfoam remnants to create their three dimensional portrayals. The young artists are thrilled and honored to have the opportunity to represent the state of Tennessee and to share its legacy and history during this holiday season.