VisionPerry and the Arts

Patrick Green helped VisionPerry summer art staff explore Perry County’s nature themes in a group design process, then translate their ideas into clay through slab construction and the use of slip. The title, “White River”, is a reference to the blessing of the white buffalo in Native American Ultimately the piece asks viewers to reflect on the blessing of the nearby Buffalo River, and to revere the natural resources of the area.

A faded quasar TV mural stood as the centerpiece of downtown Linden at this site for nearly forty years. “Perry County Pride” was commissioned as the first public art piece in the VisionPerry summer art program. As fresh paint was rolled over the old, the positive effects rippled through the community. Locals stopped their cars in the street to thank the young staff for their contributions in revitalizing Perry County.

“The Land Between the Rivers” is part of an international project called “Global Rivers Art Exchange”, an online exhibition aimed at using art to educate people all over the world about the preciousness of rivers and waterways. The piece honors Perry County’s unique position between the Tennessee and Buffalo Rivers, two of only four rivers in the world which flow north.

The “Linden Corner” mural replaces a faded sign that represented downtown Linden’s former decay. Brittany Hayes worked with local merchants to integrate design concepts. The mural design and implementation was used to teach VisionPerry staff basic drawing skills and color theory.

“Work with what you’ve got” became the theme as staff literally stole the trash cans from the street, enhancing them with thousands of pieces of hand-cut glass before returning them to the sidewalks... much to the delight of locals. Staff worked with Doug St. John over two weeks to meticulously cut, grind and place the glass.

“Forest Abstract” is a stylized representation of the hills and rivers that define Perry County. The piece was created using everyday found objects including broken glass, mirror, wood chips and glue, and can tops.

Katherine Fowler facilitated a collaborative design process in which art staff explored the authentic meaning of “Freedom of Expression”. Staff were asked to develop personal symbols of freedom, and then empowered with the task of integrating their symbols into a culminating design concept. The piece ultimately represents a youthful picture bursting from an antiquated picture frame.

Ida Edwards is renowned locally for the quality of her baskets. She and her brother, Emanuel, jumped at the task of creating a fence that would essentially be her “biggest basket ever”. Ida taught VisionPerry staff basic basketmaking techniques before translating them to an entire fence. The fencing materials include locally-gathered cedar and white oak.

Downtown Linden is accentuated by over thirty whimsical clay birdhouses. Caroline Tuzenue worked with VisionPerry staff to teach coiling and other clay sculpting techniques.

VisionPerry staff “stomped on”, raked and glazed hundreds of pounds of clay to create river-themed paver tiles for a garden walkway. Meanwhile, Shipley introduced wheel-throwing techniques and created a series of jugs. The jugs were decorated with scary faces. In southern tradition, clay jugs were decorated with the scary faces to keep kids out of the moonshine. VisionPerry jugs are stacked in “totem pole” fashion and displayed in a garden setting.

Melissa Goodwin taught VisionPerry staff about traditional “raggings” in which members of a community would come together, tear strips from old rags, and have rugs woven on a loom by a resident weaver. Goodwin also taught staff about the historic impact of the textile industry in the South. “Footsteps to the future” references the history of industry in Perry County, honoring traditional values while looking forward to a new future.