Nov 10 Tuesday
From 1928 through 2007, East Tennessee State University hosted an exhibition that represented a folkloristic approach to documentation and historical interpretation of a mythological place called the Tennessee Frontier. The exhibit began as a classroom project that grew into public displays hosted in Gilbreath Hall (1928-1932), Sherrod Library (1933-1964), and the Reece Museum (1965-2007). As part of the ETSU America 250 events happening across our campus this year, many of the artifacts from this nostalgic exhibition have been brought out of the collections room to be shared with the public once again.
The Tennessee Frontier Room: 1928-2007 revisits institutional and regional history, with a focus on pieces of family and collective lore that contribute to greater regional mythohistories about the pioneers, explorers, and Indigenous inhabitants of East Tennessee between 1750 and 1840. From lithic tools created by ancient civilizations to a silk evening gown, the exhibit and accompanying publication showcase the cultural artifacts left behind by a people in flux. Building on work begun during the 1976 Bicentennial celebrations, this Semiquencentennial exploration of our shared history revisits the golden age of folklore, when the First Congressional District was branded “Tennessee’s First Frontier.”
“The Tennessee Frontier Room” will remain on display through June 2027.
Nov 11 Wednesday
The Reece Museum presents Window into the Soul: The Work of Amanda Renfrow, an exhibition featuring the stained glass work by local artist Amanda Renfrow.
Window into the Soul, showcasing twenty-five stained-glass works by Renfrow, offers a retrospective of her eight-year practice. A native of Oklahoma, Renfrow moved to Appalachia in 2018 and began her artistic practice in glass. Starting as an apprentice to Steve Cook, a renowned glass artist in Jonesborough, Renfrow has since gained notoriety, with work frequently exhibited and housed in private and public collections, including the Reece Museum Permanent Collection.
"This exhibition brings together works that trace my artistic development from the smallest butterfly to the largest sun, reflecting the evolution of my approach over time,” says Renfrow.
Nov 12 Thursday
Nov 13 Friday
Nov 14 Saturday
Nov 15 Sunday