History of the Arts Center of Cannon County
The Arts Center originated in 1980 as The Cannon Community Playhouse with its first productions taking place in the Woodbury Lions Club Building. Soon the group moved into its own space in the basement of the Veterans Memorial Gym. In 1989 The Playhouse joined with the Cannon County Historical and the Cannon Association of Craft Artists to begin a capital campaign to build a multi-functional arts center. The campaign was a success and ground was broken in 1990 for the 7,000 sq. ft. center. The Arts Center of Cannon County opened in March 1991 with the production of Harvey and went on to serve about 3500 people in its 1st year.
In the intervening years the Arts Center has expanded 3 times to 18,000 sq. ft., has an award winning theatre program, 3 gallery spaces, a 400 piece folk arts collection, and a Grammy Award winning record label. The organization now serves 40,000 people per year on site and over 150,000 wold wide through attendance, web sites, and record sales.
Selected Awards and Distinctions
2011 Broadwayworld.com Nashville Theatre Awards- Best Musical and Best Actor in a Musical: 13 the Musical.
2011 Governor’s Award for Environmental Stewardship- Power of Art Solar Project
2008
Grammy Award- John Work III: Recording Black Culture
2003 Host Folklorists in the South Conference - Selected
by the Southern Arts Federation to host the annual gathering of Southern
Folklorists.
2003 Old Time Release of the Year- Uncle Dave at Home CD named old-time release of the year by The Old Time Hearld
2003 Governor’s Award for the
Arts-Heritage and Folk Arts Awarded to Roy Harper, Old-Time Musician, and local
artist.
2002 NEA Folk Arts
Infrastructure Pilot Program One of ten national pilot organizations selected by
the National Endowment for the Arts for its Local Folk Arts Infrastructure
Initiative.
2000 Governor’s Award for the Arts-Heritage and
Folk Arts Awarded
to Thelma Hibdon and Ida Pearl Davis, Traditional White Oak Basketmakers and
local artists.
1998 Host of the Tennessee
Governor’s Conference for the Arts Selected to host one of three bi-annual statewide
training conferences
1996 & 1998 100 Best Small
Arts Towns in
