Monthaven Art and Cultural Center

Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center
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Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center
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Black Hawk Down Vet J.T. Cooper on the Healing Power of Art and Music

J.T. Cooper

Tennessee songwriter and Army veteran J.T. Cooper fought in the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu in Somalia. The conflict was famously portrayed in the 2001 film Black Hawk Down. Following his military service, Cooper turned to songwriting to help him deal with his PTSD. In 2018, he founded the nonprofit group Warrior Rounds, a healing arts program that pairs military veterans with songwriters. The songwriters help the veterans tell their stories – a crucial step in the healing process. Cooper will be the keynote speaker at the MACC’s Boots and BBQ fundraiser on Oct. 19, 2024. The fundraiser supports the MACC’s healing arts program for military veterans. In a wide-ranging conversation with the MACC’s Chief Operating Officer John Pitcher, Cooper discusses his military service and his commitment to helping other veterans cope with trauma. This episode is sponsored by US Pest Protection.

 

Audio Production by Jonah Pitcher

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Kaylin Warden

External Affairs Coordinator

Kaylin Warden joined the Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center staff in 2024 as External Affairs Coordinator. In this post, she organizes special off-site events and manages the organization’s external communications. She also works with the development department by updating the MACC’s customer relations database, and she assists the executive director in setting up exhibitions. Above all else, Kaylin is passionate about the arts. It comes as no surprise, then, that she is now pursuing a master’s degree in art history. When she’s not at the MACC, you can find her reading her favorite books (especially ones dealing with maritime mysteries), cooking, gardening, playing with her cat and two dogs, and cheering for the Nashville Predators.

Ruth Chase

Regional Arts Director
Ruth Chase is the Regional Arts Director of Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center, joining the team in 2023. For Ruth, the job is all about community, bringing people together to uplift and educate artists and art lovers alike. Her role at Monthaven is to strengthen the local artist community and build connections that will enrich Hendersonville and our surrounding communities through art exhibitions, art education, and opportunities for regional artists.
 
Prior to joining Monthaven, Ruth worked in the arts for over 30 years and is a multimedia artist and graduate of the San Francisco Art Institute. Her artistic practice is inquiry-based and engages in community bridge-building. She was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation from the City of Los Angeles, curated and juried exhibitions, and has taught at the Crocker Art Museum.
 
Ruth was awarded an Artist-in-Residence for Artist Activating Communities through a grant from the California Arts Council for three consecutive years. Her film Belonging screened at both the 18th Annual Nevada City Film Festival and Wild & Scenic Film Festival. She has received the Legendary Female Artist of Venice award, and she has exhibited in The Crocker Kingsley, the Museum of Northern California Art, and the Diego Rivera Gallery at the San Francisco Art Institute. Ruth also continues her work as a Curatorial Consultant and Art director for the Californian Indigenous Research Project, where she has worked with the local tribe since 2018.