Monthaven Art and Cultural Center

Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center
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Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center
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THE 50TH ANNUAL JAMES B. HAWKINS STUDENT ART SHOW OPENS AT MONTHAVEN ARTS AND CULTURAL CENTER IN HENDERSONVILLE, TENN.

Media Inquiries:

Eva Rabin: arted@monthavenarts.org
(615) 822-0789

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. (April 7, 2026) – Some of the most gifted young artists in Sumner County are coming to Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center (MACC) in Hendersonville, Tenn. The 50th Annual James B. Hawkins Sumner County Student Art Show takes place April 11-26, 2026 and will feature 146 works in a variety of media.

“We’re excited to highlight the work of these talented student artists,” said MACC Executive Director Cheryl Strichik. “The strong interest and participation in this Student Art Show for 50 years highlights just how vital arts education is in our community.”

The James B. Hawkins Sumner County Student Art Show is open to all Sumner County middle and high school art students. This year, students from 16 public and private schools will display their best pieces at the MACC. Independent art experts are brought in to evaluate the students’ art, and prizes are awarded. This year’s distinguished panel of judges include the renowned printer (and former Hatch Show Print manager) Jim Sherraden, Park West Gallery curator Leigh Hendry and noted Nashville-based photographer Jerry Atnip.

All students will receive recognition for participating in the 50th anniversary show. Major prizes include awards for “Winning Art Department,” “Best of Show,” “Director’s Choice” and “Honorable Mention” along with First, Second and Third Place ribbons and cash prizes for painting, sculpture, drawing, photography, digital art, printmaking, animation and mixed media. Participating middle school and high school art teachers will also receive recognition and cash prizes.

The MACC is presenting the 50th Annual Student Art Show in partnership with Nōssi College of Art & Design. Other sponsors this year include Bryson McCarley Agency, NASTC, Holmes Pest Control, Chef’s Market and Paul Winkler Inc.
Nōssi has been the presenting sponsor for the Student Art Show for the past eight years. Cyrus Vatandoost, Nōssi’s president, commended this year’s student artists for their accomplishments.

“As the only private art college in Tennessee for aspiring creative professionals, Nōssi College of Art & Design is proud to contribute to the educational pursuits of these students by donating scholarships for the eighth year in a row,” says Vatandoost. “The creativity and imagination of these young artists is truly remarkable.”

Nōssi will award a $4,400 scholarship to the student who wins this year’s “Best of Show” prize. The student who wins the “Director’s Choice” award will receive a scholarship of $2,200. Nōssi will also be awarding $2,200 Junior Scholarships in photography, painting, drawing and digital art – which includes animation and illustration.

An opening reception and awards ceremony will take place at the MACC on Sunday, April 19. The reception for middle school students and families will be from 1 to 2 p.m., and for high school students and their families from 3 to 4 p.m.

Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center (MACC) is a jewel-box art museum and education facility housed in one of Tennessee’s most spectacular historic mansions. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the MACC has staged exhibitions featuring everything from the ceramic art of Pablo Picasso to the evening gowns of Princess Diana. The artwork of local artists and military veterans are also on frequent display. As an art school, the MACC offers classes to more than 1,200 children and adults each year. The MACC also provides free arts outreach and healing arts to underserved children, families and military veterans. For more information, visit www.monthavenarts.org or call (615) 822-0789.

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Robin Willis

HEALING ARTS COORDINATOR

Robin Willis is the MACC’s Healing Arts Coordinator. She also works as the Exhibition and Events Manager and Director of Outreach. Robin has a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from Clemson University with a minor in Entrepreneurship. She is a multi-discipline artist with emphasis in writing, mixed media abstract painting, alternative process photography, collage, and book arts and binding. In addition to her art practices, she holds several healing modalities certificates, such as extensive kundalini yoga teacher training and education, Reiki master, systemic family constellation facilitator, and depth psychology-based therapy trainings. As an avid learner, she explores and encourages others in their exploration in art, psyche, and our relationship to the micro and macro worlds within and around us. Influenced by John Muir’s quote, When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe, she fuses art, healing, and organization throughout her work and personal life as a creative-scientist minded person.

Kaylin Warden

Creative Design and Operations Manager

Kaylin Warden serves as the MACC’s Creative Design and Operations Manager. In this post, she oversees the organization’s graphic design work for exhibitions, events and special projects. She also coordinates the MACC’s arts outreach activities and assists with bookkeeping, among other duties. Kaylin, above all, 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. 
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