Generous donation gives APSU three famed William Edmondson Sculptures
January 13, 2011
Clarksville, TN – William Edmondson, a humble stone carver and the son of slaves, died quietly after years of declining health. He was buried in an unmarked grave in Nashville.
It was an ironic fate, given that Edmondson spent years carving elaborate headstones for cemeteries around middle Tennessee. The eccentric artist believed that God commanded him to sculpt the shapes out of limestone, and after a few years, he began adding statues of biblical characters, people and animals to his body of work. His sculptures caught the eyes of several prominent art critics and in 1937, Edmondson became the first African-American artist to have a solo show of his work at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
William Edmondson Sculpture "The Critter".
APSU Center of Excellence Celebrates 25 Years with Major Arts Events
August 16, 2010
Chris Burawa, the executive director of the Austin Peay State University Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts, looked tired. He sat slumped in a booth at the Einstein Bros. Bagels coffee shop with his Blackberry on the table, and a large poster filled front and back with event listings.
“It’s the Center’s 25th anniversary,” he said, lifting the poster, “and we’re going to have a yearlong celebration.”
Chris Burawa at the 2010 Clarksville Writers' Conference.
