CURRENT EXHIBITS
-
Celebrating Forty Years of Service: ETSU's Center of Excellence for Appalachian Studies and Services ( September 2 - 27)
ETSU established the Center of Excellence for Appalachian Studies and Services through a Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) grant in 1984. Since that time, the Center's purpose has remained serving the people of Tennessee and southern Appalachia through research, education, preservation, and community engagement. Over the past 40 years, the Center has excelled at that work, exemplifying how dedication, passion, and academic rigor can be applied to benefit a region. The Center, housed in the Department of Appalachian Studies, includes the Reece Museum, Archives of Appalachia, Regional Resources Institute, and the Institute for Appalachian Music and Culture.
-
Stitch Together: The Social Seamstress in Southern Appalachia (July 29, 2024 - January 10, 2025)
Stitch Together: The Social Seamstress in Southern Appalachia explores the social connections of seamstresses by showcasing the fashion and clothing of the Reece Museum's permanent collection.
-
Tennesee Visionary: The Art of Paul Lancaster (July 22 - September 20)
Tennessee Visionary: The Art of Paul Lancaster is on display at East Tennessee State University’s Reece Museum through September 20. Grey Carter--Objects of Art, along with Reece staff, curated this exhibition to include works from both Grey Carter and the Reece Museum’s collection, which includes seven works by the artist.
Download an accessible version of Tennessee Visionary Catalog Here.
Tennessee Visionary features paintings and etchings that explore the artistic journey of Paul Lancaster (1930 – 2019), a self-taught artist and Tennessee native. Without any formal art education, Lancaster began to paint in the late 1950s and has gained increasing recognition for his creations. One could easily see his works as "visions" of a beautiful life rich in the wonders of nature. His works are held in private collections as well as the permanent collections of the Smithsonian, American Visionary Art Museum, Hickory Art Museum, University of Virginia, the Parthenon Museum, the Reece Museum, and others.
-
TAG THE REECE: GRAFFITI IN THE MUSEUM (June 10 - September 13)
This one-week Teen Camp for 7th graders and up, Tag the Reece: Graffiti in the Museum, was in session from June 3 to 7. Eight campers created a street-art inspired art installation in one of the Reece Museum’s three galleries. Collaborating with local artist, Jay Flack and museum staff, campers worked together to create designs on panels and the wall to produce an installation that transformed a gallery space into an graffiti vista.
The exhibition is open to the public and will remain on display through September 13.
Featured artists include:
Lina A.
Eliza C.
Elizabeth C.
Lily D.
Eli. F.
Roan J.
Siah O.
Willow P.
Artist Instructor: Jason Flack
Reece Staff Instructors: Spenser Brenner & Ashley Gregg
Counselor: Ben Conley
-
Ballet in Appalachia: 75 Years with Bristol Ballet (July 17, 2023 - EXTENDED to October 18, 2024)
The Reece Museum, in collaboration with the Archives of Appalachia and Bristol Ballet, present Ballet in Appalachia: 75 Years with Bristol Ballet. The exhibition is a historical retrospective of one of the oldest arts institutions in the Tri-Cities region. This Tennessee Music Pathways exhibition includes photographs, program books, costumes, and other archival materials from the 75-year history of this local arts organization in both Tennessee and Virginia."We are thrilled to be partnering with ETSU's Reece Museum and Archives of Appalachia to highlight our historical milestone in such a special way! We can't wait to share Bristol Ballet's unique history and its connection to music with our community,” says Moira Frazier Ostrander. “Our hope is to give access to ballet through this exhibition and through the Ballet’s continuing contributions to the permanent collections in the Archives and Museum."
Bristol Ballet, in its 75-year history, has a long tradition of serving and being a part of the Appalachian community surrounding it. The ballet company has provided quality dance training and performances since 1948, and has integrated and interacted with the Appalachian region from the beginning, when Constance Hardinge, the founder, fell in love with the mountains. Throughout the years Bristol Ballet staff have donated artifacts such as photographs, programs books, and other documents to the Archives of Appalachia, recently donating a number of original costumes to the Reece Museum. These artifacts will serve to tell the story of Bristol Ballet and provide opportunities for further research.
In addition to the exhibition, Bristol Ballet hosted a special 75th Anniversary Celebration in 2023 at Paramount Bristol. During this performance Bristol Ballet premiered two new dance pieces set to Appalachian music. Both pieces are jointly choreographed by Moira Frazier Ostrander and Amanda Hairston. Myth is a singular dance piece that will be performed to the song of the same name by Amethyst Kiah, a native of Johnson City and ETSU Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Roots Music Studies program alum who has achieved national and international recognition. Another piece, Love Letter to Appalachia will feature Dolly Parton’s My Tennessee Mountain Home. This ballet piece utilizes beautiful Appalachian imagery to craft a “love letter” to the region we call home.
Tennessee Music Pathways connects you to the people, places and genres that make Tennessee the Soundtrack of America. From the largest cities to the smallest communities, this state-wide program identifies, explains, and preserves the legacy of music in Tennessee. Whether it is a story of the past, a star of the present, or the promise of the future, Tennessee Music Pathways let you follow the music. It’s an experience that can only be Made in Tennessee.