CLARKSVILLE, TN – The Customs House Museum & Cultural Center won four Awards of Excellence and eight Awards of Commendation at the Tennessee Association of Museums (TAM) Conference which was held at the Discovery Park of America in Union City, Tennessee, from March 11-13.
“We are very honored to be recognized by TAM and our museum peers throughout the state,” said Frank Lott, the Customs House Museum’s Executive Director. “I am most pleased with the awards presented this year to our professional staff, our board members and community supporters for their outstanding contributions to our success.”
The Customs House Museum received Awards of Excellence for the Public History Downtown Walking Tours coordinated with Austin Peay State University’s Public History class taught by Dr. Cate LiaBraaten; Brendalyn Carpenter Player, Board member and long-time marketing committee chair, for her Volunteerism; Shana Thornton, our Marketing & Media Manager, as an Emerging Museum Professional in Middle Tennessee; and Mark Holleman, long-time member, patron, and supporter of the Customs House Museum, for his Institutional Impact.
For its many programs, exhibitions, and fundraisers, the Customs House Museum received Awards of Commendation for the following: School Programming: Becoming Clarksville Exhibition iPad Tour; Special Event: Noel Night; Temporary Exhibition: Riches of the Land – Agriculture 1850-1950; Special/Novelty Item: The Customs House Snowglobe Ornament by D.C. Thomas; Audio Visual/Video: Curator Chat Walking Tour; Publication – Book/Catalogue: Rockin’ Clarksville Program; Fundraising Campaign: Art in Bloom Fundraiser; and Special Recognition: Golly G’s Copper Roof Sundae I Heart My Museum Ice Cream Social.
Additionally, the Customs House Museum & Cultural Center’s Marketing & Media Manager, Shana Thornton, and the Marketing & Publications Designer, D.C. Thomas, presented a session on “Marketing Solidarity” at the conference. D.C. Thomas represented both the Customs House Museum and Austin Peay State University as a communication student, and she presented her adaptation of the globally recognized “Monochrome Monday” in the student presentations for the Mary Skinner Student Award. The Customs House Museum is honored to represent Clarksville in the Tennessee Association of Museums and congratulates all the presenters and winners for 2026.
Looking ahead to March 2027, the Customs House Museum will be the host museum for the TAM conference, which will be held in Clarksville, Tennessee. Museum, art, and cultural professionals from across the state of Tennessee will visit Clarksville for this exciting and informative three days of networking and celebrating Tennessee museums and cultural institutions.