By Karen Parr-Moody
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Marketing one’s town can require many paths of creativity – including one that leads to, in Clarksville’s case, an illustrated alphabet book entitled “C Is for Clarksville on the Cumberland.”
The hardback book, which is aimed at children ages 4 through 10, is a vibrant salute to the city for adults, as well. And it has been published in time for holiday gift giving.
“We purposely timed it to come out before Christmas,” says Ellen Kanervo. “It’s a good price at $22; it’s not a terribly expensive Christmas gift.”
Kanervo spearheaded the project through The Clarksville/Montgomery County Arts and Heritage Development (AHDC), a nonprofit. She is that group’s executive director.
The book is designed to intrigue various age groups. When opened, each page features artwork by one of 34 local artists who worked on the project. On the opposite page of each piece of art is a short write-up about Clarksville’s history, culture, environment or geography. There is also a poem for each letter.
Kanervo says: “Adults enjoy the write-up, kids like the poem and everybody likes the art.”
Among the categories for the various letters are aviation, Customs House, Dunbar Cave, L & N Railroad, military, paddle wheelers, Wilma Rudolph, Robert Penn Warren and Yuchi Indian culture.
Jim Hancock created the art to illustrate the aviation theme.
The book is currently available at the Customs House Museum gift shop, Downtown Artists Co-op, This Old Place antique mall, Couture Crush, Lovin’ Spoonful Café and the Public Square branch of F&M bank.
Similar books have been designed for other cities, including three in Kentucky cities, including Hopkinsville, Paducah and Louisville. Additionally, there is a “V is for Volunteer: A Tennessee Alphabet” book for Tennessee published by Sleeping Bear Press.
According to Kanervo, the AHDC has already sold one-fourth of the books it printed.
“When people see it, they’re ready to buy it,” she says.
The book’s artwork was produced by local artists using the mediums of watercolor, acrylic, drawing, photography, fabric art, tile mosaics, metal sculptures and wood carvings. BLF Marketing partner Frank Lott designed the cover and graphic artists Mike Fink and Cindy Marsh designed the layout.
“I was just blown away by the art that our local artists produced for it,” Kanervo says.
Proceeds from the book will go to community projects related to the city’s arts and culture.
For more information, contact Kanervo at 931-624-2006 or by emailing kanervoe@apsu.edu.
Various mediums are displayed in the book, including this fabric art by Tamara Long.
Karen Parr-Moody began a career as a New York journalist, working as a fashion reporter for Women’s Wear Daily, a beauty editor for Young Miss and a beauty and fashion writer for both In Style and People magazines. Regionally, she has been a writer at The Leaf-Chronicle newspaper and currently writes about arts and culture for Nashville Arts magazine each month.