Ellen Kanervo and Yvonne Kendall on the Clarksville Arts and Heritage Council as part of the essay series “The Road to 250: Community Spirit in Action,” celebrating the history of unity in Clarksville ahead of America’s 250th anniversary.

In 2000, a yearlong study on the status of culture in Montgomery County and in the city of Clarksville resulted in the formation of the Clarksville Arts and Heritage Council (AHC). From its founding, AHC has successfully worked not only with the city and county, but in cooperation with the state through the Tennessee Arts Commission, administering grants in seven counties.

Local historical, performance, and visual arts entities such as ArtLink, ArtWalk, Clarksville Community Concert Association, Cumberland Winds, Customs House Museum and Cultural Center, Downtown Artists Cooperative, Gateway Chamber Orchestra, Montgomery County Historical Society, Mt. Olive Cemetery Historical Preservation Society, and the Roxy Regional Theatre have all benefited from the active assistance of AHC, strengthening our community’s experience and understanding of its arts and historic roots.

The Council laid out three urban walking trails lined with mockingbirds created by local artist Jim Diehr and cast by the Clarksville Foundry. (AHC, contributed)
The Council laid out three urban walking trails lined with mockingbirds created by local artist Jim Diehr and cast by the Clarksville Foundry. (AHC, contributed)

In its 26-year existence, AHC has developed a four-pronged approach to enhancing life while preserving the historical heritage of this growing region, fostering an ongoing sense of place, pride, and belonging. This approach includes:

  • Using the arts to transform public spaces.
  • Encouraging creative activities of area residents.
  • Partnering with other organizations to strengthen their arts and/or historical projects.
  • Increasing understanding of the community’s rich historical heritage.

To this end, the Council has thoughtfully disseminated charming aluminum mockingbirds (the Tennessee’s state bird) along three urban pathways with commentary about points of historical significance along the trails.

Arts and Heritage had the Last Train to Clarksville mural installed on Commerce Street. (AHC, contributed)
Arts and Heritage had the Last Train to Clarksville mural installed on Commerce Street. (AHC, contributed)

Among its many additional widely varied projects producing and preserving art and history, AHC spearheaded the creation of “Tennessee Triumph,” a statue celebrating women’s suffrage now placed in a prominent position on Clarksville’s Public Square, and donated hand-carved suffrage art to the Austin Peay State University library. AHC funded installation of the “Forged by Fire” sculpture on the Upland Trail; contributed to funding the life-sized United States Colored Troops sculpture at Fort Defiance; commissioned the “Last Train to Clarksville” mural on Commerce Street; and installed a Storybook Trail in Bel-Air Park. AHC is also working cooperatively with other counties to install such charming and educational trails for children and their families. Even family pets have been recognized with a bronze Bluetick Coonhound (Tennessee’s state dog) sculpture in Liberty Park’s dog park.

The 2Rivers Plein Air Paint Out, hosted annually by AHC, brings regional artists to paint Montgomery County’s natural beauty. (AHC, contributed)
The 2Rivers Plein Air Paint Out, hosted annually by AHC, brings regional artists to paint Montgomery County’s natural beauty. (AHC, contributed)

AHC initiatives involving direct participation by members of the community include the installation of tiles painted by over 300 Clarksvillians on the Pillars of Hope, a 9/11 memorial in Veterans Plaza, and commissioning APSU art students to paint Tennessee icons on benches in Valley Brook Park. Hosting the annual 2Rivers Plein Air Paint-Out brings painters from across the region to paint scenes of Middle Tennessee beauty in the great outdoors. The AHC Clarksville Writers Conference has brought writers to Clarksville for 20 years. Partnership with Central Civitan Club invites the public to an annual “South of the River” tour of art studios, as partnership with Montgomery County Parks and Recreation invites children and their families to dress in costume for “MidSummer Magic” on Midsummer’s Eve, an event where children create fairytale houses to line a magical village in Rotary Park.

AHC commissioned Austin Peay State University students to paint Tennessee icons on benches in Valleybrook Park. (AHC, contributed)
AHC commissioned Austin Peay State University students to paint Tennessee icons on benches in Valleybrook Park. (AHC, contributed)

Celebrating past contributions to the community, AHC has erected historical markers for native sons, composer and violinist Clarence Cameron White and renowned painter Robert Loftin Newman. Another marker recognizes Clarksville’s role as volunteers traveling by river to the 1815 Battle of New Orleans. But preservation must include restoration. AHC hosted an antique appraisal luncheon to raise money for restoring the Dough Boy statue now honoring our veterans at the Tennessee State Veterans Home.

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To increase awareness of even more history, the Council is moving beyond statues and storybooks. AHC installed historical “Then and Now” signs on downtown buildings, featuring images of original and current buildings. AHC is also supporting “Road to 250” projects from lectures to performances celebrating America’s 250th birthday. The Council hosted a series on Black Patch tobacco growers; co-sponsored a symposium on Clarksville during Reconstruction; published “C is for Clarksville on the Cumberland,” a children’s book; commissioned a video on Clarksville’s railroad legacy; and for the summer of 2026, AHC is producing a series of programs on Black history entitled “The Road to Emancipation.” And in the broadest embodiment of community, Arts for Hearts volunteers under AHC’s umbrella bring the healing power of art to those with financial, physical, cognitive, or emotional barriers.

The Council’s well-received philosophy of highlighting historic places, adding art to streetscapes, and encouraging active community engagement through collaboration and participation makes Clarksville a more inviting city to visitors, but more importantly to current and future residents. Like the song of Tennessee’s mockingbird, the Clarksville Arts and Heritage Council mission enriches all who experience this vibrant area of Middle Tennessee.

Ellen Kanervo and Yvonne Kendall

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