APSU’s Institute for the Public Humanities to spotlight Clarksville’s artistic legacy with free panel discussion
By: Ethan Steinquest October 17, 2024
Members of Austin Peay State University’s Institute for the Public Humanities pose for a photo outside of Harned Hall.
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - In celebration of National Art and Humanities Month, Austin Peay State University’s Institute for the Public Humanities (IPH) will host a free public event highlighting Clarksville’s 20th-century art and writing from 4-5 p.m. on Oct. 29 at the Customs House Museum.
The discussion will feature three distinguished panelists, each one sharing how their late family members helped shape Clarksville’s cultural heritage:
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Charlsie Halliburton: Discussing the artwork of her brother Tom Malone, a former APSU art student with a signature expressionist style and a talent for multiple mediums
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Lawson Mabry: Discussing the fiction of his cousin Thomas Mabry Jr., an award-winning short story author and a former editor of Time magazine, and other family members
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Kitty Harvill: Discussing the artwork of her mother Peg Harvill, a watercolor painter known for her vibrant illustrations of Clarksville’s historic buildings
Dr. Linda Crenshaw, an IPH board member and professor in the Department of Languages & Literature, will moderate the discussion.
“All three of these panelists have a real passion for keeping the legacies of their family members alive,” she said. "There’s just no substitute for listening to those who loved them, knew them, and cared about them as people. These artists may be gone now, but they come alive through their work and the stories their family members tell about them.”
Crenshaw said the works and stories being shared will also offer a glimpse into the artistic legacies that continue to influence Clarksville today.
“Whether it was through writing or artwork, all of these people were able to express what it was like in Clarksville during the 20th century,” said IPH Coordinator Kathy Lee Heuston, a professor in the Department of Communication.“It’s also a significant time period for the panelists because they’re talking about their family members, and they can give us firsthand knowledge about their work.”
Attendees are encouraged to continue the conversation during a reception at Beachaven Downtown after the panel and learn more from each of the speakers.
“I would like people to be inspired by the idea that if you’re a person who has an artistic vision, you can go where your heart is leading you and make a contribution,” Crenshaw said. “If you’re a patron, viewer, or reader, these are people who have family members still living in town who are happy to tell you all about their work."
As IPH’s first public event, this discussion also marks a significant milestone in the organization’s efforts to foster deeper relationships between APSU and the Clarksville community.
“Our mission is to get the community engaged and get the message out about what the humanities mean in general,” Heuston said. “They aren’t just for academia. We all embrace them in different ways, so we’re trying to create awareness of the connections between arts, culture, and what makes people human.”
About the Institute for the Public Humanities
The Institute for the Public Humanities (IPH) embodies the idea of the university as a center for humanistic inquiry to support the public good. Its members develop intellectual relationships between Austin Peay State University and the Middle Tennessee community by bringing people together for lectures, conversations, media, classes, events, and other engagement opportunities. By fostering the reciprocal relationship between the university’s scholarly studies and the community’s living history, the organization promotes and provide programming focused on the human landscape of Middle Tennessee.