Franklin County Arts Guild Honors Anderson
Thursday, September 7, 2017
Establishes Endowed Scholarship
by Bailey Basham, Messenger Staff Writer
When Anna Kathryn Anderson was just a little girl, her interest in art began.
Painting with acrylics, egg tempera and oils, she couldn’t get enough. She wound up spending 38 years as an art teacher.
“One of the earliest things I can remember doing is coloring with crayons,” she said. “Thirty-eight years and three degrees later, I retired. I loved my career as an art teacher and as an artist. That is all I know.”
In 1986, after being with the Franklin County Arts Guild for about 15 years, she insisted that there be an endowment scholarship for students living in Franklin County.
Pat Richards, Franklin County Arts Guild public relations volunteer, said it is evident how important arts education is to Anderson.
What began as a $500 dollar scholarship in 1986 has grown to a $2,000 grant this year. The endowment check was for $10,000.
On Wednesday, Anderson and the Arts Guild met to sign the endowment check and honor Anderson as the longest-held member of the Arts Guild and to celebrate her nomination for the 2017 Governor’s Arts Leadership Award.
“Just to have an endowed scholarship—something I know will carry on after I am not here—is very important. We have been working of this for a long time,” said Anderson.
The scholarship, which will be handled by the Community Fund of Middle Tennessee out of Nashville, will provide a means for local students to receive education in the arts.
“We’ll do the very best we can to follow the criteria the Guild has set up. We hope to get to come back next year to come celebrate with the recipient,” said Pat Cole, scholarship coordinator for the Community Fund of Middle Tennessee.
Since its beginning in 1967, this group has developed projects and workshops for the county, aimed at arts education, arts access and support of local artists. Its mission has remained the same since its early years—to promote and support the arts and arts education in Franklin County.
“I want to say to the Arts Guild, you are all the best people to work with. We’ve been wanting to do this for a long time, but didn’t know how to do it. To support this scholarship, I really appreciate you all giving from your heart for the local kids. I appreciate all this group does for our young people,” said Anderson.