The Tennessee Press Association (TPA) and the Tennessee Art League (TAL) have developed a new yearlong arts initiative called Ars Gloria. The project is designed to honor and document creativity statewide by combining civic engagement, long-form storytelling, and professional arts evaluation.
“We are very excited to partner with the Tennessee Art League for Ars Gloria,” said TPA Executive Director Mark Millsap in a press release. “Each of these stories carries a level of interactivity you don’t typically see in arts coverage. This project allows communities to identify resonant voices while adding depth, context, and sustained attention—precisely the kind of initiative that demonstrates how press associations can strengthen local journalism.”
Ars Gloria is currently in development. TAL and TPA are working to engage public media outlets, libraries, municipal arts agencies, and educational institutions to explore partnerships that support the initiative’s goals. Additional details will be released in the coming weeks as partnerships are finalized.
Open to fine and culturally-minded commercial artists, the public will be invited to nomination their favorite artist through participating media outlets. The fifty (50) most-nominated artists will be featured in in-depth arts profiles, published weekly via the TPA website and syndicated across a statewide network of more than 130-member outlets.
Following publication of all features, the public will be invited to vote, advancing twenty-five (25) finalists to a public exhibition. A professional arts jury will then identify ten (10) artists whose work they consider among the year’s most culturally resonant.
“This initiative was designed to document, elevate, and connect Tennessee’s visual arts ecosystems,” said TAL President LeAndra Crystal. “Ars Gloria is meant to stand apart from traditional contests. It functions as a working map—showing how visual creativity is expressed and valued across the state in a given year.”
Individuals and organizations interested in learning more about Ars Gloria or providing a nomination outlet may contact the Tennessee Art League during this development phase at arsgloriatn@gmail.com.
Founded in 1954 the TAL was founded as a creativity-focused, nonprofit art organization. It encourages participation in the visual arts for both artists and art patrons. This mission is supported through art programming, community outreach, and the creation of new opportunities for visual artists.
TPA is the statewide nonprofit trade organization for Tennessee’s daily and non-daily newspapers and their digital counterparts. Founded in 1870 to provide a unified voice for the newspaper industry, TPA champions a free and independent press, open government, and strong local journalism. The TPA supports its members through advocacy at the state level, professional training, press credentials, networking, and programs that recognize excellence in journalism. It also serves as the parent organization of Tennessee Press Service and the Tennessee Press Association Foundation.
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