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As art opportunities have become increasingly limited in some schools over the past couple years, Emma Bradford and her sister Leighton have built an organization to help fill in the gap for students and families in Nashville.
The two sisters co-founded The Little Art House and the Little Art House Foundation, striving to provide a safe space for people of all ages to imagine, explore, and create. Prior to starting the organization, they were both public school teachers in Nashville and Antioch. Emma said their passion was established at an early age by their mother who was also an art teacher and always gave them a safe space to explore their creativity at home. These warm memories of “risk and reward fueled by imagination”, according to their website, are what motivated them to create the Little Art House.
“This idea kind of came out of the realization that not every kid has that, that openness and space to create without worrying about the grade or the mess," said Bradford. "Just a pure safe space to imagine and try whatever you want.”
Following Bradford’s four years teaching at Antioch High School, she and her husband moved to Franklin where she decided to continue as a substitute teacher. Around this time, she found herself at a position at a private art studio which gave her the opportunity to work with children of all ages and an insight “of the impact of art education at any age.”
“Classes give kids a space to learn that trying and failing is all part of the process, that you don't always have to be perfect at everything and can still make something that's valued," said Bradford. "Art can be such a great educational tool that can give students a sense of success and pride that they might not find in other spaces or subjects.”
The Little Art House was first tested out at a summer camp in 2016. Since then, it has been a whirlwind for both sisters who have since left their jobs with the school district and put their all into growing it into what it is today. The duo announced the creation of their non-profit branch, the Little Art House Foundation, earlier this year.
“We've always wanted to give back and support art teachers in the way that we wanted to be when we were teaching," said Bradford. "It can be a really difficult process to get help as a teacher.”
The foundation will support teachers and other non-profits by offering materials, bringing in art experts to help with advanced students, getting hands-on volunteers to help in the classroom, and much more.
“The foundation really gives us the space to keep growing,” said Bradford. “We’re offering adult classes through Hadley Park library for free for adults, and we recently secured a second location that will be home for both another studio and the foundation.”
Bradford says her dream is to see more Little Art Houses and programs like it all over the country some day.
“We want to take this element that we’ve started to grow, having our art classes as a safe space to imagine, explore, and create pressure free for all ages, and bring this to the community,” she said.
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Social media has an impact. Look at any successful business, organization, or cause, and chances are that they have a robust social media presence. That presence is important for us as we continue to advocate for Major League Baseball in Nashville, and update the public about our progress.
To help us with that effort, we’d like to welcome a new set of helping hands to grow our national recognition and take the reins on social media.
Delaney Rohrs is a junior at Middle Tennessee State University majoring in interdisciplinary media. She initially came on board as a summer intern, helping coordinate public relations and communications efforts that included newsletters and weekly E-blasts. Stepping into a new role, she will help lead our efforts creating content for social media platforms.
“I’ve always just really liked making stuff,” said Rohrs. “I feel like I’ve always been creative, but I never thought I’d be able to do it for a job. This is such a great opportunity to help create history by bringing Major League Baseball to Nashville.”
Growing up in West Michigan, Rohrs remembers going to White Caps and Tigers’ games with family. She even celebrated her 10th birthday at Comerica Park in Detroit.
“I remember going to games when I was younger, but this has given me a completely different look into this world," said Rohrs. "It’s been so much fun and such a great experience, I can’t wait for what’s to come.”
Moving forward, she plans to elevate the Stars’ online presence by finding a new balance between both the business and personal sides of the organization and translating that into the online space. She believes that staying on top of current trends and, “keeping it relevant while still fun”, is a must.
“My main goal is to take all of the best parts of this effort - our community, our staff, our commitment, and mission - and tie that all together in a way that shows the world exactly who we are in a relatable and fun way,” Rohrs said.
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NASHVILLE STARS GOLF TOURNAMENT
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We are thrilled to announce our first golf tournament to support the Nashville Stars Youth Foundation and the Tennessee State Athletic Fund. The event will be Friday, October 7 at Ted Rhodes Golf Course in Nashville. If you’re interested in playing or sponsoring the event, please reach out to Lauren Whatley at [email protected].
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COMING THURSDAY: A RECAP OF DAVE STEWART’S NUMBER RETIREMENT
Our very own Dave Stewart had his number retired by the Oakland A’s on Sunday. Be sure to check out our E-Blast on Thursday morning to read more about the special ceremony, and the all-star cast that joined in the celebration.
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Bob Kendrick, the President of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and one of our Board members, welcomed two of our own this past month on his award-winning podcast Black Diamonds. Dave Stewart was a guest on an episode that aired September 1. Former Titans great and current head coach for the Tennessee State University football team, Eddie George, was a guest on September 8. Click here to visit the podcast’s home page.
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The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum hosted its annual Buck O’Neil Golf Classic on August 9. Fans and former major leaguers played in the event to help support the museum.
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ANOTHER ROUND AT THE BLUEBIRD
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We were proud to host our second songwriter’s round this year at the famous Bluebird Cafe on August 16. The event featured Dave Turnbull, Erik Dylan, and Randy Montana. Proceeds went to benefit ACM Lifting Lives.
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NOLENSVILLE LITTLE LEAGUE
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The Nolensville Little League team finished fourth in the Little League World Series last month. The Nashville Stars are proud of what these Nolensville stars accomplished. Thanks for wearing the Nashville Stars jerseys in Williamsport, and thanks for shining another bright light on Nolensville, Nashville, and baseball.
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