麻豆果冻传媒

Painting by late 麻豆果冻传媒 faculty member finds new home at Appalachian Center for Craft

麻豆果冻传媒鈥檚 Appalachian Center for Craft has new artwork to greet visitors when they enter the lobby: a painting titled Reminiscences by the late Sally Crain-Jager.

Sally was a member of Tech鈥檚 fine arts faculty from 1967 to 2001. During her tenure, she was instrumental in developing Tech鈥檚 Bachelor of Art Education degree and Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting degree. She also managed the Joan Derryberry Art Gallery and served as interim director of the Craft Center.

Kim Winkle, director of the School of Art, Craft and Design and the Appalachian Center for Craft, says when Sally鈥檚 husband Bob Jager mentioned donating Reminiscences to the university, she knew the perfect place to display it: a large, prominent wall in the Craft Center鈥檚 lobby.

鈥淪ally had a warm and inviting personality,鈥� Winkle said. 鈥淚 think her painting in the lobby is another way of greeting people into the Craft Center. We鈥檙e so honored to be able to feature it and have a piece of Sally with us each day.鈥�

Reminiscences is a large-scale painting comprised of nine panels, and Bob describes it as an autobiographical abstract.

鈥淚t鈥檚 Sally鈥檚 story in a painting,鈥� he said.  

Bob explains that Sally liked to include portals 鈥� doors and windows 鈥� in her paintings. Reminiscences also includes what, at first glance, may appear as dark smudges. They aren鈥檛 smudges, however; they are actually shadows of Sally鈥檚 family. Finally, the colors represent the Oklahoma plains where Sally grew up. Bob says Sally鈥檚 paintings convey her personality.

鈥淪he loved people,鈥� he said. 鈥淪he loved teaching. She loved sharing her knowledge with others. Even now, I鈥檒l be in the grocery store and one of her former students will come up to me and say, 鈥楳r. Jager, I just wanted to tell you how much I miss her.鈥� Sally loved life tremendously, and it鈥檚 in her paintings. I can鈥檛 think of a painting of hers that has any negative connotation. It鈥檚 all about creativity, life and joy.鈥�

Sally and Bob met at a faculty meeting, which Bob jokes is the best thing he ever got out of a faculty meeting, and the two married in 1993. Bob was a member of Tech鈥檚 music faculty, and the two shared a love of the arts. Sally passed away in 2014 but Bob says he is grateful that people continue to appreciate her art.

Sally鈥檚 painting was formally dedicated at the Craft Center on Nov. 19, and Bob recalls seeing the painting displayed there for the first time.

鈥淚t鈥檚 on the wall as you come in the front door, and the neat thing about it is that right across from the painting are windows where natural light shines in,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he painting really glows.鈥�

Bob adds that he was able to share a special moment with his late wife at the dedication.

鈥淚t was towards the end of the event, and people were starting to leave and things had quieted down,鈥� Bob recalled. 鈥淚 looked up at the painting in its new home and said, 鈥榃hat do you think, honey?鈥� I know she was there for that.鈥�

Winkle says that although Sally has passed, her presence and impact remain strong at the Craft Center and in the Upper Cumberland arts community.

Bob added, 鈥淪he loved this community and the people in it and of course, Tennessee Tech. She enriched this community 鈥� both the university community and Cookeville itself. For an artist, there鈥檚 nothing better that can be said than this: She left the earth a better place.鈥�