When Arts in McNairy first began a cultural assessment of the county five years ago, they had no idea what would turn up. 

“We went into it with an open mind.  As the leading arts agency, we felt like we should know what was significant in the cultural landscape if we were going to serve the whole community,” said project director and AiM Heritage and Culture Committee Chair Shawn Pitts. “We’ve been thrilled with the results.” 

As a result of the assessment, AiM leadership now possesses extensive knowledge about the cultural heritage of McNairy County that has led to projects like the Artisan Trail and in-depth research about McNairy County’s broom-making tradition.