Community School of the Arts Begins a New Chapter After 34 Years

It’s Tuesday afternoon, and little snatches of music drift through the otherwise quiet halls of Church Street United Methodist: a piano melody that starts out haltingly but gradually finds its footing, the bright tinkling of triangles in a percussion circle, stray notes escaping from the classrooms. Meanwhile, in an art room, a group of students is so engrossed in their work that no one even lifts their head when I start taking photos.

For 34 years, Community School of the Arts (CSA) has been working to make arts education accessible to Knoxville children, regardless of their families’ ability to pay. When founding Executive Director Jennifer Willard retired in June after leading the organization since its inception, longtime local musician, educator and music therapist Cecilia Stair stepped into the role.

It’s something of a homecoming for Cecilia, who taught cello at CSA about 14 years ago, early in her career.

“This was one of my first professional opportunities,” she told me. “It just felt so cozy and it felt so real. I’ve always had this positive feeling towards CSA, so it’s sweet to be back.”

Cecilia earned a bachelor’s in music from the University of Tennessee, with a concentration in cello performance, and a master’s degree in music therapy from the University of Kentucky. She’s worked with people living with Parkinson’s disease, dementia and other chronic health conditions, as well as individuals and families affected by substance use disorders.

As a performer, she’s a familiar presence who has shared the stage with a number of local artists and national acts. She contributed to Tyler Childers’ Grammy-nominated Long Violent History, produced the Tennessee Theatre’s Pass the Mic podcast, and helped coordinate composer Lisa Bielawa’s ambitious Knoxville Broadcast project for Big Ears, which brought approximately 500 musicians together at World’s Fair Park — I wrote a story about it last year.

Cecilia moves fluidly between different musical languages, equally at home at the symphony, an Appalachian showcase or a show at The Pilot Light. She understands something fundamental about the arts that requires a wide-open mind to fully appreciate: their universality, their ability to transcend genres, backgrounds and circumstances.

At CSA, she’ll help carry forward its mission of helping young people discover what the arts can mean in their own lives.

CSA’s origins date to 1991, when the Rev. G. Carswell Hughs and other community leaders began working to bring a tuition-free arts education program to Knoxville, inspired by a similar organization in Charlotte, North Carolina. The school officially opened in 1992, with Willard at the helm, and became Tennessee’s first educational arts organization to offer scholarship-funded instruction.

What began as a small program grew to encompass music, visual arts, dance, creative writing, filmmaking and even culinary arts over the years. Today, CSA concentrates primarily on music and visual arts, offering private lessons and group classes to students in third through 12th grades.

All students meet financial eligibility requirements and receive full scholarships. Instruments, art supplies and other materials are provided, too, so they can continue practicing and creating at home.

Currently, 76 students are enrolled, learning everything from piano, violin and guitar to drawing, printmaking and percussion. They’re taught by an all-star roster of paid professional artists and musicians.

These are working artists who perform, exhibit and create professionally, bringing that experience into the classroom. Many of the students stay for years, developing relationships with their instructors that extend well beyond the particulars of learning an instrument or mastering a technique.

“That’s so much the heart of CSA,” Cecilia said. “It’s about the relationships. Because you can get on YouTube and you can learn how to play a chord on the guitar, you can learn how to tune an instrument, you can learn how to draw in theory.”

What CSA offers, she explained, is sustained mentorship from people who understand their craft and genuinely care about the young people they’re teaching.

Administrative Director Jenn Ritter, who has been with CSA since 2009, is the magic behind the nonprofit’s curtain. She has watched students enter the program as third graders and stay through high school graduation. Some former students have since returned with children of their own.

Jenn described occasions when a student arrives for a lesson after a particularly difficult day. Their instructor might spend 15 minutes of a 30-minute appointment simply listening to a student talking through whatever is happening in their life. That, she said, can be every bit as successful as a lesson spent playing music.

Cecilia’s background in music therapy brings another dimension to that philosophy. Many CSA families face challenges extending well beyond financial hardship, including serious illnesses, family instability and other difficult circumstances.

Understanding those challenges allows the staff and instructors to meet students where they are, sometimes adjusting expectations or providing additional support.

“Financial struggle doesn’t exist in isolation,” Cecilia said. “It’s also understanding the bigger picture of what that family is experiencing and understanding that we can support them emotionally in this program.”

She recently spoke with a student who confessed to writing songs but never sharing them with anyone. Cecilia told the student that she does the same thing, often turning to songwriting when she’s processing difficult emotions.

“That’s actually something to be proud of,” she told the student. “You’ve got this special little tool that you have when things feel hard and when things feel overwhelming.”

The opportunity to discover those tools, along with the confidence and creative freedom they can foster, is a significant part of what CSA offers.

The organization has called Church Street United Methodist home since 2017, after many years at First Presbyterian downtown. The church provides classroom space, administrative assistance and other support, allowing more of CSA’s limited resources to go directly toward students and instructors. “They’re essentially our biggest supporters,” Cecilia said.

The church’s beautiful sanctuary also hosts CSA’s holiday and year-end recitals, which are free and open to the public.

There’s plenty of enthusiasm for the future, although Cecilia is candid about the financial challenges facing the organization. She and Jenn are the only two full-time staff members, responsible for everything from fundraising and administration to student support, scheduling and keeping an inventory of instruments in working order.

“We’re stretching resources thin right now,” Cecilia acknowledged.

She would love to grow enrollment and revive more of CSA’s community outreach programming. In the past, the organization has brought arts instruction to places like Wesley House and community schools, reaching children who might otherwise be unable to participate because of transportation barriers.

“We have the programs, we just need the resources to be able to get out and have these partnerships and to do it in a really quality way,” she said.

And there are plenty of ways for the community to help.

This Friday through Sunday, Oct. 23-25, Flock Beer and Wine on Sutherland Avenue will donate 10% of sales from its house-made beverages during Flocktoberfest. In addition to the lineup below, CSA students will be performing at 11 a.m. on Saturday. The kitchen will be open for lunch, and if you haven’t yet made it over to Flock this is a perfect opportunity — it is DELICIOUS!

The school’s annual jazz brunch fundraiser, delightfully named Biscuits and Jammin’, is scheduled for April 25 at the Knoxville Museum of Art.

Financial contributions are particularly important, but CSA also welcomes volunteers, donated instruments (even those in need of repair), art supplies and gift cards to music and art supply stores. Its website offers more information about supporting the program.

You can also show up to a recital, Cecilia suggested, and let the students know their community is cheering them on.

While not a fundraiser, CSA students will have an art exhibition opening Dec. 4 at The Birdhouse Neighborhood Center in Fourth & Gill, with their work on display throughout December. The theme, selected by the students, is surrealism:

After more than three decades of leadership from Jennifer Willard, Cecilia knows she has some mighty big shoes to fill. But she’s excited about the challenge and grateful to be working alongside Jenn, the faculty and a community of supporters who understand the value of keeping the arts accessible.

“I was ready for something new and something a little bit hard in the right ways,” she said. “It just feels so good to know why you’re doing something. Like, know what you’re fighting for and have clarity about that.”

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