Shawn Pitts
Shawn began contributing to the Daily Yonder in 2021 as an arts and culture correspondent. He founded a nonprofit arts agency in rural West Tennessee and has been active as an arts advocate, consultant, presenter, writer and folklorist. Shawn is a 2025 Tennessee Governors Folklife Heritage Award honoree.
The Latest
Commentary: Who’s Afraid of DEI? – How the Assault on Diversity Harms Rural Places
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs serve much more diverse areas of rural life than heated culture war debates would have you believe. Rural community development is among them.
Rural Placemaking: More About the Place, Less About the Making
Marbles, cornbread, enormous sculpture and more. Every community has unique cultural assets that can help bond it together, says local arts advocate Shawn Pitts.
The Community Arts Movement: Tilting at Windmills?
Robert Gard’s name might not be familiar to residents of most small communities, but his influence has been keenly felt in nearly every corner of rural America.
Commentary: To Find the Roots of Rock and Roll, You’ll Have to Look Beyond Memphis City Limits
“Elvis,” which premieres today, and a new book about Sun Records will bring new attention to the origins of rock and roll. The fatal flaw in most “birthplace narratives” is that they confuse the urban commercialization of the music with its rural origins.
From Museums to Your Kitchen, Jack Martin’s Brooms Are Revered for Their Art and Utility
The fourth-generation broom maker from southwest Tennessee has carried an old family craft into the 21st century with attention to both tradition and innovation.
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