Artistree, Inc. is an organization of artists that designs and produces engaging and educational arts events. It is composed of various branches with focus on professional theatre as well as artist-in residence programs.
- Wood & Strings Theatre is a national touring company offering extraordinary performances in the art of the puppet. Folklore, interpreted with splendid articulated figures take the story to a new dimension. The company of four highly trained artists has performed at National Geographic Society in Washington, DC for four years, at the Detroit Institute of Art and at the Tribeca Performing Art Series in NY among many others. Since 1988, the company has crossed the nation performing in theatres, museums, festivals, and schools. The main stage performances have been combined with workshops in puppet construction providing a hands-on visual arts sculptural experience in foam and cloth for students, teachers or families.
- Artistree Education: this branch produces short and long term residencies lasting from 5- 20 days in schools or in after-school programs in arts appreciation, curriculum, and integration addressing all arts disciplines. The company provides funding planning, designs the curricular connections and manages the artists to meet the school’s educational direction. For ten years Artistree has conducted the Curricular Expansion through Art program at the Hickman County middle schools, generating points toward their accreditation. The student work, under the direction of the artists, culminates into permanent art installations or performances for the public.
- Teacher Training: Teachers experience a renewed approach to teaching from the company In-service sessions that illustrate the ability of the arts to bring motivation and engagement to the learning process. The Center for Rural Development in Somerset, KY has deemed our teacher sessions to be “the best in-service program our teachers have ever had.”
- Artistree Productions has been commissioned to design and construct puppet figures and whole productions by the Nashville Ballet, the Nashville Public Library (whose program attracts over 70,000 annually) where five productions by our company form part of the library’s permanent collection. Dollywood also includes four productions with figures designed by our company for their Imagination Theatre, bringing award winning books to the stage.
This company’s artistic process executed for the production of their professional art is presents to the audience in the form of outreach demonstrations after performances. Study guides for teachers, provided in advance, asses the content of the live performances and suggests activities easily integrated into the classroom for a broader learning experience for the students. On stage or in the classroom, these artists use the captivating and comprehensive nature of art to open the imagination and inspire all who participate.
Artist Work Samples
Sample Programs Offered
Program Type: Arts Appreciation
Program Description:
“Backwoods Ramblin'” is one of our four main stage theatre productions that has been performed nationally under Wood & Strings Theatre. In this show marionette characters take the audience to a lovely day in the woods with Grandpa Will and his friends who tell tall tales illustrated with shadow puppetry and treat the audience to toe tapping fiddle music. Other productions available through Student Ticket Subsidy are:
“Baby’s First”: A character study of baby’s first steps, birthday, and dreams using masked figures and original music.
“Out of the Mist”…a Dragon: Puppetry from around the world help Yukio find his dream. Characters are drawn from Japanese folktales and traditional puppetry and include articulated figures from Indonesia, Pacific Northwest America, and England.
Has performed at National Geographic Live four years.
Lesson Plan Example: Download File
Program Type: Arts Curriculum
Program Description:
Artistree artists offer short and long term residencies lasting from 5- 20 days in schools or in after-school programs in arts appreciation, curriculum, and integration addressing all arts disciplines. The company provides funding planning, designs the curricular connections and manages the artists to meet the school’s educational direction. For ten years Artistree has conducted the Curricular Expansion through Art program at the Hickman County middle schools, generating points toward their accreditation. The student work, under the direction of the artists, culminates into permanent art installations or performances for the public. Lesson Plans are provided to link hands-on activities to curriculum. We can target any age group and generally work in the Elementary and Middle School ages with our teaching artists.
Lesson Plan Example: Download File
Program Type: Arts Integration
Program Description:
Three Dimensional Depictions of People in Historical Context
4th Grade State Performance Indicators
Length of Residency: 5 days or more
Students discuss the difference between nomadic and agricultural cultures. They hear stories of hunter and gatherer living styles. Students hear of assimilation of Native Cherokee tribes in TN from 1600’s to mid 1800’s. Using cause & effect graph students track the historical moment. Each student selects a character from this period of TN History. Students list appearance and emotional state of their character. While listening to music from Native American and European traditions, Students sculpt articulated characters depicting Europeans and Native People living in Tennessee during mid 1800’s. Culminating task is a reenactment of the Trail of Tears with a statement from each character.
Lesson Plan Example: Download File
