Latest news with #BeckCulturalExchangeCenter
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
50 years ago, Beck bought Dandridge house that already had a place in Knoxville's Black history
Before it became the Beck Cultural Exchange Center, the century-old house on Dandridge Avenue was already entwined with Knoxville's Black history. The Black families who lived there during the 1940s, '50s and '60s led with resiliency while facing racism in the form of threats and vandalism. In the 1970s, it was a gathering place for the Black community when Knoxville's Community Development Corporation used the house as a field office during urban removal, which displaced more than 2,500 Black families in Knoxville between 1959-74. Today, it's a place where those stories, and many more, are shared as part of Beck's mission to steward Black history and celebrate Black culture in East Tennessee. When it was chosen to become Beck, however, the house's own history wasn't necessarily a driving factor, said the Rev. Reneé Kesler, Beck executive director. Beck's founders were focused on preserving the history of Knoxville's Black community from the destruction of urban removal, but initially the house was picked for the center more because of the space and location. "And then I think as you began to look at the sacredness of the place, you realize, wait a minute, this was a transformative space. This was a space with its own history," Kesler told Knox News. "And I think over the years, that's what we've really brought to life, so it's almost divine." The house at 1927 Dandridge Ave. was built in 1912 by James Cowan as a wedding gift for his wife, Alice Saxton Cowan, Kesler said. At the time, the area was primarily occupied by affluent white folks. It was still that way when physician Edgar Lennon purchased the house in 1946, Kesler said. Lennon was one of the first Black residents of the neighborhood, and many neighbors were unhappy. The Ku Klux Klan soon acted, Kesler said. Before Lennon could move in, the hate group poured gasoline on a 10 to 12-foot cross outside the house and lit it on fire, the Knoxville News Sentinel reported in May 1947. An explosion went off at the house that night, too. A note was left at the cross burning site demanding Lennon not move into the house he had bought. "Money might move you in, but money can't change your color," it read. "If you insist on living in our community, please know that you will be the most unwelcome individual that lives there." The next day, Knoxville police announced there would be no further investigation, but Lennon stayed. "He was wasn't afraid of anything," Kesler said. In fact, the account of the night passed down in oral histories says that Lennon's first comment to emergency responders was, "I don't know who did this, but they need to come clean it up." "I wonder what would have happened, and how would the story be different if Dr. Lennon had reacted differently," Kesler said. "But he didn't. He went on living, staying resilient and doing it in love." James and Ethel Beck, prominent members of Knoxville's Black community, purchased the house in 1965, Kesler said, although they didn't live there for long. James Beck died in 1969, and Ethel Beck in 1970. In 1971, the Knoxville Housing Authority was authorized to contract with architects to fix up the Beck house for use as the Morningside site office for urban removal's Morningside Project, the News Sentinel reported July 20, 1971. The organization purchased the house from the Beck estate for $17,500 and spent $14,500 on updates and repairs, according to a 1974 News Sentinel article. As the field office, the house became a place "for the people to come, and to meet in, to talk about urban renewal, talk about their community, you know, kind of what what would you like to see in your community now as a result of urban renewal having happened," Kesler said. "So it became this place and space of meetings, and dialogues, and discussions." By 1974, the Knoxville Housing Authority had become Knoxville's Community Development Corporation. Its Board of Commissioners approved a price of $22,500 for the house's sale to a planned "Black cultural center" that year. That was a lot of money for the not-yet-chartered organization, but a woman named Bessie Brice ensured Beck received the funds. Brice was the treasurer of the Ethel Beck Home for Orphans, which Ethel Beck ran until it closed in the 1950s. Brice gave $20,000 from the orphanage account to help buy the home and asked it be named after the Becks. That funding was supplemented with $2,500 from Knoxville Mayor Kyle Testerman's administration, according to Beck's website. The Beck Cultural Exchange Center purchased the house from Knoxville's Community Development Corporation 50 years ago on May 15, 1975. Beck's space has been added onto since then, but although it's been converted into a cultural center, the house itself remains largely the same. Its floors, doors and windows are original, Kesler said. The historic house portion of Beck includes the Ethel Beck Hall, the Heritage Room, the Village Market Room, the Pioneer Stairway, the William Hastie Room and the Ether Rice Research Lab. "It truly is a space and place of unity and bringing community together," Kesler said. "The branches that we have on this beautiful tree are because of the solid root ... that was built by the people 50 years ago when they envisioned this." Hayden Dunbar is the storyteller reporter. Email Support strong local journalism by subscribing at This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Beck house became repository for Knoxville Black history 50 years ago
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
50 years ago, Beck bought Dandridge house that already had a place in Knoxville's Black history
Before it became the Beck Cultural Exchange Center, the century-old house on Dandridge Avenue was already entwined with Knoxville's Black history. The Black families who lived there during the 1940s, '50s and '60s led with resiliency while facing racism in the form of threats and vandalism. In the 1970s, it was a gathering place for the Black community when Knoxville's Community Development Corporation used the house as a field office during urban removal, which displaced more than 2,500 Black families in Knoxville between 1959-74. Today, it's a place where those stories, and many more, are shared as part of Beck's mission to steward Black history and celebrate Black culture in East Tennessee. When it was chosen to become Beck, however, the house's own history wasn't necessarily a driving factor, said the Rev. Reneé Kesler, Beck executive director. Beck's founders were focused on preserving the history of Knoxville's Black community from the destruction of urban removal, but initially the house was picked for the center more because of the space and location. "And then I think as you began to look at the sacredness of the place, you realize, wait a minute, this was a transformative space. This was a space with its own history," Kesler told Knox News. "And I think over the years, that's what we've really brought to life, so it's almost divine." The house at 1927 Dandridge Ave. was built in 1912 by James Cowan as a wedding gift for his wife, Alice Saxton Cowan, Kesler said. At the time, the area was primarily occupied by affluent white folks. It was still that way when physician Edgar Lennon purchased the house in 1946, Kesler said. Lennon was one of the first Black residents of the neighborhood, and many neighbors were unhappy. The Ku Klux Klan soon acted, Kesler said. Before Lennon could move in, the hate group poured gasoline on a 10 to 12-foot cross outside the house and lit it on fire, the Knoxville News Sentinel reported in May 1947. An explosion went off at the house that night, too. A note was left at the cross burning site demanding Lennon not move into the house he had bought. "Money might move you in, but money can't change your color," it read. "If you insist on living in our community, please know that you will be the most unwelcome individual that lives there." The next day, Knoxville police announced there would be no further investigation, but Lennon stayed. "He was wasn't afraid of anything," Kesler said. In fact, the account of the night passed down in oral histories says that Lennon's first comment to emergency responders was, "I don't know who did this, but they need to come clean it up." "I wonder what would have happened, and how would the story be different if Dr. Lennon had reacted differently," Kesler said. "But he didn't. He went on living, staying resilient and doing it in love." James and Ethel Beck, prominent members of Knoxville's Black community, purchased the house in 1965, Kesler said, although they didn't live there for long. James Beck died in 1969, and Ethel Beck in 1970. In 1971, the Knoxville Housing Authority was authorized to contract with architects to fix up the Beck house for use as the Morningside site office for urban removal's Morningside Project, the News Sentinel reported July 20, 1971. The organization purchased the house from the Beck estate for $17,500 and spent $14,500 on updates and repairs, according to a 1974 News Sentinel article. As the field office, the house became a place "for the people to come, and to meet in, to talk about urban renewal, talk about their community, you know, kind of what what would you like to see in your community now as a result of urban renewal having happened," Kesler said. "So it became this place and space of meetings, and dialogues, and discussions." By 1974, the Knoxville Housing Authority had become Knoxville's Community Development Corporation. Its Board of Commissioners approved a price of $22,500 for the house's sale to a planned "Black cultural center" that year. That was a lot of money for the not-yet-chartered organization, but a woman named Bessie Brice ensured Beck received the funds. Brice was the treasurer of the Ethel Beck Home for Orphans, which Ethel Beck ran until it closed in the 1950s. Brice gave $20,000 from the orphanage account to help buy the home and asked it be named after the Becks. That funding was supplemented with $2,500 from Knoxville Mayor Kyle Testerman's administration, according to Beck's website. The Beck Cultural Exchange Center purchased the house from Knoxville's Community Development Corporation 50 years ago on May 15, 1975. Beck's space has been added onto since then, but although it's been converted into a cultural center, the house itself remains largely the same. Its floors, doors and windows are original, Kesler said. The historic house portion of Beck includes the Ethel Beck Hall, the Heritage Room, the Village Market Room, the Pioneer Stairway, the William Hastie Room and the Ether Rice Research Lab. "It truly is a space and place of unity and bringing community together," Kesler said. "The branches that we have on this beautiful tree are because of the solid root ... that was built by the people 50 years ago when they envisioned this." Hayden Dunbar is the storyteller reporter. Email Support strong local journalism by subscribing at This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Beck house became repository for Knoxville Black history 50 years ago
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Two original Beauford Delaney artworks to be auctioned during Beck-Met Gala
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — On Monday, two pieces of artwork created by historic Knoxville artist Beauford Delaney will be up for auction to benefit the Beck Cultural Exchange Center The Beck-Met Gala is being held on Monday, March 5 in honor of the Beck Cultural Exchange Center's 50th anniversary. The ticketed event will be at 5:30 p.m. at the Grande on Clinton Highway. During the event, there will be a live auction featuring two original Beauford Delaney artworks, custom-framed for the gala. Dog rescued during animal cruelty case in Cumberland County in need of a new home Beauford Delaney is one of the few African-American painters associated with abstract expressionism, a style featured in one of the artworks that will be up for auction, according to the Associated Press. In 2023, one of Delaney's original artworks, Pastel Portrait of a Man, sold for $48,000 at auction. Both pieces that will be auctioned at the gala are undated and unsigned. The first piece is an untitled portrait, crafted with pastel on paper. The artwork depicts a man in a suit against a saturated red and blue background. While the piece is roughly 25 inches by 19 inches, the Beck Cultural Exchange Center noted that the artwork has some fraying along the upper edge and left corners. The piece features a similar abstract expressionism style as Delaney's Pastel Portrait of a Man. The second piece of artwork is an Afrique lithograph, which features an abstract design of vibrant pink, blue and green colors. The piece also measures approximately 25 inches by 19 inches. Although the artwork is undated, the Studio Museum in Harlem lists a piece by Delaney that is similar in size, style and color dated to 1963 on its website. While guests are encouraged to attend the live auction, there is also an option for guests to complete absentee bids online. The absentee bids will close at 3 p.m. on the day of the auction. Tickets to the Beck-Met Gala, priced at $100, can be purchased at the Beck Cultural Exchange Center's website, which is also where absentee bids can be placed. 'Shooting Hunger' uses sporting clays to raise money for Tennessee food banks 'This auction is a key component of the evening, highlighting the significance of art and culture within our community. This is a unique opportunity to acquire a distinctive piece of history while contributing to the ongoing support of Beck,' the Beck Cultural Exchange Center wrote. In addition to having an extensive art collection that includes the works of Beauford Delaney, Beck Cultural Exchange Center is working to restore the ancestral home of Beauford and Joseph Delaney that will one day become the Delaney Museum at Beck. The brothers, who were born in the early 1900's, are considered among the greatest artists of the 20th century. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
US agency targeted for elimination provided vital funding to Beck Center, Zoo Knoxville
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — A recent executive order is seeking to eliminate several federal agencies, including the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). As one of the only federal agencies dedicated to funding library and museum services, many organizations in Knoxville received grant funding from the institution. The University of Tennessee, Zoo Knoxville, and the Beck Cultural Exchange Center are all examples of organizations that have received hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant funding from the IMLS. According to the Beck Cultural Exchange Center, they received over a $100,000 from IMLS back in 2018. End of USDA funding for fresh local produce hits Grainger County Schools 'That grant was the foundation for getting us to where we are today, getting our collection digitized,' said Beck Cultural Exchange Center President Renee Kesler. 'But there are other grants that we're using as well as making it available to the community and getting oral histories.' While they received the funding up until 2020, Kesler said it propelled their program to what it is today. 'There are more people in Knoxville, and indeed throughout the country, who know about urban renewal in Knoxville than ever before,' she said. 'More people are interested in learning more about it, more research has been done, more students have done essay papers on it in research, academia, all kinds of things.' With the urban renewal being a primary reason the Beck Cultural Exchange Center was created, she said the impact from earning the grant is still felt today. Kesler said the community's involvement and partnerships are crucial. How prescribed burns in East Tennessee help mitigate wildfires, protect ecosystem 'This work is so important. History has not stopped, it's continuing. Research is continuing, and so I think it's going to propel all of us to think strategically about how can we really involve each other and maybe how we can we collaborate and partner in ways that we've never done before, so that we support each other because it is critical,' said Kesler. Regardless of receiving federal funding or not, Kesler said their work will carry on. 'Beck's going to be for another 50 years and beyond, so I'm excited about the future, irrespective of the challenges that lay ahead,' she said. 'It's still going to be good because we're still committed to this work, and we believe Knoxville is the beloved community that also believes in it.' In a statement Zoo Knoxville said they have received over $750,000 from IMLS throughout the years. Most of that funding supported STEM-focused learning opportunities in their Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Campus. ▶ See more top stories on While both the Beck Cultural Exchange Center and Zoo Knoxville have said IMLS grants have been foundational in progressing their work, they did add they try to diversify where their funding comes from. However, the cut in federal funding could prohibit them from applying for future grants. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
‘We want to make our community proud' Beck Cultural Exchange Center celebrating 50 years
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The Beck Cultural Exchange Center on Dandridge Avenue has been serving East Tennessee since 1975. The center houses hundreds of years of history from yearbooks to newspaper clippings. 'During our 50th anniversary, we can really show you some of the artifacts that we have, original artifacts and different memorabilia that really speaks to history in its authentic form,' President of the Beck Cultural Exchange Center Rev. Renee Kesler said. 'That's always exciting to share with you that you may have never seen before. Beck has over 50,000 artifacts that speak to Black History and culture, so being able to share those and put those on exhibition is always an exciting time.' 'Roots of Resilience' documentary supports fight food insecurity against in East Knoxville According to Kesler, the Beck Center is the only designated black history center in East Tennessee. 'To recognize that you are one of the only, the one and only East Tennessee community representative for African American history and culture,' Kesler said. 'There's no other repository for Black History and culture in East Tennessee other than the Beck Cultural Exchange Center as designated by the state of Tennessee. It's an honor to share this history, to preserve this history and to open it up for all of our community to enjoy.' How to watch WATE's 2025 Honoring Black History special For the Beck Center's 50 year anniversary, there will be events throughout the year for people to enjoy and learn more about black history in East Tennessee. At this time the Beck Center is working to finish up a big project. 'Right now, we are excited in this 50th year to talk about the Delaney Museum. We are trying to finish up the remaining funds we need to raise for that project so that we can finish that up as well,' Kesler said. 'We have some lofty goals but here's what we want, we want to make our community proud, we want to be a community where people look at us and say wow, how did Knoxville do it.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
