Aaron Hardin is named the new director of the Carnegie Center for Arts and History

Aaron Hardin is named the new director of the Carnegie Center for Arts and History

JACKSON, Tenn. – A local museum is welcoming a new face to downtown Jackson.

“Becky Fly and Roger Jowers gave me a really warm welcome. They know so much about the music history in Jackson. They are incredible resources and I learn from them every day. So if you haven’t met Becky or Roger yet, I really encourage you to come and meet them,” said Aaron Hardin, new director of the Carnegie Center of Arts and History.

Aaron Hardin headshot 2024

Hardin has lived in Jackson for 20 years as an educator, journalist and freelance artist.

“It’s kind of incredible to have the opportunity to be someone who then champions great art, great stories, great history and great musicians in a way that hopefully brings richness to our community and us “We can make the wealth of our community visible,” said Hardin.

Hardin encourages residents of all ages to stop by and learn not only about the history of Jackson, but also about the center.

“I’ve talked to a lot of people in the community who read their first book here, so we want to do it in a different way. We want to enrich someone’s life in a different way. Whether that’s through exhibits or programming or meeting with our staff,” Hardin said.

In addition to this important story, he shares that Carnegie has a stage theater in the basement that he plans to use over the years.

“One great thing about the space is that it can be scaled to accommodate different art forms and different performing arts. That’s what we want to work toward so we can provide a service to the artists and the community so they can enjoy these art forms,” Hardin said.

He also hopes this can become a field trip stop for educators.

“We’re already reaching out to local schools to develop a program where we can engage local schools and teach them about the history of music in Jackson,” Hardin said.

Hardin says the Carnegie Center recently received a grant to make improvements around the center.

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