Our History
The Early Years
The Community School of the Arts (CSA) was founded in 1991 by a dedicated group of community leaders led by the Rev. G. Carswell Hughs. Their vision was to expand access to high-quality arts education for children across East Tennessee by filling a growing gap in public school art and music programs.
In 1992, CSA became an official nonprofit organization and made history as Tennessee's first educational arts organization to provide scholarship-funded instruction, ensuring that financial circumstances would never stand in the way of a child's artistic education.
Just two years later, CSA earned full accreditation—an achievement shared by only three arts institutions in Tennessee at the time, alongside the Cadek Conservatory of Music at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and the Rhodes School of Music at Rhodes College in Memphis.
Building a Strong Foundation
CSA opened its doors on September 15, 1992, through the support of visionary community partners, including the City of Knoxville Parks and Recreation Department, the National Guild for Community Arts Education (formerly the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts), and Knoxville's Community Development Corporation (KCDC).
The Community School of the Arts has received prestigious awards, including the Mayor’s Arts Award in education and special projects in 1995 and 1997. CSA is recognized as “one of the top arts and humanities-based programs in the country” by both the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts. The school also was one of 35 finalists for the 2010 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Awards for its Side-By-Side Visual Arts Apprentice Program. Founding Executive Director Jennifer Willard and former senior faculty member Carol Zinavage both received the YWCA Tribute to Women award in the arts category for their work with CSA.
Our Founding Executive Director, Jennifer Willard
In June of 2026, Jennifer Willard retired after 34 remarkable years as Executive Director of Community School of the Arts. Jennifer's caring presence in the lives of CSA's students was profound and undeniable. One CSA alum shared, "Ms. Jennifer was never shy about asking how my life was going and if she could offer any support." Beyond her strong leadership, Jennifer also went above and beyond in caring for individual students and families. Over her remarkable 34-year tenure, Jennifer helped transform CSA from a bold community vision into one of East Tennessee's premier nonprofit arts education organizations, serving thousands of students and families through accessible, high-quality arts instruction. We honor Jennifer's legacy by staying grounded in what matters most: caring for people with authenticity, curiosity, and compassion. Thank you, Jennifer, for the magic and opportunity you have created in our community.