Amanda Ewing, Black luthier and cultural preservationist, shares apprenticeship path and goals at Metro Arts meeting

Amanda Ewing, a Nashville-based instrument maker and cultural preservationist, told the Metro Arts Commission how she trained as a luthier and plans to expand access to instrument-making education for makers of color.

Introduced by Chuck Beard, O’Se staff and commissioners praised Ewing’s work. Ewing said she began making instruments after leaving a long hospitality career at Gaylord Opryland and discovering luthiery through a community orchestra and early mentorship with established makers. She described searching archives to document Black craftspeople in American instrument making and founding the organization Black and Luthier to elevate those histories.

Ewing said formal training in violin making is costly—some programs can approach $35,000 a year—and often use apprenticeship models. She told commissioners she hopes to create low-cost weekend and summer programs and eventually a school of luthiery in the United States so more Black makers can enter the field. Ewing also said she has been selected as a master artist for the Tennessee Craftmaster Artist Apprentice program (2026) and is a FY26 Thrive Project grantee.

Commissioners asked about timelines for training and routes into the field; Ewing said apprenticeships can run several years and that lifelong practice is common in luthiery. She encouraged local mentorship, weekend workshops and access for working adults who cannot take extended time off for training.

No action was required on the presentation; commissioners thanked Ewing and invited attendees to follow her work on social media.