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Trey Upchurch

Emerging Traditional Artists Program

An open guitar body that has not yet been assembled resting on a worktable.

Recipient Information

Location

Jamestown, Tennessee

Medium

Luthier

Year of Award

2024

Grant or Fellowship

Emerging Traditional Artists Program

Grant Amount

$5,000

Oscar "Trey" Upchurch III is a luthier from Jamestown, Tennessee. Trey was raised around bluegrass music and hand-built instruments, but only recently developed a passion for luthiery. Trey builds hand-crafted guitars and other Appalachian stringed instruments that he learned from his father Butch Hodgekins, a well-known Tennessee luthier. Trey is committed to preserving his methods by combining them with professional training from other experts in the field.