Laurel Prothro-Civics & Rural Heritage Advocate

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Raised at the crossroads of politics and agriculture in Madison and  Township  of Cottage Grove WI  in the 1970’s,  it would  be  there  that  her  foundational  values  of  love for  Country and  rural  heritage  were  born.  The University campus and the iconic State Capitol with its massive white dome, marble columns and stained glass mosaic  representations of each branch of government would forever influence her love of art, architecture, design,politics & Government

15 miles East thru corn & tobacco fields was rural COTTAGE GROVE TOWNSHIP POP 888, where her family owned and operated a local 3 acre Christmas tree farm that served  as  an  anchor for all families of  the rural community  and  beyond. There life was lived according to the farmers calendar and her respect for American rural culture and  values  was developed and still exists today. The small homestead has  been  in  the  family  for 76  years.  (1947)

Prior to moving to Tennessee Laurel had a decade  long  dual career as a  jeweler  and  concert/event  promoter &  community  organizer.  Her production company produced memorable  events at  historic  venues  in  Madison  (Orpheum)  Stoughton  (Opera  House)  Cottage  Grove

(Firemen's  Park)  that  included house concerts, juried art fairs, festivals and concerts that included legends  of  traditional  country  & bluegrass music including  Merle  Haggard,  Earl Scruggs, Dr Ralph Stanley &  the Clinch Mountain Boys, Jimmy Martin & the Sunny Mountain Boys, Larry Cordle, Jim  Lauderdale,  Tim  Obrien and other songwriters.   During  that  time she  also  worked  in specialty retail  management  and  PR  for the iconic  Catfish  River  Arts &  Antiques,  a  local  preservation project  that transformed  the  old  Aselsons  Hardware  Store  on  Main st  back  to  the  illustrious  grandeur of  PI  Hales  Department  Store circa  1898.   The  restoration  project  was  awarded  the  prestigious  Historic  Preservation  Award  by  the  Wisconsin  State  Historical  Commission. 

In 2004 she quit event promotion to focus on her jewelry career  entering  the juried  art  fair  circuit that  brought  her  to  Jackson Hole WY.  In  2006 she was pulled away from the mountains of Wyoming by  personal  friend  the  famous  tailor  Manuel  seeking  her assistance  to  manage his  legendary studio retail  showroom  at 1922 Broadway in Midtown.  There  she  would  become  Manuels  personal  assistant  and sessions  coordinator  for  the  launch  of  his personal book project “The  Image  Makers” -a  partnership  with British photographer Cambridge Jones.  Intending  to  return  to  Wyoming  when  the  project  complteed,  she  wound  up marrying  a  Southern  man  and  has  lived  for  last 16  years  in Williamson  County  TN  where  she  lives  a quiet  life as a  jeweler (@laurelnashjewelry)  gardener  (@arringtongardens, unmasterfulgardener  blog )  dedicating  her time  to  civics  &  preservation  advocacy with  her  grassroots  organization the  Alliance  for  Rural  Economic  Development  and  the  US  Rural  Chamber.

In  2020  her sense  of  patriotism  deepened,  she  began  focusing  her  creativity  towards  photojournalism  as  way  to   channel  her  frustrations   witnessing  what  she  calls  “preservation  neglect”  and  “environmental  terrorism” -  the  legal clear  cutting,  bulldozing  and  burning  of 100  yr  old  trees  and  barns on  historically  rural  farmland in  unincorporated areas by  non  resident  developers  building  subdivisions  in  advance  of  needed  infrastructure.  Recognizing  Antiquated  zoning  laws  &  ordinances unintentionally  erode  conservation  values  and  opportunities  to  create  sustainable  agricultural  based  economies,  she  stays up  on  the  processes  of  civics  and  local  government  dedicating  her  time  to encouraging  citizens  to  think  more  deeply  about  our  American  life  what we  are  leaving  behind  for  our  future  generations  of  consumers.  

In  2022  she  embarked  on  the  revitalization  of  the  historic   BADGER  SCHOOL  one  room  schoolhouse in  the  Township  of  Cottage  Grove  WI,  using  her  resources  and  creative  direction  to  bring  the  schoolhouse  back  to  the  community as  a  museum  dedicated  to  rural  and  local  history.  There  she   maintains  a  satellite  office  for  the  advocacy  work  that  she  does  for  the  ARED  establishing  regional  alliances  between  Wisconsin & Tennessee focused  on  promoting  rural heritage & preservation advocacy