Art and Design Research Guide: Nashville Galleries and Museums

Blend Studio opened its doors in June of 2009 during the First Saturday Gallery Crawl. Located on the second floor of the historic Arcade building and in the heart of the gallery district in downtown Nashville, Blend Studio offers a diverse range of contemporary art and unique opportunities for artists to merge with the community. Blend Studio features engaging and informative community-based art projects created through partnerships between artists and the community. These collaborative experiences develop dialog, awareness and growth for local and global communities.

Cheekwood is a 55-acre botanical garden and art museum located on the historic Cheek estate. Originally built as the home of Leslie and Mabel Cheek in 1929, Cheekwood is one of the finest examples of an American Country Place Era estate. Since being converted into a museum of art and botanical garden in 1960, Cheekwood has presented world-class art exhibitions, spectacular gardens and an historic estate unlike anything else. Each year, Cheekwood welcomes over 225,000 visitors, making it one of the city’s top cultural attractions, with approximately 14,000 member households. Visitors enjoy family activities, programming for all ages and year-round festivals celebrating the four seasons. From 150,000 blooming bulbs in the spring to one million holiday lights in the winter, there’s always something to see at Cheekwood.

Coop is a curatorial collective made up of artists, curators, thinkers, and professors who are committed to expanding Nashville’s dialogue with contemporary art by presenting challenging new or under-represented artists/artworks in the community. COOP is committed to exhibiting art of diverse media and content, with a goal to provide an alternative venue for artists free from the constraints of the retail market. COOP seeks to initiate a discourse between Nashville and art scenes across the country by inviting artists to show, develop projects, and interact with the Nashville community.

Kickstarter helps artists, musicians, filmmakers, designers, and other creators find the resources and support they need to make their ideas a reality. To date, tens of thousands of creative projects — big and small — have come to life with the support of the Kickstarter community.

Mark your calendar for the first Saturday of every month when art galleries throughout downtown host receptions and art openings! Over 1,000 people attend this very popular monthly event. Presenting local and world-renowned artists and artwork, the galleries offer rare opportunities to view diverse exhibitions featuring every genre of art. Admission free, FirstBank First Saturday Art Crawl is a festive atmosphere with participating venues located along Fifth Avenue of the Arts and in the Historic Arcade – all welcoming the community to experience downtown Nashville as a center for art.

The Frist Art Museum opened in April 2001, and since that time has hosted a spectacular array of art from the region and from around the world. Unlike any traditional museum you’ve ever visited, the Frist Art Museum has become a magnet for Nashville’s rapidly expanding visual arts scene. With an exhibitions schedule that has new art flowing through the magnificent art deco building every 6 to 8 weeks, no matter how often you visit, there is always something new and exciting to see in the spacious galleries.

Tri-Star Arts serves Tennessee by spotlighting and growing the contemporary visual art scenes in each region and fostering a unified state-wide art scene. Their programs promote art dialogue between the different cities in the state, and between the state and the nation. Tri-Star Arts initiatives include regular state-wide exhibition projects, the Current Art Fund, a speaker series, the LocateArts.org web resource, Tri-Star Arts TV, the forthcoming Tennessee Triennial, and now their base of operations at the Candoro Marble Building with a new gallery exhibition space and artist studios.

A fresh take on a classic event with an East Nashville twist. It's the perfect way to start out the night every second Saturday of the month from 5-8pm. The East Side Art Stumble is a monthly event produced through the partnership of galleries, businesses and artists to bring people to East Nashville and showcase the neighborhood’s remarkable pool of creative talent. ESAS is the second Saturday of each month from 6-10 rain or shine. The galleries, businesses, and studios stretch across the neighborhoods of East Nashville and Inglewood. The Art Stumble is a great way to meet local artists, buy and support their work, and be part of the art scene in East Nashville.

Tinney Contemporary is a Nashville based art gallery specializing in collectible contemporary works by established local, regional, national, and international artists. We present a series of rotating exhibitions throughout the year and participate in the First Saturday Art Crawl on the first Saturday of each month. The gallery is led by Susan Tinney (Owner) and Tyler Squires (Gallery Manager). In addition to presenting exhibitions, we also provide professional art services to individual collectors, as well as banks, law firms, hotels, restaurants, hospitals, and other businesses. We assist our clients with every aspect of the process of selecting, purchasing, framing, and installing artwork.

Beginning with Anna C. Hoyt’s generous donation of 105 Old Master and modern prints more than 50 years ago, the collection has continued to flourish and increase the depth, diversity, and number of its holdings. Now totaling more than 7,000 works, it serves to illustrate the history of world art in its most creative and comprehensive aspects. This art historical collection is the only one of its kind in the area, serving the needs of students and the wider community. The collection has grown to include strong works in East Asian art with the Harold P. Stern Collection, the Chauncey P. Lowe Collection, and the Herman D. Doochin Collection; European Old Master paintings with the Samuel H. Kress Collection; paintings from the Barbizon school; and African, Oceanic, and Pre-Columbian art and artifacts from the Marjorie and Leon Marlowe Collection...

The Leu Art Gallery is located inside the Lila D. Bunch Library and features work by professional, established artists. This space is dedicated to exhibitions that enhance the educational mission of Belmont University. With a foundation in fine art, exhibitions speak more broadly to various disciplines of study across campus. Previous exhibitions of note incorporated works by Carroll Cloar, Frederick Hart, Cop Shiva, as well as many prominent Nashville artists. Additionally, this space hosts an annual rotating exhibition in promotion of Watkins College of Art faculty and alumni.

Zeitgeist has been a staple on the Nashville art scene since 1994. Started by Janice Zeitlin in Cummins Station, it has served as a cultivation ground for new artists and a safe place for established artists to experiment and grow.
Under the direction of Lain York, Zeitgeist maintains a firm place in the Nashville art scene today. Bridging the gap between collectors and creators, Zeitgeist provides a venue for world class exhibits in the south. After 15 years in Hillsboro Village, Zeitgeist moved to its current location in Wedgewood/Houston in 2013. A long-time home to the studio community, Wedgewood/Houston’s art legacy continues with Arts & Music at Wedgewood/Houston, an art walk on the first Saturday of each month.