One of my favorite parts of living in Music City is its proximity to exceptional performance spaces and as a result, access to incredible performers. For most people familiar with Nashville, this typically means events at Ryman Auditorium or Bridgestone Arena, not to mention the many music venues throughout the city. However, I feel equally lucky that Nashville is home to the Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC) and the theatrical performances it hosts.
Elizabeth Raymer Griffin doesn’t usually let other people into her studio. It’s her workspace, her secret hideout, a virtual reproduction of her college studio apartment. But I’m lucky, because Liz is my friend, so when I ask if I can profile her, she just says “Yes, ma’am!” and invites me right over to her Braddock Avenue studio “for visuals” even though I know that she’ll only look at the pictures I take of her through her fingers.
Yes, that’s right, my friend the self-portraitist hates being photographed.
Most people who visit Nashville make sure to trek down Broadway and visit the Country Music Hall of Fame. But for those who manage to break away from the quintessential country-themed highlights of Music City, Nashville houses some truly exceptional museums and art galleries:
At the turn of the 20th century, Nashville was home to a mere 80,000 people — the city was much smaller than the vibrant and growing 21st-century metropolis. But a lot of beautiful Art Deco architecture from the early 20th century remains downtown, you just have to look up above street level to notice these buildings. This walking tour is about 1.5 miles one-way, and starts at The Frist Center for the Visual Arts at 919 Broadway.
If you’re tired of the “same old, same old” Saturday night routine, consider mixing it up with the First Saturday Art Crawl. This popular and free event in downtown Nashville takes place during the first Saturday of every month and attracts upwards of 1,000 guests. It showcases art of various styles and genres, and the participating galleries often provide free refreshments. This allows you to sample delicious beverages as you explore the art and even converse with the artists directly.
When friends visit and have never been to a museum in the city, I take them to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met.) It is huge and has a collection of artwork that spans thousands of years and covers the entire globe. Simple as that.
However, not all New York museums focus on broad collections. Some represent niche areas of the art world and have a specific style of artwork or region of the world. The New Museum is just that; a contemporary art museum located on Manhattan’s Lower East Side.
Another weekend and another opportunity to escape the city for a few hours. If you don’t have a car (which is most of us) Metro North makes these trips very accessible.
If you look at a Google Map of the Hudson River there are a lot of towns and historic points of interest you should make the time to visit.
By Seth Fera-Schanes The Harlem Arts Festival (HAF) continues to build on its annual tradition as it open this Friday and runs through Sunday. The kickoff will be at Ginny’s Supper Club and Red Rooster with performances running from 7pm until 11:30 (tickets are available for purchase for […]
By Nick Christophers In every one of us there is an artist with a wild idea to explore. One such individual developed her idea into an interesting theme. Amy Merli brought together what would become known as “Trashion Fashion,” a different way of looking at trash. It may sound odd […]
By Seth Fera-Schanes Included below are 26 profile images from artwork found throughout the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met.) I decided to get lost in the Met over the weekend, an activity I would encourage anyone to do, and brought my camera with me. For continuity, I took […]
