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THE FRIST Calendar of Events January 1–March 31, 2018

THE FRIST Calendar of Events January 1–March 31, 2018

OF SPECIAL NOTE IN JANUARY

 Monday, January 1 – Frist Center closed  

Saturday, January 6 – Docent-Guided Exhibition Tour with ASL Interpreter
                                                        
Thursday, January 11 – Curator’s Tour: Nick Cave: Feat. presented by Katie Delmez, Frist Center curator                                                                                  
Thursday, January 18 – Drop-In Drawing

 Sunday, January 21 – Exhibition Closes World War I and American Art


Friday, January 26 – Happening in Nick Cave: Feat.

Sunday, January 2 –  Jazz on the Move, A Centennial Celebration of Arnett Cobb, presented by Kirk Whalum

 

JANUARY 2018

Monday, January 1                                     Frist Center closed      

 

 

Thursday, January 4                                    Music at the Frist                

6:00–8:00 p.m.                                               Shelby Bottom Duo

Frist Center Café

Free

Michael August and Nell Levin formed the Shelby Bottom String Band in 2008. Shelby Bottom Duo continues the band’s tradition of entertaining, irreverent social commentary, humanity, and humor. Their repertoire includes originals like “East Nashville Rag,” the title cut of the band’s CD; “Displacement Blues,” named by the Tennessean as “Nashville’s newest social justice anthem,” and “Fat and Bald,” an audience favorite about life’s unintended consequences. Admission is free for college students with valid school ID on Thursday and Friday evenings from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. (with the exception of Frist Fridays).

 

Friday, January 5                                          Music at the Frist                

6:00–8:00 p.m.                                               Tantsova Grupa (Eastern European Folk Dance)

Frist Center Café

Free                                                                 

Tantsova Grupa, Bulgarian for “dance group,” is a Nashville-based musical ensemble created in 2009 to accompany the Nashville International Folk Dancers. The band’s repertoire includes village dances from Bulgaria, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Armenia, Russia, Hungary, France and Israel. Tantsova Grupa has performed for Nashville International Folk Dancers’ Autumn Leaves workshops; Celebration of Cultures, Celebrate Nashville and Folk Fest in Centennial Park; international dance workshops in Knoxville; The Ravenwood Annual International Food & Music Festival; and public libraries in Middle Tennessee.

The musicians are: Nermin Begovic, accordion; Mary Lou Durham, fiddle; Janet Epstein, recorders; Michael Lewandowski, mandolin; Billy Ramirez, drums; and Carole VanderWal, clarinet. For more information, visit www.nifddance.com. Folk dancers welcome in the café!

 

 

Saturday, January 6                         Docent-Guided Exhibition Tour with ASL

1:30 p.m.                                                        Interpreter

Meet at the Frist Center’s Gallery Information Desk

Gallery admission required; members free

On the first Saturday of each month, we offer an informal docent-guided tour with certified American Sign Language interpretation. The tour focuses on a current exhibition and originates at the information desk inside the entrance to the galleries.

Our docents also conduct tours on most weekdays and weekends at 1:30 p.m.; reservations are not required. To check availability, contact Visitor Services at 615.744.3277.

ASL interpretation is generously supported by the Memorial Foundation and by Bridges, a Nashville-area nonprofit resource for deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing communities.

 

Saturday, January 6                         Architecture Tour with ASL Interpreter

4:30 p.m.

Meet in the Frist Center’s Grand Lobby

Free

Coming to the First Saturday Art Crawl, or to another downtown Nashville event? Enhance your weekend with a visit to the Frist Center. Stop at our café between 2 and 5 p.m. for Dessert Happy Hour (free coffee with the purchase of any dessert), and enjoy a guided tour of our landmark art deco building at 4:30 p.m.

On the first Saturday of each month, certified American Sign Language interpretation is provided with the tour, with the generous support of the Memorial Foundation and Bridges for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Architecture tours are sponsored by Messer Construction. For more information, contact Visitor Services at 615.744.3277.

 

Thursday, January 11                                  Curator’s Tour: Nick Cave: Feat.

Noon                                                              presented by Katie Delmez, Frist Center

Meet at the exhibition entrance                              curator

Free to members; admission required for not-yet-members

Nick Cave: Feat. includes dynamic works in diverse mediums, from sculpture to video. While the compelling visuals may draw visitors to the exhibition, deeper conversations reveal how Cave delves into issues of identity, social justice, and the expressive power of contemporary art. Join Katie Delmez, Frist Center curator, to take a deeper look at the meanings behind Cave’s work.

Educational Programming and Community Outreach Activity Sponsor for Nick Cave: Feat.: Ameriprise Financial

 

Friday, January 11                                        Music at the Frist                                        

6:00–8:00 p.m.                                               Fiddlers Billy Contreras and Friends

Frist Center Café                                                            

Free

Billy Contreras has been called “the finest jazz violinist of his time,” and has performed or recorded with a stunning array of notable musicians, including Lionel Hampton, Doc Severinsen, George Jones, Crystal Gayle, Charlie Louvin and Hank Thompson. He has also appeared with the Cincinnati Pops and Nashville Symphony Orchestras. In addition to teaching at Belmont University, Billy leads his own band that traverses an amalgam of styles including jazz, country, blues, western swing, rock, and jam.

Billy will be joined by a versatile group of all-star musicians:

  • Matt Menefee (banjo) has toured with Mumford and Sons, Bruce Hornsby, and Big and Rich.
  • Jake Stargel (guitar) plays weekly on the Grand Ole Opry and has toured with Mountain Heart and Sierra Hull.
  • Geoff Saunders (bass) is a Grammy Award–winning bassist and tours with The O’Connor Band.
  • Dave Racine (drums) has toured with Patty Loveless and Jim Lauderdale.

The group will perform instrumental arrangements of folk tunes as well as original music in a style Billy describes as between jazz, jam, and bluegrass. 

 

Friday, January 12                                        Music at the Frist                                        

6:00–8:00 p.m.                                               Classical guitarist Michael Roberts

Frist Center Café

Free

Michael Roberts is a Nashville-based classical guitarist and composer who is active around the country. A student and teacher of many different musical styles, he has studied with world-class master Michael Lorimer (of the Segovia school) and internationally renowned professor Rob Nathanson. His recent concerts include a rare 15-guitar performance of Steve Reich’s Electric Counterpoint and atmospheric shows for Chihuly and Andy Warhol art exhibits. He regularly composes classical and pop music for the guitar, as well as cinematic soundtracks, and tours nationally with rock band Dead Man’s Mail.

His latest compilation of original work includes a string quartet, a piano sonata, his first symphony, and various tone poems. A full-length classical guitar album is on the way. It will feature his New Etudes, as well as works by Enrique Granados and others.

Admission is free for college students with valid school ID on Thursday and Friday evenings from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. (with the exception of Frist Fridays).

 

 

Saturday, January 13                                   Architecture Tour

4:30 p.m.

Meet in the Frist Center’s Grand Lobby

Free

“When was the Frist Center built? Who was the architect? Can you tell me about the floors in the galleries?” These are some of the questions answered in the Frist Center’s popular architecture tours, sponsored by Messer Construction. Learn more about our landmark art deco building from one of our always-engaging docents.

 

 

Monday, January 15                         Senior Monday

10:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m.

The Frist Center presents Senior Mondays, a series of events for those who admit their senior status. On these days, gallery admission is $6 (1/2 the price of regular adult admission) for seniors. Senior parking is $5 in the Frist Center lots as long as spaces are available. Seniors receive a 15 percent discount on gift shop purchases and on café refreshments purchased during the visit. Seniors are invited to enjoy live music by Harry Stephenson, aka “Snappy Pappy,” in the Grand Lobby from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Special gallery talks and other activities are scheduled throughout the day. We are grateful to the Jackson National Community Fund for their support of Senior Mondays.

 

Thursday, January 18                                  Drop-In Drawing

5:00–8:00 p.m.

Admission required; members free (materials included). All skill levels welcome.

 

Drop-In Drawing turns five years old this year! On the third Thursday of each month, practice different techniques and skills, gain instructional guidance, and be inspired by the artworks in the galleries and the architecture of the building. Borrow Etch A Sketches (subject to availability) and other tools from our station near the Ingram Gallery Information Desk, or bring your own! (Note that only pencils, Etch A Sketches, and digital drawing surfaces will be allowed in the galleries.)

 

Thursday, January 18                                  Educator SPARK Evening
5:30–8:00 p.m.

Frist Center Studios | Free for K–12,
homeschool, and college/university educators
(gallery admission and parking validation included)

 

Join us for our second season of Educator SPARK, which occurs through May. Between 5:30 and 8:00 p.m., spark your creativity and curiosity by exploring Frist Center exhibitions and enjoying light refreshments with other educators. From 6:00 to 6:30 p.m., Lisa Bachman Jones will share her artistic practice during an informal idea exchange session; continue your conversations afterward in a comfortable setting.

 

 

Thursday, January 18                                  Music at the Frist                                        

6:00–8:00 p.m.                                               Singer-songwriter Barbara Jenice

Frist Center Café

Free

Influenced by her parent’s love of music—The Isley Brothers, Anita Baker, Carla Thomas, Aretha Franklin, Billie Holiday, Blue Magic, Chaka Khan, The Beatles, James Taylor—as well as the folk, rock and reggae she came to love as a teen, Barbara Jenice blends it all into a uniquely powerful and evocative easy listening groove.

Jenice’s JazzEclecticFolk Project moves with her from Memphis to Nashville—an energetic fusion band of rotating artists. Individual personalities collaborate in genre-bending explorations—jazz meets folk, funk, soul, rock, hip-hop, and even gospel and country.

Through a lifetime of writing and performing music, Jenice shares an incredible journey of recovery through song. She continues to make headway in the music industry under the mentorship of legendary Memphis Music Hall of Fame inductees David Porter and Carla “Gee Whiz” Thomas.

 

Friday, January 19                                        Music at the Frist                                        

6:00–8:00 p.m.                                               Contrarian Ensemble
Frist Center Café
Free

The Contrarian Ensemble—Bruce Baxter (accordion), John Hedgecoth (mandolin), Mike Teaney (guitar), and Svend Thomsen (fiddle)—performs an eclectic variety of dance music from the 1300s to the present, including traditional tunes from the U.S., the British Isles, and Europe, as well as original compositions. From tunes that would feel at home in a Paris café to the music of Bill Monroe, the Contrarian Ensemble’s superb musicianship always delights.

Admission is free for college students with valid school ID on Thursday and Friday evenings from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. (with the exception of Frist Fridays).

 

Saturday, January 20                                   Architecture Tour

4:30 p.m.

Meet in the Frist Center’s Grand Lobby

Free

“When was the Frist Center built? Who was the architect? Can you tell me about the floors in the galleries?” These are some of the questions answered in the Frist Center’s popular architecture tours, sponsored by Messer Construction. Learn more about our landmark art deco building from one of our always-engaging docents.

 

Sunday, January 21 – Exhibition Closes – World War I and American Art    

 

Thursday, January   25                                Music at the Frist                

6:00–8:00 p.m.                                               Classical guitarist Grant Ferris

Frist Center Café
Free

Grant Ferris, a Nashville-based guitarist, composer, and songwriter, holds a master’s degree in classical guitar performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he received a scholarship to study under David Tanenbaum. He also earned a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Denver and was the first recipient of the Helen M. Garrett Award for the Outstanding Graduating Classical Guitarist. 

A recipient of the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award, Ferris has been praised for his versatility as a guitarist playing in all styles from classical to jazz to country to rock. As a songwriter, Grant has worked extensively with his sister, recording artist Ferris. As a composer, Ferris’ work embraces American genres and styles. In the spring of 2012, his work “A Craftful Butchering of Jesse James,” co-written with Bay Area flutist Courtney Wise, was praised for its entertainment value and dedication to American styles of music. Recent works include a guitar duet entitled “UP,” written for Duo Tandem, and a 2013 EP, Ten and Six, comprising solo guitar works.

Admission is free for college students with valid school ID on Thursday and Friday evenings from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. (with the exception of Frist Fridays).

 

Friday, January 26                                        Music at the Frist                

6:00–8:00 p.m.                                               Jazz vocalist Arte’Mis

Frist Center Café

Free

Arte’Mis (Tramaine Robinson) grew up singing in a church choir in Knoxville. Now residing in Nashville, she has

carried that soulful foundation to everything from jazz and R&B to classical and musical theater, influenced by the

likes of Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and Jill Scott.
Admission is free for college students with valid school ID on Thursday and Friday evenings from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m.

(with the exception of Frist Fridays).

 

 

Friday, January 26                                        Happening in Nick Cave: Feat.

7:00 p.m.

Upper-Level Galleries

Free to members; admission required for not-yet-members

Join local storytellers, musicians, and dancers for in-gallery performances that will delight and inspire you as they respond to Cave’s works through imaginative artistic encounters. No two happenings will be the same, so come to each one to experience Nick Cave: Feat. in new ways. Visit fristcenter.org/happenings for the lineup of artists.

Curated by Michael McRay of Tenx9 Nashville Storytelling and Narrative 4, this happening will feature a diverse lineup of Nashville storytellers, exploring themes of identity in Nick Cave: Feat. Positioned throughout the galleries, they will each tell a personal, true story in response to the prompt “I Am . . . ”

Educational Programming and Community Outreach Activity Sponsor for Nick Cave: Feat.: Ameriprise Financial

 

Saturday, January 27                                   Architecture Tour

4:30 p.m.

Meet in the Frist Center’s Grand Lobby

Free

“When was the Frist Center built? Who was the architect? Can you tell me about the floors in the galleries?” These are some of the questions answered in the Frist Center’s popular architecture tours, sponsored by Messer Construction. Learn more about our landmark art deco building from one of our always-engaging docents.

 

 

Sunday, January 28                                     Jazz on the Move

3:00 p.m.                                                        A Centennial Celebration of Arnett Cobb,

Frist Center Auditorium                                         presented by Kirk Whalum

Free

The Nashville Jazz Workshop, in collaboration with the Frist Center, presents the 12th season of the popular performance and education series Jazz on the Move. Each installment features a lecture and performance highlighting a major figure or period in jazz history. Presented by Nashville’s top jazz artists/educators, the series offers audiences world-class music, as well as opportunities to learn more about the genre. Each performance is led by an individual jazz artist intimately familiar with the jazz great being profiled, with an outstanding group of supporting musicians. Those attending Jazz on the Move will be able to visit the Frist’s exhibitions free of charge and will also receive discounted parking in the Frist Center visitor parking lot.

Arnett Cobb was a tenor saxophonist from Houston, Texas, who rose to prominence in the 1940s jazz scene as lead tenor and arranger for Lionel Hampton, earning the reputation as “The Wild Man of the Tenor Sax.” He is considered  to be the originator of the “open prairie” tone and “southern preacher” style, and many jazz artists credit him as a major influence, including Kirk Whalum. Cobb, along with Illinois Jacquet, developed the “Texas Tenor” sound that was later to make its way into popular music through David “Fathead” Newman and King Curtis.

The roots of Kirk Whalum’s unmistakable rich tenor sound are in his Memphis soul upbringing. From there, he studied and performed in Houston, Texas, where he was mentored by Arnett Cobb. Kirk’s recording career includes more than 25 solo recordings, including several #1 albums. He has received three Dove Award nominations, an NAACP Image Award nomination, and two Stellar Awards (gospel music’s highest honor). An 11-time Grammy nominee, he won a Grammy Award for Best Gospel Song with “It’s What I Do,” co-written with Jerry Peters. Kirk has recorded with top artists, including Barbra Streisand, Al Jarreau, Luther Vandross, Larry Carlton, Quincy Jones and, most notably, Whitney Houston, whose smash hit “I Will Always Love You” was fueled by Kirk’s famous sax solo.

Here’s what Kirk Whalum has to say about Arnett Cobb: “The day I met Arnett Cobb I played a little something for him. He waved me to stop after about a minute of playing my very best and fastest licks… Then he said, lovingly, “You’re playin’ too many notes and you ain’t sayin’ a damn thing…That was probably the most important day of my formative years musically! Arnett became my primary mentor.” Whalum also says, “Arnett’s daughter Lizette put his ring on my finger a few days after the funeral and that I still weep when I hear him play ‘The Nearness of You.’”

 

Monday, January 29                         Family Monday
10:00­ a.m.–2:00 p.m.

Last Monday of every month

$12 per family unit

The Frist loves families! New this year: bring the whole family for the cost of one adult admission! Join us on the last Monday of each month for special programming, including story time and family tours, and then enjoy Martin ArtQuest activities in our studios—reserved just for families!          

 

FEBRUARY 2018

 

Thursday, February 1                                   Music at the Frist                                        
6:00–8:00 p.m.                                               Songwriter Ronny Criss and Friends

Frist Center Café
Free                                                                             

Singer-songwriter Ronny Criss gathers a number of his songwriting friends for evenings of original music.

Born in Arkansas and raised in Chicago, Criss is a talented tunesmith with Southern roots and a Midwestern sensibility. Join him and some of Nashville’s newcomers as well as established writers in the Frist café.

Admission is free for college students with valid school ID on Thursday and Friday evenings from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. (with the exception of Frist Fridays).

 

Friday, February 2                                        Music at the Frist                
6:00–8:00 p.m.                                               Latin vocalist Luna Morena
Frist Center Café
Free

Luna Morena returns to the Frist Center’s Music in the Café series for a night of dynamic and electrifying Latin music. She made her first appearances at the Frist with the popular Latin ensemble Serenatta.

Born and raised in Mexico City, Luna comes from a musical family. At the Andre Soler Drama Institute she began her professional career performing in musicals, recording background vocals and jingles, entertaining at corporate events and touring internationally. She performs in English and Spanish to musical arrangements by her oldest brother, Gio Lamb, in a variety of Latin styles including bossa, tango, reggae, flamenco, and traditional Mexican music.

Admission is free for college students with valid school ID on Thursday and Friday evenings from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. (with the exception of Frist Fridays).

 

Saturday, February 3                                   Docent-Guided Exhibition Tour with ASL

1:30 p.m.                                                        Interpreter

Meet at the Frist Center’s Gallery Information Desk

Gallery admission required; members free

On the first Saturday of each month, we offer an informal docent-guided tour with certified American Sign Language interpretation. The tour focuses on a current exhibition and originates at the information desk inside the entrance to the galleries.

Our docents also conduct tours on most weekdays and weekends at 1:30 p.m.; reservations are not required. To check availability, contact Visitor Services at 615.744.3277.

ASL interpretation is generously supported by the Memorial Foundation and by Bridges, a Nashville-area nonprofit resource for deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing communities.

 

Saturday, February 3                                   Architecture Tour with ASL Interpreter

4:30 p.m.

Meet in the Frist Center’s Grand Lobby

Free

Coming to the First Saturday Art Crawl, or to another downtown Nashville event? Enhance your weekend with a visit to the Frist Center. Stop at our café between 2 and 5 p.m. for Dessert Happy Hour (free coffee with the purchase of any dessert), and enjoy a guided tour of our landmark art deco building at 4:30 p.m.

On the first Saturday of each month, certified American Sign Language interpretation is provided with the tour, with the generous support of the Memorial Foundation and Bridges for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Architecture tours are sponsored by Messer Construction. For more information, contact Visitor Services at 615.744.3277.

 

Thursday, February 8                                  Music at the Frist
6:00–8:00 p.m.                                              East Side Story
Frist Center Café
Free

Pop trio East Side Story charms listeners with an eclectic mix of melodic, original songs and unexpected cover tunes. Bandmates Maarten Muller, Joe Bidewell and Julie Zeitlin bring their individually written songs to rehearsals, where they blend their distinct styles through a shared sense of harmony, groove, and passion for 1960s–’70s pop and rock. Since forming in 2008, they’ve recorded two CDs and played popular Nashville venues, including Antique Archaeology, Bobby’s Idle Hour and Ri’chard’s Louisiana Café. During their live show, they take turns on lead vocals, trade instruments frequently, and entertain not just their audience but one another, with twists, turns and surprises. Their name comes from their long-term residence in East Nashville, and it has been said that their sound reflects the Bohemian spirit of their community.

Admission is free for college students with valid school ID on Thursday and Friday evenings from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. (with the exception of Frist Fridays).

 

 

Friday, February 9                                        Music at the Frist                
6:00–8:00 p.m.                                               Contrarian Ensemble (early music)
Frist Center Café
Free

The Contrarian Ensemble—Bruce Baxter (accordion), John Hedgecoth (mandolin), Mike Teaney (guitar), and Svend Thomsen (fiddle)—performs an eclectic variety of dance music from the 1300s to the present, including traditional tunes from the U.S., the British Isles, and Europe, as well as original compositions. From tunes that would feel at home in a Paris café to songs by Bill Monroe, the Contrarian Ensemble’s superb musicianship is always a delight.

Admission is free for college students with valid school ID on Thursday and Friday evenings from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. (with the exception of Frist Fridays).

 

 

Fridays, February 9                                      Happening in Nick Cave: Feat.

7:00 p.m.

Upper-Level Galleries

Free to members; admission required for not-yet-members

Join local storytellers, musicians, and dancers for in-gallery performances that will delight and inspire you as they respond to Cave’s works through imaginative artistic encounters. No two happenings will be the same, so come to each one to experience Nick Cave: Feat. in new ways. Visit fristcenter.org/happenings for the lineup of artists.

Educational Programming and Community Outreach Activity Sponsor for Nick Cave: Feat.: Ameriprise Financial

 

 

Saturday, February 10                                 Architecture Tour

4:30 p.m.

Meet in the Frist Center’s Grand Lobby

Free

“When was the Frist Center built? Who was the architect? Can you tell me about the floors in the galleries?” These are some of the questions answered in the Frist Center’s popular architecture tours, sponsored by Messer Construction. Learn more about our landmark art deco building from one of our always-engaging docents.

 

Thursdays, February 15                               Drop-In Drawing Turns 5 Years Old!
and March 15
5:00–8:00 p.m.

Free to members; admission or membership required for Ingram, CAP and Upper-Level Galleries. Materials included (first come, first serve)

Drop-In Drawing turns five years old this year! On the third Thursday of each month, practice different techniques and skills, gain instructional guidance, and be inspired by the artworks in the galleries and the architecture of the building. Borrow Etch A Sketches (subject to availability) and other tools from our station near the Ingram Gallery Information Desk, or bring your own! (Note that only pencils, Etch A Sketches, and digital drawing surfaces will be allowed in the galleries.)

To celebrate our fifth anniversary, we are hosting a throwback Thursday night of doodling in our galleries on March 15, featuring local Etch A Sketch artist John Taylor from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. John will cover the basics for beginners and share techniques for mastering the Etch A Sketch screen. Fun for all ages!

 

 

Thursday, February 15                                 Educator SPARK!

5:30–8:00 p.m.
(presentation at 6:00 p.m.)

Frist Center Studios | Free for K–12, homeschool, and college/university educators (gallery admission and parking validation included) 

Join us for our second season of Educator SPARK, which occurs through May. Between 5:30 and 8:00 p.m., spark your creativity and curiosity by exploring Frist Center exhibitions and enjoying light refreshments with other educators. From 6:00 to 6:30 p.m., participate in an informal idea exchange session with Audrey Deal-McEver, and continue your conversations afterward in a comfortable setting.

 

 

Thursday, February 15                                 Music at the Frist                                        

6:00–8:00 p.m.                                               Duette (vocal duo)

Frist Center Café
Free

Duette (Duane Spencer and Paulette Licitra) is an alternative acoustic band of ukulele and guitar, with tight, irresistible harmonies. Their addictive music is fun, quirky, and succinct. Spencer was a member of the legendary Martha’s Vineyard band Mr. Timothy Charles Duane (aka TCD); he toured the Northeast with the soul-calypso (soca) group Target Rhythm Band, and has played, recorded, and collaborated with a varied list of artists, including Van Morrison, Fred Lipsius, Roly Salley, Richard Bell, Clark Pierson, John Hall, James Taylor, Carly Simon, Kate Taylor, Maria Muldaur, Bobby Cochran, and Mark Volman. Licitra has written songs for theater and has produced music-related television, films, and videos. In Nashville, she is also known as Chef Paulette on WSMV-TV Channel 4.

Admission is free for college students with valid school ID on Thursday and Friday evenings from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. (with the exception of Frist Fridays).

 

Friday, February 16                          Making Memories at the Frist Center

10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.                       Early Stage Social Engagement Program

Frist Center

FREE gallery admission, space is limited

Contact Tiffany Cloud-Mann at tiffany.cloud-mann@alz.org or 615.315.5880 to make a reservation.

The Frist Center for the Visual Arts partners with the Alzheimer’s Association Mid South Chapter to provide exhibition tours to those in early stages of dementia and their care givers. This program gives those affected by the disease an expressive outlet and forum for dialogue through guided exhibition tours, social interaction, art-making activities and free lunch. Dates and exhibits are listed below. 

If you or someone you love is in the early stages and looking for more ongoing sources of support, please contact the Alzheimer’s Association. It is our goal to provide social, supportive and educational outlets for those in the early stages of dementia and we need your input.

 

 

Friday, February 16                                      Making Memories
10:30 a.m.                                                       Nick Cave: Feat.

Free, with lunch included.

Registration required: contact Tiffany Cloud-Mann

at tiffany.cloud-mann@alz.org or 615.315.5880 to reserve your place.

In partnership with the Mid South chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, the Frist offers this program to individuals in early stages of dementia and their caregivers. It gives those affected by the disease an expressive outlet and forum for dialogue through guided exhibition tours, social interaction, and art-making activities, along with a free lunch. Making Memories is held quarterly, with future gatherings on May 4, August 10, and November 30.

 

Friday, February 16                                      Music at the Frist                                        

6:00–8:00 p.m.                                               Singer-songwriter Barbara Jenice

Frist Center Café

Free

Influenced by her parents’ love of music—The Isley Brothers, Anita Baker, Carla Thomas, Aretha Franklin, Billie Holiday, Blue Magic, Chaka Khan, The Beatles, James Taylor—as well as the folk, rock and reggae she came to love as a teen, Barbara Jenice blends it all into a uniquely powerful and evocative easy listening groove.

Jenice’s JazzEclecticFolk Project moves with her from Memphis to Nashville—an energetic fusion band of rotating artists. Individual personalities collaborate in genre-bending explorations—jazz meets folk, funk, soul, rock, hip-hop, and even gospel and country.

Through a lifetime of writing and performing music, Jenice shares an incredible journey of recovery through song. She continues to make headway in the music industry under the mentorship of legendary Memphis Music Hall of Fame inductees David Porter and Carla “Gee Whiz” Thomas.

 

Saturday, February 17                                 Architecture Tour

4:30 p.m.

Meet in the Frist Center’s Grand Lobby

Free

“When was the Frist Center built? Who was the architect? Can you tell me about the floors in the galleries?” These are some of the questions answered in the Frist Center’s popular architecture tours, sponsored by Messer Construction. Learn more about our landmark art deco building from one of our always-engaging docents.

 

 

Thursday, February 22                                 Music at the Frist                

6:00–8:00 p.m.                                               Classical guitarist Grant Ferris

Grand Lobby
Free

Grant Ferris, a Nashville-based guitarist, composer, and songwriter, holds a master’s degree in classical guitar performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he received a scholarship to study under David Tanenbaum. He also earned a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Denver and was the first recipient of the Helen M. Garrett Award for the Outstanding Graduating Classical Guitarist. 

A recipient of the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award, Ferris has been praised for his versatility as a guitarist playing in all styles from classical to jazz to country to rock. As a songwriter, Grant’s has worked extensively with his sister, recording artist Ferris. As a composer, Ferris’ work embraces American genres and styles. In the spring of 2012, his work “A Craftful Butchering of Jesse James,” co-written with Bay Area flutist Courtney Wise, was praised for its entertainment value and dedication to American styles of music. Recent works include a guitar duet entitled “UP,” written for Duo Tandem, and a 2013 EP, Ten and Six, comprising solo guitar works.

Admission is free for college students with valid school ID on Thursday and Friday evenings from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. (with the exception of Frist Fridays).

 

Friday, February 23 Exhibitions Open

  • Rome: City and Empire
  • Slavery, The Prison Industrial Complex: Photographs by Keith Calhoun and Chandra McCormick

 

Friday, February 23                                      Music at the Frist                                        

6:00–8:00 p.m.                                               Mandolinist Mike Compton
Frist Center Café
Free

Mike Compton is a Grammy and International Bluegrass Music Association Award–winning recording artist; a solo, duo and band performer; and a passionate mandolin teacher. The New York Times calls Compton “a new bluegrass instrumental hero.”

Born in Meridian, Mississippi, Compton took up the mandolin as a teenager. Drawn to the powerful mix of old-time fiddle stylings, blues influences and pure creativity embodied in Bill Monroe’s playing, he moved to Nashville in 1977 and quickly found work with veteran banjoist and former Monroe sideman Hubert Davis. In Nashville, Compton recorded albums with the John Hartford String Band and toured extensively with the band until Hartford’s death in 2001. At the same time, he collaborated with other masters, including guitarist David Grier, renowned mandolinists David Grisman and Mike Marshall, and producer T-Bone Burnett, for whom he performed not only as a Soggy Bottom Boy on 2001’s Grammy Album of the Year, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, but on the following Grammy-winning Down from the Mountain soundtrack and tours, and on the Cold Mountain soundtrack and tours.

Honored in 2002 with a special resolution by the Mississippi State Senate for his accomplishments, Mike Compton is in demand today at every level, from solo tours, treasured performances with the Nashville Bluegrass Band, and appearances with Grier and other duet partners, to instructional settings like the International Bluegrass Music Museum’s wildly successful Monroe Mandolin Camp, to studio recordings with bluegrass legends such as Ralph Stanley and country stars like Faith Hill. As Mandolin Magazine put it, Mike Compton is simply “a certified mandolin icon.”

Admission is free for college students with valid school ID on Thursday and Friday evenings from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. (with the exception of Frist Fridays).

 

Friday, February 23                                      Curator’s Perspective

6:30 p.m.                                                        “The Reach of Rome—Then and Now”

Frist Center Auditorium                                         presented by Dr. Sam Moorhead, National

Free: first come, first seated                                  Finds Adviser, Ancient Coins, The British
                                                                    Museum

The art, culture, and politics of the Roman Empire have made a lasting impact around the world. In this lecture, Dr. Sam Moorhead, a curator of Rome: City and Empire, examines Rome’s influence through the lens of the exhibition, highlighting key works and discussing their artistic value and historical significance. Whether you have a long-standing interest in antiquities or are encountering ancient Rome for the first time, join us to learn more about this fascinating and important civilization.

Saturday, February 24                                 Architecture Tour
4:30 p.m.
Meet in the Frist Center’s Grand Lobby
Free

“When was the Frist Center built? Who was the architect? Can you tell me about the floors in the galleries?” These are some of the questions answered in the Frist Center’s popular architecture tours, sponsored by Messer Construction. Learn more about our landmark art deco building from one of our always-engaging docents.

 

 

Sunday, February 25                                    Jazz on the Move

3:00 p.m.                                                        A Tribute to Louis Armstrong, presented by

Frist Center Auditorium                                         Jamey Simmons                               
Free

The Nashville Jazz Workshop, in collaboration with the Frist Center, presents the 12th season of the popular performance and education series Jazz on the Move. Each installment features a lecture and performance highlighting a major figure or period in jazz history. Presented by Nashville’s top jazz artists/educators, the series offers audiences world-class music, as well as opportunities to learn more about the genre. Each performance is led by an individual artist intimately familiar with the jazz great being profiled, with an outstanding group of supporting musicians. Those attending Jazz on the Move will be able to visit the Frist’s exhibitions free of charge and will also receive discounted parking in the Frist Center visitor parking lot

Trumpeter Louis Armstrong is perhaps THE major influence on jazz as we know it today. He was the first jazz musician to develop the art of solo improvisation, and the “swing” in his phrasing sounds modern today. Born and raised in New Orleans, he moved to Chicago in 1922 and later to New York City. An exceptional trumpet and cornet player, he also became known for his stage charisma and scat singing. Armstrong was the first African American to host a nationally broadcast radio show in the 1930s. He remained a major figure in the jazz world for over five decades, from the 1920s to the 1960s. By that time he had also become an icon in American popular music as well as jazz.
 

Monday, February 26                                   Family Monday

10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.

$12 per family unit

The Frist loves families! New this year: bring the whole family for the cost of one adult admission! Join us on the last Monday of each month for special family programming, including story time and family tours, and then enjoy Martin ArtQuest Gallery and Studios—reserved just for families!

 

MARCH 2018

Thursday, March 1                                       Curator’s Tour

Noon                                                              Rome: City and Empire presented by Mark Meet at exhibition entrance                                    Scala, Frist Center chief curator

Free to members; admission required for not-yet-members

Rome: City and Empire tells the story of how Rome grew on an unprecedented scale from a series of small villages into a mighty empire. Each object illuminates not only the rich history of the Roman Empire, but also the stories of Rome’s diverse peoples. Join Frist Center chief curator Mark Scala as he highlights key works from the collection of more than two hundred works from the British Museum.

 

 

Thursday, March 1                                       Music at the Frist                

6:00–8:00 p.m.                                               Shelby Bottom Duo

Frist Center Café

Free Michael August and Nell Levin formed the Shelby Bottom String Band in 2008. Shelby Bottom Duo continues the band’s tradition of entertaining, irreverent social commentary, humanity, and humor. Their repertoire includes originals like “East Nashville Rag,” the title cut of the band’s CD; “Displacement Blues,” named by the Tennessean as “Nashville’s newest social justice anthem,” and “Fat and Bald,” an audience favorite about life’s unintended  consequences. Admission is free for college students with valid school ID on Thursday and Friday evenings from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. (with the exception of Frist Fridays).

 

Friday, March 2                                             Music at the Frist                

6:00–8:00 p.m.                                               Jazz vocalist Arte’Mis

Frist Center Café

Free

Arte’Mis (Tramaine Robinson) grew up singing in a church choir in Knoxville. Now residing in Nashville, she has

carried that soulful foundation to everything from jazz and R&B to classical and musical theater, influenced by the

likes of Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and Jill Scott.
Admission is free for college students with valid school ID on Thursday and Friday evenings from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m.

(with the exception of Frist Fridays).

 

 

Saturday, March 3                                        Studio workshop
1:00–4:00 p.m.                                               Roman Jewelry with Brooke Griffith

Frist Center Studio B
$120 members; $125 not-yet-members
(all materials, gallery admission, and
parking validation included).
Registration required by February 26.

Take $30 off the price if you sign up for the other two Rome workshops at the same time! (Details will be posted at fristcenter.org/studio when available.) All skill levels welcome.

Join local jeweler Brooke Griffith, of Glen & Effie Vintage Design, for a closer look at the glitter and glam of ancient Rome. Tour Rome: City and Empire and then create your own Roman-inspired necklace. In addition to receiving a fourth-century Roman coin to incorporate into your design, you will learn how to arrange and string crystal and freshwater pearl beads onto jewelry wire, crimp the strand of beads, use jump rings, and attach a clasp.

 

 

Saturday, March 3                                        Docent-Guided Exhibition Tour with ASL

1:30 p.m.                                                        Interpreter

Meet at the Frist Center’s Gallery Information Desk

Gallery admission required; members free

On the first Saturday of each month, we offer an informal docent-guided tour with certified American Sign Language interpretation. The tour focuses on a current exhibition and originates at the information desk inside the entrance to the galleries.

Our docents also conduct tours on most weekdays and weekends at 1:30 p.m.; reservations are not required. To check availability, contact Visitor Services at 615.744.3277.

ASL interpretation is generously supported by the Memorial Foundation and by Bridges, a Nashville-area nonprofit resource for deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing communities.

 

Saturday, March 3                            Architecture Tour with ASL Interpreter

4:30 p.m.

Meet in the Frist Center’s Grand Lobby

Free

Coming to the First Saturday Art Crawl, or to another downtown Nashville event? Enhance your weekend with a visit to the Frist Center. Stop at our café between 2 and 5 p.m. for Dessert Happy Hour (free coffee with the purchase of any dessert), and enjoy a guided tour of our landmark art deco building at 4:30 p.m.

On the first Saturday of each month, certified American Sign Language interpretation is provided with the tour, with the generous support of the Memorial Foundation and Bridges for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Architecture tours are sponsored by Messer Construction. For more information, contact Visitor Services at 615.744.3277.

 

 

Thursday, March 8,                                      One-Day Educator Workshop: Rome: City and

or Saturday, March 10                                 Empire

9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.

$25 Frist Center members; $30 not-yet-members
(all materials, gallery admission, parking validation, continental breakfast, and lunch included)

Registration required by March 5. Select either March 8 or March 10, and visit fristcenter.org/educator to reserve your place. Space is limited to 20 participants.

During this workshop, educators will examine original works of art in the exhibition, participate in gallery discussions and studio activities, and develop teaching materials and connections. Frist Center educator workshops are open to educators of all subjects, pre-K–12.

 

 

Thursday, March 8                                       Film: 13th

7:00 p.m.                                                        Post-film Q&A with Project Return

Frist Center Auditorium

Free; first come, first seated

Shown in conjunction with Slavery, the Prison Industrial Complex: Photographs by Keith Calhoun and Chandra McCormick, the acclaimed documentary film 13th looks in depth at the Thirteenth Amendment to the US Constitution, which abolished slavery and indentured servitude. In this thought-provoking documentary, scholars, activists, and politicians analyze the prison industrial complex and the history of racial inequality in the United States.

Following the screening, stay for a special Q&A with Project Return, a nonprofit non-faith-based organization that provides an extensive array of supportive services for individuals returning to society after incarceration.

Directed by Ava DuVernay, 2016. 100 minutes. Rated TV-MA (may be unsuitable for children under 17). Netflix.

 

 

Friday, March 8                                             Music at the Frist                                        

6:00–8:00 p.m.                                               Embers Music (pianist)
Frist Center Café
Free

Music is a language measured in rhythm and song, and for pianist Embers Music, that language describes motion and emotion. This pianist does not simply hear music; she sees it in dancing forces across her mind’s eye. That envisioned dance is the instrument whereby she explores dynamics and tempo to share thoughts and feelings and dreams.

Embers joins an array of talented musicians and songwriters who can be heard at the Frist Center on Thursday and Friday evenings. Enjoy a beverage or snack before the evening’s program a visit to the Frist Center galleries.

Admission is free for college students with valid school ID on Thursday and Friday evenings from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. (with the exception of Frist Fridays).

 

 

Friday, March 9                                             Music at the Frist                

6:00–8:00 p.m.                                               Bassoonery (bassoon quintet)

Frist Center Café

Free

The five members of Bassonery—founder Patricia Gunter, Kate Affainie, Wilson Sharpe, Harold Skelton, and Andrew Witherington—have been symphony orchestra members, teachers, and band directors. This ensemble, with a repertoire spanning Bach to Gershwin, has delighted Frist Center visitors in years past, and we are pleased to have them back. 

 

 

Saturday, March 10                                      Figure Study

1:00 p.m.

Frist Center Studio C
$15 members; $20 not-yet-members
(gallery admission and parking validation included).
Space is limited to 15 participants. Ages 18 and older only, please.

Want to study the human form? Enhance and expand your artistic practice once a quarter by participating in this series of no-instruction sessions at the Frist, with poses by a live, clothed model and access to masterworks in our galleries.

Please bring your own nontoxic drawing, painting or sculpting mediums to this workshop; only pencils are allowed in our galleries (pencils provided as needed).

 

Saturday, March 10                          Architecture Tour

4:30 p.m.

Meet in the Frist Center’s Grand Lobby

Free

“When was the Frist Center built? Who was the architect? Can you tell me about the floors in the galleries?” These are some of the questions answered in the Frist Center’s popular architecture tours, sponsored by Messer Construction. Learn more about our landmark art deco building from one of our always-engaging docents.

 

Thursday, March 15                                     Drop-In Drawing Turns Five Years Old!

5:00–8:00 p.m.

Free to members; admission or membership
required for Ingram, CAP. and Upper-Level Galleries.
Materials included (first come, first serve)

Drop-In Drawing turns five years old this year! On the third Thursday of each month, check out drawing materials to practice different techniques and skills, gain instructional guidance, and be inspired by the artworks in the galleries and the architecture of the building. Art supplies, including Etch A Sketches, will be available near the Ingram Gallery Information Desk. Limit one per person and while supplies last. (Feel free to bring your own Etch A Sketch (or digital drawing surface) to participate.

To celebrate our fifth anniversary, we are hosting a throwback Thursday night of doodling in our galleries on March 15, featuring local Etch A Sketch artist John Taylor from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. John will cover the basics for beginners and share techniques for mastering the Etch A Sketch screen. Fun for all ages!

 

 

Thursday, March 15                                     Educator SPARK!

5:30–8:00 p.m.
(presentation at 6:00 p.m.)

Frist Center Studios | Free for K–12, homeschool, and college/university educators (gallery admission and parking validation included)

Join us for our second season of Educator SPARK, which occurs through May. Between 5:30 and 8:00 p.m., spark your creativity and curiosity by exploring Frist Center exhibitions and enjoying light refreshments with other educators. From 6:00 to 6:30 p.m., participate in an informal idea exchange session with an invited artist, and continue your conversations afterward in a comfortable setting.

 

 

Thursday, March 15                                     Music at the Frist                                        

6:00–8:00 p.m.                                               Contrarian Ensemble
Frist Center Café
Free

The Contrarian Ensemble—Bruce Baxter (accordion), John Hedgecoth (mandolin), Mike Teaney (guitar), and Svend Thomsen (fiddle)—performs an eclectic variety of dance music from the 1300s to the present, including traditional tunes from the U.S., the British Isles, and Europe, as well as original compositions. From tunes that would feel at home in a Paris café to the music of Bill Monroe, the Contrarian Ensemble’s superb musicianship always delights.

Admission is free for college students with valid school ID on Thursday and Friday evenings from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. (with the exception of Frist Fridays).

 

Friday, March 16                                           Music at the Frist                
6:00–8:00 p.m.                                               Tim Gartland (contemporary blues)
Frist Center Café
Free

Tim Gartland is a singer-songwriter and harmonica player committed to honoring the rich tradition of blues while moving the genre forward. His release If You Want A Good Woman features 12 original songs and reached #1 on the blues radio charts on AirPlay Direct. It was also named one of the Top Picks of the year by Bill Wilson of the Nashville Blues Society and reached #13 on the national blues charts according to Roots Time Radio.

His original music is a blend of Chicago blues, soul, and Americana.

​He has released two critically acclaimed original albums: Looking Into The Sun (2011) and Million Stars (2014). In 2015, he released The Willie Project, a heartfelt homage to the songwriting of the legendary blues hall of famer Willie Dixon.

 

 

Saturday, March 17                                      Family Movie Matinee: Hercules

2:00–4:00 p.m.

Frist Center Auditorium

Free; first come, first seated

Pack up the kids and come downtown for an afternoon at the museum! Curl up on your blanket or sleeping bag in our auditorium for a Saturday matinee screening of Disney’s Hercules! Arrive early to see the Roman treasures in our galleries, and head to Martin ArtQuest in the Studios after the movie for hands-on fun! Space is limited.

 

 

Saturday, March 17                                      Architecture Tour

4:30 p.m.

Meet in the Frist Center’s Grand Lobby

Free

“When was the Frist Center built? Who was the architect? Can you tell me about the floors in the galleries?” These are some of the questions answered in the Frist Center’s popular architecture tours, sponsored by Messer Construction. Learn more about our landmark art deco building from one of our always-engaging docents.

 

 

Thursday, March 22                                     Music at the Frist                                        

6:00–8:00 p.m.                                               Classical guitarist Michael Roberts

Frist Center Café

Free 

Michael Roberts is a Nashville-based classical guitarist and composer who is active around the country. A student and teacher of many different musical styles, he has studied with world-class master Michael Lorimer (of the Segovia school) and internationally renowned professor Rob Nathanson. His recent concerts include a rare 15-guitar performance of Steve Reich’s Electric Counterpoint and atmospheric shows for Chihuly and Andy Warhol art exhibits. He regularly composes classical and pop music for the guitar, as well as cinematic soundtracks, and tours nationally with rock band Dead Man’s Mail.

His latest compilation of original work includes a string quartet, a piano sonata, his first symphony, and various tone poems. A full-length classical guitar album is on the way. It will feature his New Etudes, as well as works by Enrique Granados and others.

Admission is free for college students with valid school ID on Thursday and Friday evenings from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. (with the exception of Frist Fridays).

 

Thursday, March 22                                     Lecture: Modern Challenges in Ancient Art

6:30 p.m.                                                        presented by Dr. Maxwell L. Anderson,
Frist Center Auditorium                                         consulting scholar, Mediterranean Section, Free; first come; first seated                             University of Pennsylvania Museum of

Archaeology and Anthropology, and president, Souls Grown Deep Foundation

 

In this talk, Dr. Maxwell L. Anderson, author of Antiquities: What Everyone Needs to Know (Oxford University Press, 2016), will summarize multiple perspectives on protecting objects such as those in Rome: City and Empire, including the care and supervision of excavations and museum collections, the international treaties and laws governing the circulation of objects from antiquity, the state of the art trade, and trends in public and private collecting. For more about Dr. Anderson, visit the page for this event at fristcenter.org.

This lecture is supported in part by Vanderbilt University’s Department of History of Art and Department of Classical and Mediterranean Studies.

 

Friday, March 23                                           Music at the Frist                

6:00–8:00 p.m.                                               Acoustic soul artist Larysa Jaye

Frist Center Café

Free

Larysa Jaye is a Nashville-based acoustic soul artist with eclectic influences and a captivating stage presence. Her ability to flow seamlessly from country to R&B to pop has earned her a loyal following. As a songwriter, Larysa finds inspiration from her everyday life as a wife and mother.

 

 

Saturday, March 24                                      Architecture Tour
4:30 p.m.
Meet in the Frist Center’s Grand Lobby
Free

“When was the Frist Center built? Who was the architect? Can you tell me about the floors in the galleries?” These are some of the questions answered in the Frist Center’s popular architecture tours, sponsored by Messer Construction. Learn more about our landmark art deco building from one of our always-engaging docents.

 

 

Sunday, March 25                                        Jazz on the Move

3:00 p.m.                                                        The Life and Songs of Nancy Wilson,

Frist Center Auditorium                                         presented by Dara Tucker

Free

The Nashville Jazz Workshop, in collaboration with the Frist Center, presents the 12th season of the popular performance and education series Jazz on the Move. Each installment features a lecture and performance highlighting a major figure or period in jazz history. Presented by Nashville’s top jazz artists/educators, the series offers audiences world-class music, as well as opportunities to learn more about the genre. Each performance is led by an individual artist intimately familiar with the jazz great being profiled, with an outstanding group of supporting musicians. Those attending Jazz on the Move will be able to visit the Frist’s exhibitions free of charge and will also receive discounted parking in the Frist Center visitor parking lot.

Nancy Wilson is an icon of American music whose appeal and fame transcends the jazz world. She began her singing career at age 15 when she won a talent contest hosted by her local TV station in Columbus, Ohio, resulting in television appearances and singing in clubs. She began touring with big bands in 1956, followed shortly thereafter by her first commercial recording on Dot Records. At the encouragement of Cannonball Adderly, she moved to New York City in 1959, and in 1960 she was signed by Capitol Records. She has appeared in numerous television shows, recorded over 70 albums, and won three Grammy Awards. She performed publicly for the last time on September 10, 2011 at Ohio University.

 

Sunday, March 25                                        Exhibition Closes
Extrasensory

 

Monday, March 26                                        Family Monday

10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.

$12 per family unit

 

The Frist loves families! New this year: bring the whole family for the cost of one adult admission! Join us on the last Monday of each month for special programming, including story time and family tours, and then enjoy Martin ArtQuest Gallery and Studios—open just to families today!

 

Thursday, March 29                                     Music at the Frist                                        

6:00–8:00 p.m.                                               Mandolinist Mike Compton
Frist Center Café
Free

Mike Compton is a Grammy and International Bluegrass Music Association Award–winning recording artist; a solo, duo and band performer; and a passionate mandolin teacher. The New York Times calls Compton “a new bluegrass instrumental hero.”

Born in Meridian, Mississippi, Compton took up the mandolin as a teenager. Drawn to the powerful mix of old-time fiddle stylings, blues influences and pure creativity embodied in Bill Monroe’s playing, he moved to Nashville in 1977 and quickly found work with veteran banjoist and former Monroe sideman Hubert Davis. In Nashville, Compton recorded albums with the John Hartford String Band and toured extensively with the band until Hartford’s death in 2001. At the same time, he collaborated with other masters, including guitarist David Grier, renowned mandolinists David Grisman and Mike Marshall, and producer T-Bone Burnett, for whom he performed not only as a Soggy Bottom Boy on 2001’s Grammy Album of the Year, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, but on the following Grammy-winning Down from the Mountain soundtrack and tours, and on the Cold Mountain soundtrack and tours.

Honored in 2002 with a special resolution by the Mississippi State Senate for his accomplishments, Mike Compton is in demand today at every level, from solo tours, treasured performances with the Nashville Bluegrass Band, and appearances with Grier and other duet partners, to instructional settings like the International Bluegrass Music Museum’s wildly successful Monroe Mandolin Camp, to studio recordings with bluegrass legends such as Ralph Stanley and country stars like Faith Hill. As Mandolin Magazine put it, Mike Compton is simply “a certified mandolin icon.”

Admission is free for college students with valid school ID on Thursday and Friday evenings from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. (with the exception of Frist Fridays).

 

Sunday, March 25                                        Exhibition Opens
We Shall Overcome: Civil Rights and the Nashville Press, 1957–1968

 

Friday, March 30                                           Music at the Frist                                        

6:00–8:00 p.m.                                               Sam Frazee and Hiptet
Frist Center Café
Free

Led by Sam Frazee, Hiptet has been entertaining concert crowds in Nashville for more than three years. The five-piece band brings to life the high energy music of famous American jazz artists like Duke Ellington, Horace Silver, Art Blakey and other legendary players. Hiptet also puts its own spin on the Beatles and Bossa Novas.

The Hiptet features Sam Frazee, bass; Ray Manley, keyboard; Tommy Strange, guitar; Jeff McCombs, drums; and Greg Lewis, trumpet.

Admission is free for college students with valid school ID on Thursday and Friday evenings from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. (with the exception of Frist Fridays).

 

Saturday, March 31                          Architecture Tour
4:30 p.m.
Meet in the Frist Center’s Grand Lobby
Free

“When was the Frist Center built? Who was the architect? Can you tell me about the floors in the galleries?” These are some of the questions answered in the Frist Center’s popular architecture tours, sponsored by Messer Construction. Learn more about our landmark art deco building from one of our always-engaging docents.

 

Current Exhibitions


Nick Cave: Feat.
November 10, 2017–June 24, 2018
Upper-Level Galleries

Chicago-based artist Nick Cave (b. 1959) is best known for his elaborate “soundsuits,” human-shaped sculptural forms composed of a wide variety of found and repurposed commonplace materials. This dynamic exhibition will include a selection of soundsuits, as well as a projected video, several wall-mounted sculptures, and a large multimedia installation. The works are accessible to audiences of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds, and on a deeper level speak to issues of racial and social justice and the need for more time and space in contemporary society to cultivate individual dreams and aspirations.

This exhibition was organized by the Frist Center for the Visual Arts.


World War I and American Art
 
October 6, 2017–January 21, 2018
Ingram Gallery

World War I and American Art is the first major exhibition to examine ways in which American artists reacted to the First World War, which happened while modernist art was being digested, adapted, and transformed by the American art world. Images made during the war reveal American artists in transition, using more experimental forms to capture the apocalyptic tenor of the conflict while also drawing on a straightforward realist manner to make the human experience accessible to their audience. George Bellows, Marsden Hartley, Childe Hassam, Georgia O’Keeffe, and John Singer Sargent are among the more than seventy artists in this exhibition whose responses to and experiences in the Great War are explored. Mirroring the historical unfolding of the war itself, the exhibition’s organization first shows how artists interpreted the threat of war and the debate to enter it, and then how World War I involved them directly as soldiers, relief workers, political dissenters, and official artists. The exhibition includes many high-profile loans, including Sargent’s Gassed from the Imperial War Museums, London, which has not been seen in the United States since 1999.

This exhibition was organized by the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.

Extrasensory
October 13, 2017–March 25, 2018
Conte Community Arts Gallery

Inspired by the dynamism and multisensory engagement of Nick Cave’s work, this companion exhibition to Nick Cave: Feat. features art made by members of the Middle Tennessee community. Local teaching artists led open workshops for community members of all abilities and learning styles to collaborate on creating works of art, each engaging the five senses through tactile responses by visitors. The artworks address themes of dreaming, transformation, and creative expression while highlighting various aspects of Cave’s work. Partner organizations for this program include Empower TN, Tennessee Disability Coalition, and VSA Tennessee: The State Organization on Arts and Disability.  

This exhibition was organized by the Frist Center for the Visual Arts.

Upcoming Exhibitions

Sumner County Schools Art Show

December 9, 2017–January 3, 2018

Education Corridor, Upper Level

The second annual Sumner County Schools Art Show features artwork created by young artists from kindergarten through twelfth grade.

Elementary and middle school art teachers selected two works per grade level, and high school art teachers selected two works from each art course offered at their schools. All Sumner County schools are eligible to participate.
 

2018 Multi-District School Art Show

January 27–February 11, 2018

Education Corridor, Upper Level

The 2018 Multi-District School Art Show features some of the finest artwork created by students in four Tennessee school districts. Nearly three hundred young artists from kindergarten through twelfth grade will be included in this exhibition. Elementary and middle school art teachers will select two works per grade level, and high school art teachers will select two works per course. Over thirty schools will represent the following districts: Fayetteville City Schools, Franklin Special School District, Lebanon Special School District, and Wilson County Schools.

 

2018 Williamson County Schools Art Show

February 24–March 11, 2018

Education Corridor, Upper Level

The 2018 Williamson County Schools Art Show will feature some of the finest artwork created by students in the school district. Nearly four hundred young artists from kindergarten through twelfth grade will be included in this exhibition.

Elementary and middle school art teachers will select two works per grade level, and high school art teachers will select two works from each art course offered at their schools. All Williamson County schools are participating in the show.

 


Rome: City and Empire
February 23–May 28, 2018
Ingram Gallery

The stories of Rome and its vast empire continue to captivate and intrigue people almost three thousand years after its foundation. Rome: City and Empire brings to Nashville more than two hundred of the British Museum’s most engaging and beautiful Roman objects. They tell the dramatic story of how Rome grew from a cluster of small villages into a mighty empire.

The British Museum’s exceptionally broad collections have enabled the creation of a truly inspiring experience. Visitors will explore how the empire was won and held and learn about the rich diversity of her peoples. The exhibition is an accessible introduction to the Roman imperial period, yet also provides a range and depth of material for those with an existing interest in Roman history.

The presentation of this exhibition is a collaboration between the British Museum and the Frist Center for the Visual Arts. The Frist Center is the exclusive North American venue.

 


Slavery, the Prison Industrial Complex: Photographs by Keith Calhoun and Chandra McCormick
February 23–May 28, 2018
Gordon Contemporary Artists Project Gallery

New Orleans natives Keith Calhoun and Chandra McCormick have been documenting African American life in Louisiana for more than 30 years. Since 1980, they have made regular visits to the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola to photograph life on the prison farm, which was founded on the consolidated land of several cotton and sugarcane plantations. Their poignant black-and-white images record the exploitation of the men incarcerated within the maximum-security prison farm while also showcasing the prisoners’ humanity and individual narratives. The husband-and-wife team’s work has been exhibited at the Venice Biennale. Calhoun and McCormick use their cameras as tools for social engagement, reminding their audiences of persistent racial inequities, especially throughout the American criminal justice system.

The Frist Center will produce a hardcover book titled Louisiana Medley about the couple’s work. Published by Lucia∣Marquand, the book will include 70 plates, a foreword by Dr. Deborah Willis, chair of the Department of Photography & Imaging at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, a career overview by Frist Center executive director and photography historian Dr. Susan H. Edwards, and an essay by Dr. Makeda Best, Richard L. Menschel Curator of Photography, Harvard Art Museums, that places the images of Slavery, the Prison Industrial Complex in the context of other prison photographs.

 

We Shall Overcome: Civil Rights and the Nashville Press, 1957–1968
March 30–October 14, 2018
Conte Community Arts Gallery

Fifty years after Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination—and at a time when race relations and human rights are again at the forefront of our country’s political and social consciousness—the Frist Center will present a selection of approximately 50 photographs that document an important period in Nashville’s struggle for racial equality. The images were taken between 1957, the year that desegregation began in public schools, and 1968, when Dr. King was killed in Memphis. Of central significance are photographs of lunch counter sit-ins led by a group of students—including John Lewis and Diane Nash—from local historically black colleges and universities, which took place in early 1960. The role that Nashville played in the national civil rights movement as a hub for training students in nonviolent protest and as the first southern city to integrate places of business peacefully is a story that warrants reexamination and introduction to younger generations and newcomers to the region. The exhibition also provides opportunities to consider the role of images and the media in shaping public opinion—a relevant subject in today’s news-saturated climate.

Organized by the Frist Center for the Visual Arts

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About the Frist Center
Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, the Frist Center for the Visual Arts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit art exhibition center dedicated to presenting and originating high-quality exhibitions with related educational programs and community outreach activities. Located at 919 Broadway in downtown Nashville, Tenn., the Frist Center offers the finest visual art from local, regional, national, and international sources in exhibitions that inspire people through art to look at their world in new ways. The Frist Center’s Martin ArtQuest Gallery features interactive stations relating to Frist Center exhibitions. Information on accessibility can be found at fristcenter.org/accessibility. Gallery admission is free for visitors 18 and younger and for members; $12 for adults; $9 for seniors and college students with ID; and $7 for active military. College students are admitted free Thursday and Friday evenings (with the exception of Frist Fridays), 5:009:00 p.m. Groups of 10 or more can receive discounts with advance reservations by calling 615.744.3247. The galleries, café, and gift shop are open seven days a week: Mondays through Wednesdays, and Saturdays, 10:00 a.m.5:30 p.m.; Thursdays and Fridays, 10:00 a.m.9:00 p.m.; and Sundays, 1:005:30 p.m., with the café opening at noon. For additional information, call 615.244.3340 or visit fristcenter.org.