VISION
The vision of the Frist Art Museum is to inspire people through art to look at their world in new ways.
MISSION
The mission of the Frist Art Museum is to present and originate high-quality exhibitions with related educational programs and community outreach activities.
ABOUT
Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, the Frist Art Museum opened in 2001 and 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 Art Museum 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 Art Museum building sits on land that Cherokee and Shawnee Native peoples, elders, and their ancestors call their homeland. We acknowledge and pay respect to them. We also acknowledge and offer deep gratitude to the ancestral land and water that support us.
Occupying Nashville’s former main post office building, the Frist is a 124,400-square-foot facility with more than 45,000 square feet of combined exhibition and public space. The city’s treasured art deco structure was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
The Frist is a non-collecting museum and presents on average 12–15 exhibitions a year from some of the most prestigious collections in the world, as well as award-winning shows organized in-house. Our exhibitions change every few months, so plan to visit often to see what’s new. See a list of current exhibitions and current events being offered.
The Frist was conceived as a family-friendly place, and one of its most popular destinations is the award-winning Martin ArtQuest gallery. ArtQuest is a fun, innovative space alive with creativity and wonder. With ever-changing interactive stations and the support of knowledgeable staff, guests of all ages and abilities can explore exhibition concepts through hands-on learning. A visit to ArtQuest is free with gallery admission for adults and always free for youth 18 and younger.
While at the Frist, be sure to stop by the beautiful gift shop. There, you’ll find a fabulous array of art prints, books, educational materials, art supplies, clothing, blown glass, pottery, and magnificent jewelry made by local and regional artisans. Items are available in a wide range of prices, so there’s always something to fit your budget. Because much of the merchandise is tied to exhibitions on view in the galleries, the inventory changes often. No wonder it’s often called the best gift shop in Nashville. Discounts for Frist Art Museum members can make it a bargain hunter’s dream!
Dine at Café Cheeserie at the Frist, a creative concept from The Grilled Cheeserie featuring a fromage-focused, bistro-inspired menu including popular scratch-made sandwiches, seasonal soups and salads, charcuterie boards, and grab-and-go items.
Guests are welcome to relax and eat in the Turner Courtyard, which also serves as a site for weddings, events, and other celebrations (see our venue rental page for details). Our Rose on 65th Street sculpture has appeared in countless portraits (and some proposals!) since its arrival in 2012. Frist Art Museum memberships are available at a number of levels and are a great bargain. Membership is another great Frist Art Museum value and includes unlimited visits, special member-only invitations, gift shop discounts, discounted parking, guest passes, and special rates on venue rental, just to name a few benefits.
The Frist is currently open five days a week (Monday: 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m., Thursday: 10 a.m.–8:00 p.m., Friday & Saturday, 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m., and Sunday: 1–5:30 p.m.). For information on adult or student tours, click here.
The Frist Art Museum does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, religion, creed or disability in admission to, access to, or operations of its programs, service, or activities.
Learn more about our historic building.
TAX-EXEMPT STATUS
In return for its favored tax status, a charitable nonprofit promises the federal government that it will not engage in “political campaign activity” and if it does, IRS regulations mandate that the charitable nonprofit will lose its tax-exempt status.
All donations to the Frist Art Museum are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
