Extrasensory

From February through May 2017, in thirty-one free workshops, more than nine hundred community members participated in the making of this exhibition, a companion to Nick Cave: Feat. (on view in the Upper-Level Galleries from November 10, 2017, through June 24, 2018). Representing a wide range of media and artistic backgrounds, teaching artists Maria Borghoff, Dee Kimbrell, Amber Lelli, Beth Reitmeyer, and Massood Taj designed site-specific installations to be accessed through the five senses, bringing unique approaches to their collaborations with Frist Art Museum visitors. Extrasensory’s community art-makers reflected a diverse array of abilities, experiences, and learning styles as they responded to the teaching artists’ prompts and the materials supplied for these projects. We hope that interacting with their work will inspire you to see, smell, hear, touch, and taste your world in new ways.

#ExtrasensoryFrist Art Museum

Organized by the Frist Art Museum

MEET THE ARTISTS

Massood Taj (Franklin) is a multi-instrumentalist who draws on indigenous cultures and mystical traditions, including his own Sufi heritage, to create global meditative music for sacred spaces. Since 2006, Taj has presented at conferences, conducted workshops, and facilitated interactive programming with a focus on the transcending properties of sound and the healing nature of collaborative creativity.

In Taj’s workshops, participants built a sound-making and visual installation—a nonverbal, safe space with instruments like bells, chimes, and gongs, along with a mandala painting as a visual element.

Maria Borghoff (Atlanta) is a multidisciplinary artist and yoga teacher. She creates mixed-media artwork (incorporating drawing, sculpting, and other techniques) and leads workshops that explore human behavior and mental health. Her work inspires harmonious living, both socially and environmentally.

In Maria’s workshops, participants made ceramic pinch pots by hand, with each individual pot arranged as a taste bud within the shape of a tongue. Elements of taste and scent are also be incorporated.

Amber Lelli (Nashville) is a multidisciplinary artist who focuses on sculpture and printmaking. She has worked for the sculptor Alan LeQuire and as a studio volunteer with Poverty & the Arts. Her work has been featured at the Frist Art Museum, as well as in Santa Ana (California), Philadelphia, and Baton Rouge.

In Amber’s workshops, participants painted and drew images inspired by sensory experiences. During the exhibition, visitors will be encouraged to move the images to reveal memories and stories associated with them.

Beth Reitmeyer (Bowling Green) creates colorful installations, using materials such as paint, plastic, pipe cleaners, and felt, often sewing them into geometric or floral patterns. She currently teaches in Western Kentucky University’s Department of Art. Beth’s work has recently been exhibited in Nashville, Bowling Green, Brooklyn, London, and Houston.

In Beth’s workshops, participants’ drawings of important personal objects were transferred to a screen print. Tactile elements were attached to the print to invite touch, while other elements suggest taste or smell.

Dee Kimbrell (Hendersonville) specializes in the use of recycled materials to engage the community, build relationships, and encourage care for the environment. She has worked

primarily in Middle Tennessee since 2006. In 2015, she designed ornaments for the National Christmas Tree in Washington, DC, and presented workshops in Tennessee, New York, and Ohio. Dee’s skills also include storytelling, painting, sculpting, and creating mixed-media objects, including props.

In Dee’s workshops, participants assembled a curtain made of bottle caps that, when pulled back, reveals self-portraits and several touchable textures.

PARTNERS