See what’s going on at the Frist during the dates you are planning to visit.


Martin ArtQuest®

ArtQuest is the Frist’s inclusive and interactive art-making space where guests of all ages can get creative—draw, animate, make prints, paint, and more!

ArtQuest is open all hours the Frist is open and is included with gallery admission (youth 18 and under are always free).

Mom, dad and two young daughters smile and hold up paintings they just made


Exhibitions

Young woman looking at a work of art

2024 Young Tennessee Artists: Selections from Advanced Studio Art Programs

Sep 6, 2024–Mar 16, 2025
The Frist Art Museum’s tenth biennial Young Tennessee Artists exhibition showcases over thirty two-dimensional works of art by students enrolled in Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) studio art programs during the 2023–24 academic year. Artworks for the exhibition were selected by a jury of artists, educators, and museum… Read More
Visitors looking at works of art on view in the Maria Magdalena Compos-Pons exhibition

María Magdalena Campos-Pons: Behold

Sep 27, 2024–Jan 5, 2025
María Magdalena Campos-Pons: Behold includes over three decades of the artist’s work in photography, installation, video, painting, and performance. Hauntingly beautiful and emotionally charged, Behold shows how Campos-Pons’s layered identity as a Cuban woman with ancestral roots in the Yoruba culture of West Africa as well as in Spain and China inform… Read More
Woman standing in a room filled with abstract purple and pink shapes projected on the walls

LaJuné McMillian:
The Portal’s Keeper—Origins

Sep 27, 2024–Jan 5, 2025
New York–based multidisciplinary artist LaJuné McMillian combines extended reality software and mediums including movement and sound to provide an exuberant visual critique of oppressive systems that commodify bodies and otherwise limit free expressions. Working with motion capture (witnessing) software, their work often translates the movements of Black people, seen as… Read More
Two women looking at a display of Japanese young fashion.

Journey through Japan:
Myths to Manga

Oct 25, 2024–Feb 16, 2025
Designed with our younger audience in mind, yet fun and fascinating for all ages, this exhibition goes on a colorful, atmospheric exploration through Japan to show how popular stories have shaped the country’s art, design, and technology across the centuries. Divided into four thematic sections—Sky, Sea, Forest, and City—it presents… Read More
People milling about buying and selling vegetables and tables set up in a park like setting in a city

Farm to Table: Art, Food, and Identity in the Age of Impressionism

Jan 31–May 4, 2025
Farm to Table: Art, Food, and Identity in the Age of Impressionism explores the intersections of art, gastronomy, and national identity in late 19th-century France. Beginning with the 1870 Prussian siege of Paris and the resultant food crisis and continuing through the 1890s, Farm to Table showcases the work of… Read More
Older woman standing in a cabbage patch resting her hands on the top of a hoe

Tennessee Harvest: 1870s–1920s

Jan 31–May 4, 2025
Tennessee Harvest focuses on 19th- and early 20th-century painters taking both realist and impressionist approaches to the depiction of food and its cultivation in the state. A companion show to Farm to Table: Art, Food, and Identity in the Age of Impressionism, this exhibition shows how artists like Lloyd… Read More
Dark figure emerging from its skin

M. Florine Démosthène
and Didier William: What the Body Carries

Jan 31–May 4, 2025
This exhibition of Haitian American artists M. Florine Démosthène and Didier William—both featured in the Frist Art Museum’s 2023 group show Multiplicity: Blackness in Contemporary American Collage—examines the capacity of immigrant bodies to recall a homeland while also reflecting a new, hybrid existence. Through a selection of figurative… Read More
Abstract painting with vertical bars and paint strokes in a variety of colors on a dark background

David C. Driskell & Friends: Creativity, Collaboration, and Friendship

Mar 14–Jun 1, 2025
David C. Driskell & Friends: Creativity, Collaboration, and Friendship highlights the artistic legacy of David C. Driskell and the importance of his relationships with fellow artists—many of whom hold a significant place in the 20th-century art canon. In 1976, Driskell curated the groundbreaking exhibition Two Centuries of Black American Art: 1750–1950, which… Read More
African American boy sitting in front of a large tree with sunflowers blooming all around him.

Kindred Spirits: Intergenerational Forms of Expression, 1966–1999

Mar 14–Jun 1, 2025
1966 marked the centennial year of Fisk University, the oldest institution for higher learning in Nashville, Tennessee. It also represented a moment of transition after the retirement of Aaron Douglas, founder and chair of Fisk’s Art Department and a leading figure of the Harlem Renaissance. The appointment of David C. Read More
Two Burmese gardeners harvest produce

Enough to Go Around: Food and Community in Nashville

Mar 21–Jun 29, 2025
The USDA estimates that 30 to 40 percent of the food supply in the United States is wasted, but changes can be made to decrease waste and make nutritious food available for everyone. Nashville area artists are invited to submit for consideration art that explores topics of food justice,… Read More
Man posed looking to the side waring an intricate gold robe with large round gold buttons and matching gold hat.

Venice and the Ottoman Empire

May 31–Sep 1, 2025
This ambitious cross-cultural exhibition explores the relationship between the Republic of Venice and the Ottoman Empire, two rival superpowers in the Mediterranean, over four centuries (1400–1800) and in multiple spheres: artistic, culinary, diplomatic, economic, political, and technological. The exhibition comes to a spectacular conclusion with a gallery dedicated to Mariano… Read More
Close up of a group of gourds of varying shapes and sizes

Ellen Altfest: Forever

May 31–Sep 1, 2025
American representational painter Ellen Altfest paints directly from observation, often working on a single painting over the course of months or years. In meticulously rendering the surface qualities of objects that she feels have been overlooked in art and life—from the rough textures of rocks and tree bark to expanses… Read More
Colorful quilt with pink peacock in the middle with flowers surrounding it.

Fabric of a Nation:
American Quilt Stories

Jun 27–Oct 12, 2025
Seen by many as a timeless, democratic art form, the quilt has evolved throughout United States history and continues to develop today. Made by a broadly under-recognized diversity of artistic hands and minds, the medium offers an opportunity to tell a rich and complicated story of our shared and contested… Read More
figure dressed in long strand of blue and pink jute like material with a tall painted wood mask with a beak like nose with two deer stacked on top

New African Masquerades: Artistic Innovations and Collaborations

Oct 10, 2025–Jan 4, 2026
New African Masquerades: Artistic Innovations and Collaborations highlights the stories of four contemporary masquerade artists, their motivations, artistic choices, and the patronage and economic networks with which they engage. Through the presentation of works of Chief Ekpenyong Bassey Nsa (Nigeria), David Sanou (Burkina Faso), Sheku “Goldenfinger” Fofanah (Sierra Leone), and Hervé… Read More
A young Paul McCartney holding a camera taking a photo of himself in a mirror

Paul McCartney Photographs 1963–1964: Eyes of the Storm

Nov 7, 2025–Jan 26, 2026
Organized by the National Portrait Gallery, London, this exhibition is an intimate and historic opportunity to see the extraordinary archive of recently discovered photographs taken by Paul McCartney between December 1963 and February 1964. Over the course of these three short months, the Beatles—Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and… Read More

Events

Tour guide talking to tour group in the Frist's Grand Lobby

Architecture Tour

Saturday, December 21, 2024, 3:30–4:30 p.m.

Meet in the Grand Lobby Free; no reservations necessary

Offered every Saturday and Sunday at 3:30 p.m.
When was the Frist Art Museum built? Who was the architect? Can you tell me about the floors in the galleries? Enjoy a guided tour of our landmark art deco building at 3:30 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday. Read More
Art Deco atrium.

Architecture Tour

Sunday, December 22, 2024, 3:30–4:30 p.m.

Meet in the Grand Lobby Free; no reservations necessary

Offered every Saturday and Sunday at 3:30 p.m.
When was the Frist Art Museum built? Who was the architect? Can you tell me about the floors in the galleries? Enjoy a guided tour of our landmark art deco building at 3:30 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday. Read More
Woman looking in a case in a gallery

Thirty-Minute Exhibition Tour 

Thursday, December 26, 2024, 6:30–7:00 p.m.

Gallery admission required

Repeats every Thursday evening
Learn more about Journey through Japan: Myths to Manga on this informal thirty-minute tour with a Frist Art Museum docent. Tours meet at the Ingram Gallery Information Desk. Read More

Architecture Tour

Saturday, December 28, 2024, 3:30–4:30 p.m.

Meet in the Grand Lobby Free; no reservations necessary

Offered every Saturday and Sunday at 3:30 p.m.
When was the Frist Art Museum built? Who was the architect? Can you tell me about the floors in the galleries? Enjoy a guided tour of our landmark art deco building at 3:30 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday. Read More
Woman leaning against table talking to tour group

Architecture Tour

Sunday, December 29, 2024, 3:30–4:30 p.m.

Meet in the Grand Lobby Free; no reservations necessary

Offered every Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
When was the Frist Art Museum built? Who was the architect? Can you tell me about the floors in the galleries? Enjoy a guided tour of our landmark art deco building at 3:30 p.m. every Saturday. Read More
Three people sitting on stools in the galleries drawing on lap easels

Drop-In Drawing

Thursday, January 2, 2025, 6:00–8:00 p.m.

Gallery admission required Materials included (first come, first served); all skill levels welcome

Practice different techniques and skills, access technical guidance, and be inspired by the artworks in our galleries and the architecture of our building. Borrow materials from the station near the Ingram Gallery Information Desk or bring your own! (Note that only pencils and digital drawing surfaces are allowed in the… Read More
Woman looking at a wall with Manga drawings

Thirty-Minute Exhibition Tour 

Thursday, January 2, 2025, 6:30–7:00 p.m.

Gallery admission required

Repeats every Thursday evening
Learn more about Journey through Japan: Myths to Manga on this informal thirty-minute tour with a Frist Art Museum docent. Tours meet at the Ingram Gallery Information Desk. Read More
Woven Nashville graphic with photos of Chuck Beard and Jason Eskridge

Woven Nashville: An Evening of Music, Art, and Conversation

Thursday, January 9, 2025, 6:30–7:30 p.m.

Café Cheeserie Free

Woven Nashville: An Evening of Music, Art, and Conversation is a creative experience hosted by Sunday Night Soul’s Jason Eskridge and East Side Storytellin’s Chuck Beard at the historic Frist Art Museum. This monthly event brings together unique pairings of extraordinary Nashville creatives working in all kinds of media. Each… Read More
A woman is looking at mannequins dressed in Japanese fashion

Thirty-Minute Exhibition Tour 

Thursday, January 9, 2025, 6:30–7:00 p.m.

Gallery admission required

Repeats every Thursday evening
Learn more about Journey through Japan: Myths to Manga on this informal thirty-minute tour with a Frist Art Museum docent. Tours meet at the Ingram Gallery Information Desk. Read More
A lady is showing a fabric to the visitors.

Family Sunday: Journey through Japan 

Sunday, January 12, 2025, 1:00–5:30 p.m.

Free for members and guests ages 18 and younger; gallery admission required for not-yet-members

The Frist loves families! On the second Sunday of each month, join us for special kid-friendly programming, family tours, multisensory gallery experiences, and a visit to Martin ArtQuest. This month, we are taking a deep dive into the exhibition Journey through Japan: Myths to Manga!   A Multisensory Exploration Station is available in… Read More
Robot made from pieces of white paper on a blue background

Family Drop-In ARTlab: Robo-Collage

Sunday, January 12, 2025, 1:00–4:00 p.m.

Studio C; Registration not required

Join the Frist Art Museum and Adriana Larios to create two-dimensional collaged robots in this family workshop inspired by Journey through Japan: Myths to Manga. Read More

Meditation: Weathering the Storm

Thursday, January 16, 2025, 6:00–7:00 p.m.

Rechter Room $5 members; $25 not-yet-members (includes gallery admission and parking); registration required

Join us and the Happy Hour for a Thursday night guided meditation. This meditation offers a powerful practice for cultivating inner calm, clarity, and self-compassion, guiding you through visualization and breathwork to reconnect with a deeper sense of peace. By imagining the stillness of a clear, undisturbed lake, you’re invited to view your mind as a reflection of natural serenity—steady and unaffected by passing thoughts or feelings Read More
Register
Docent leading a tour and pointing to a work of art

Thirty-Minute Exhibition Tour 

Thursday, January 16, 2025, 6:30–7:00 p.m.

Gallery admission required

Repeats every Thursday evening
Learn more about Journey through Japan: Myths to Manga on this informal thirty-minute tour with a Frist Art Museum docent. Tours meet at the Ingram Gallery Information Desk. Read More
Two Japanese Ikebanas are on the table

Adult ARTlab: “Ikebana Essentials: Discovering the Art and Technique of Japanese Flower Arrangement”

Saturday, January 18, 2025, 1:00–4:00 p.m.

SOLD OUT Studio A

Join the Frist Art Museum and Hideko Shimizu for this workshop inspired by Journey through Japan: Myths to Manga. Participants will be introduced to ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arrangement, which embodies a profound philosophy rooted in the concepts of balance and harmony. This philosophy is influenced by various sources, including the Chinese principle of yin and yang, Japanese cultural aesthetics like those of Zen Buddhism, and the concept of wabi-sabi—acceptance of imperfection and impermanence in beauty. Participants will learn Japanese flower arrangement techniques through a hands-on lesson, which includes an ikebana kit to take home and continue creating beautiful flower arrangements. Read More
3 bottles of sake on a table

Sake Tasting and Talk

Thursday, January 23, 2025, 6:00–7:30 p.m.

Auditorium $60 members; $80 not-yet-members (includes gallery admission and parking); registration required

Join us for this sake tasting and talk hosted by Proper Sake Co. From 6:00 to 6:30 p.m., join us for an optional social half hour while sample selected beer and chat with fellow guests. At 6:30 p.m., Byron Stithem, founder and CEO of Proper Sake Co., will introduce each sake and give an insider’s look into the world of Japanese rice wine . Each guest will get to sample three different sakes along with some packaged Japanese snacks! Read More
Register
Mother and son looking closely at an artwork in a case

Thirty-Minute Exhibition Tour 

Thursday, January 23, 2025, 6:30–7:00 p.m.

Gallery admission required

Repeats every Thursday evening
Learn more about Journey through Japan: Myths to Manga on this informal thirty-minute tour with a Frist Art Museum docent. Tours meet at the Ingram Gallery Information Desk. Read More
photo of a woman's head in black and white with characters and embellishments all around.

Adult ARTlab: “Make Cute: An Exploration of Kawaii Through Mixed Media”

Saturday, January 25, 2025, 1:00–4:00 p.m.

Studio A

Join Sai Clayton for this workshop and delve into the prevalence of kawaii, or cuteness, in Japanese art and culture. Participants will begin by exploring the origins of cuteness in Japanese artwork, tracing kawaii’s influence on modern-day icons like Pokémon and Sanrio characters as well as Japanese contemporary artists like Yoshitomo Nara and Takashi Murakami. Read More
Register
Two men looking closely at a work of art

Thirty-Minute Exhibition Tour 

Thursday, January 30, 2025, 6:30–7:00 p.m.

Gallery admission required

Repeats every Thursday evening
Learn more about Journey through Japan: Myths to Manga on this informal thirty-minute tour with a Frist Art Museum docent. Tours meet at the Ingram Gallery Information Desk. Read More
Large haystack sitting in a field with the horizon in the background

Opening Conversation:
Farm to Table

Thursday, January 30, 2025, 6:30–7:30 p.m.

Auditorium Gallery admission required

Join Andrew Eschelbacher, director of collections and exhibitions at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, and Mark Scala, chief curator at the Frist Art Museum, for this conversation about the exhibition Farm to Table: Art, Food, and Identity in the Age of Impressionism. About Andrew Eschelbacher Andrew Eschelbacher… Read More

Opening Conversation: What the Body Carries 

Friday, January 31, 2025, 12:00–1:00 p.m.

Auditorium Gallery admission required

Join artists M. Florine Démosthène and Didier William as they sit down with Katie Delmez, senior curator at the Frist Art Museum, for this conversation about the exhibition What the Body Carries.  About M. Florine Démosthène M. Florine Démosthène was born in United States and grew up between Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and… Read More
Large haystack sitting in a field with the horizon in the background

Member Morning:
Farm to Table and Tennessee Harvest

Sunday, February 2, 2025, 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.

Reservations are not required

Members are invited to join us on Sunday, February 2, to view Farm to Table: Art, Food, and Identity in the Age of Impressionism and Tennessee Harvest, 1870s–1920s, both located in the Ingram Gallery. These exhibitions showcase the work of artists such as Gustave Courbet, Paul Gauguin, Claude… Read More
Woman leaning down to look at an iPad as a man looks on.

Beginner Digital Art-Making Workshop for Ages 55+

Monday, February 3, 2025, 9:00 a.m.–10:30 p.m.

FiftyForward Donelson Station—108 Donelson Pike Nashville, TN Free; registration required; ages 55+

Occurs on Mondays, February 3–March 24, 9:00–10:30 a.m.
Workshop occurs on consecutive Mondays, February 3–March 24, 9:00–10:30 a.m. Explore your creativity, learn a new skill, and create art with an iPad in this free digital art-making workshop in partnership with the Frist Art Museum and supported by E. A. Michelson Philanthropy. Learn digital art-making skills and new… Read More
Group of seniors sitting at desks working on iPads

Advanced Digital Art-Making Workshop for Ages 55+

Thursday, February 6, 2025, 1:00–2:30 p.m.

Studio B Free; registration required; ages 55+

Occurs on Thursdays, February 6–March 27, 1:00–2:30 p.m.
Workshop occurs on consecutive Thursdays, February 6–March 27, 1:00–2:30 p.m. Explore your creativity, learn a new skill, and create art with an iPad in this free digital art-making workshop in partnership with the Frist Art Museum and supported by E. A. Michelson Philanthropy. Learn digital art-making skills and new forms… Read More
Jennifer Cihi's headshot on an animation of Sailor Moon

Musical Performance and Talk with Jennifer Cihi

Saturday, February 8, 2025, 1:00–2:00 p.m.

Auditorium $10 members; $30 not-yet-members (includes gallery admission and parking); registration required

Join us for a magical afternoon with Jennifer Cihi, the singing voice of Sailor Moon. Jennifer will recount stories from her career, spanning from Sailor Moon to Princess Mononoke, and even to Hot Pockets commercials! Throughout the talk, Jennifer will sing songs from the original Sailor Moon soundtrack.  Come dressed in your best Sailor Moon cosplay and… Read More
Register
Painting of white flowers using wide brush strokes

Adult ARTlab: Still Life Painting

Saturday, February 15, 2025, 1:00–4:00 p.m.

Studio A $60 members; $80 not-yet-members (includes gallery admission and parking): registration required

Presented by Robert Scobey Join us for this painting workshop inspired by Farm to Table: Art, Food, and Identity in the Age of Impressionism. Teaching artist Robert Scobey will lead participants in the creation of an original still life painting from an observed arrangement of produce and flowers. All skill levels… Read More
Register
Two women at a table working on an art project

Educator Workshop: Farm to Table: Art, Food, and Identity in the Age of Impressionism

Thursday, February 20, 2025, 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.

Registration closes Thursday, February 13

Learn about the intersections of art, food, and national identity in France at the turn of the 20th century at this Frist Educator Workshop. Read More
Register
Group of people standing in a grass field practicing tai chi

Beginner Tai Chi

Thursday, February 20, 2025, 6:00–7:00 p.m.

Auditorium Free; registration required

Join us for a delightful introduction to Yang-style tai chi with Tai Chi Nash! This class is perfect for beginners and offers a wonderful opportunity to explore the graceful movements and meditative qualities of tai chi in a supportive and fun environment. Discover how this ancient practice can enhance… Read More
Register

Educator Workshop: Farm to Table: Art, Food, and Identity in the Age of Impressionism

Saturday, February 22, 2025, 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.

Registration closes Thursday, February 13

Learn about the intersections of art, food, and national identity in France at the turn of the 20th century at this Frist Educator Workshop. Read More
Register
Abstract overlapping masks

Opening Conversation: David C. Driskell & Friends

Thursday, March 13, 2025, 6:30–7:30 p.m.

Auditorium Gallery admission required

Join Heather Sincavage, associate professor of art and director of the Sordoni Art Gallery at Wilkes University; Shelia Bergman, executive director of the Catalina Museum for Art & History; and Michael Ewing, associate curator at the Frist Art Museum, for this conversation about the exhibition David C. Driskell & Friends: Creativity,… Read More
A couple is discussing an artwork in the gallery

Member Moment:
Farm to Table and Tennessee Harvest

Saturday, March 22, 2025, 10:00–10:30 a.m.

Reservations are not required

We’ve set aside time for members to see Farm to Table: Art, Food, and Identity in the Age of Impressionism and Tennessee Harvest, 1870s–1920s for the first thirty minutes of the day without the crowds. It’s a great time to enjoy these exhibitions at your own pace or… Read More
Photograph of two women with stern looks on their facing standing in the middle of a creek.

Artist Talk: Stacy Kranitz, 2024–25 CECA Tennessee Artist Fellow

Thursday, March 27, 2025, 6:30–7:30 p.m.

Rechter Room Free; first come, first seated

Join us for a talk by Smithville artist Stacy Kranitz, the 2024–25 recipient of Austin Peay State University’s Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts (CECA) Tennessee Artist Fellowship. The CECA Tennessee Artist Fellowship was created to celebrate contemporary art and to support the continued creative work of exceptional Tennessee… Read More
Two women sitting and discussing at a table

Educator Workshop: David C. Driskell & Friends: Creativity, Collaboration, and Friendship

Thursday, April 3, 2025, 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.

Registration closes Thursday, March 27

Learn about the creative legacy of David C. Driskell, a renowned artist, educator, curator, and more at this Frist Educator Workshop. Read More
Register
Man and other people sitting at a table, drawing or painting

Educator Workshop: David C. Driskell & Friends: Creativity, Collaboration, and Friendship

Saturday, April 5, 2025, 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.

Registration closes Thursday, March 27

Learn about the creative legacy of David C. Driskell, a renowned artist, educator, curator, and more at this Frist Educator Workshop. Read More
Register
A woman is showing an artwork to two children in the gallery

Member Moment:
David C. Driskell & Friends and Kindred Spirits

Saturday, April 12, 2025, 10:00–10:30 a.m.

Reservations are not required

We’ve set aside time for members to see David C. Driskell & Friends: Creativity, Collaboration, and Friendship and Kindred Spirits: Intergenerational Forms of Expression, 1966–1999 for the first thirty minutes of the day without the crowds. It’s a great time to enjoy these exhibitions at your own pace or take… Read More
Couple looking at a painting in a gallery and smiling

Member Morning:
Farm to Table and Tennessee Harvest

Sunday, May 4, 2025, 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.

Reservations are not required

Members are invited to join us on Sunday, May 4, for one last chance to view Farm to Table: Art, Food, and Identity in the Age of Impressionism and Tennessee Harvest, 1870s–1920s. These exhibitions, which showcase the work of artists such as Gustave Courbet, Paul Gauguin, Claude Monet,… Read More
Young couple looking at paintings on a wall

Member Moment:
Venice and the Ottoman Empire

Saturday, July 12, 2025, 10:00–10:30 a.m.

Reservations are not required

We’ve set aside time for members to see Venice and the Ottoman Empire for the first thirty minutes of the day without the crowds. It’s a great time to enjoy this exhibition at your own pace or take a docent-guided exhibition tour. This ambitious cross-cultural exhibition explores the relationship… Read More
Young woman taking a picture of a work of art in a case

Member Morning:
Venice and the Ottoman Empire, Ellen Altfest, and Fabric of a Nation

Sunday, August 17, 2025, 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.

Reservations are not required

Members are invited to join us on Sunday, August 17, for a special opportunity to view three amazing exhibitions: Venice and the Ottoman Empire, Ellen Altfest: Forever, and Fabric of a Nation: American Quilt Stories. Enjoy docent-led exhibition tours and exclusive time in our galleries and… Read More
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