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

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
Man holding harvest of cherry tomatoes

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 were invited to submit for consideration art that explores topics of food justice, food production,… Read More
Man posed looking to the side wearing 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

Avenues to a Great City

Jul 4–Dec 29, 2025
The Civic Design Center and the Frist Art Museum have partnered to create Avenues to a Great City, on view in the Conte Community Arts Gallery this summer. Visitors are invited to consider the complex art of civic design through an exploration of the growth of Nashville as envisioned in the… 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

Young woman looking closely at a large painting

Thirty-Minute Exhibition Tour 

Thursday, March 27, 2025, 6:30–7:00 p.m.

Gallery admission required

Repeats every Thursday evening
Learn more about Farm to Table: Art, Food, and Identity in the Age of Impressionism on this informal thirty-minute tour with a Frist Art Museum docent. Tours meet at the Ingram Gallery Information Desk. Read More
Photo by Stacy Kranitz of two women in 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
Photo of a woman with a face covering of beads and flowers kneeling in a calm river

Conversation with Haitian American Artist Vanessa Charlot

Saturday, March 29, 2025, 10:30–11:30 a.m.

Frist Auditorium Free

Join Haitian American artist and photographer Vanessa Charlot for a conversation with Grace Aneiza Ali, curator of the Engine for Art, Democracy, and Justice at Vanderbilt University, and Katie Delmez, Frist Art Museum Senior Curator. Through her lens, Charlot explores the intersections of Black identity, migration, and spirituality, moving between the waters of the Mississippi… Read More
Jazz on the Move graphic featuring a photo of Dinah Washington and Dara Tucker

Jazz on the Move: The Life and Music of Dinah Washington

Sunday, March 30, 2025, 3:00–4:30 p.m.

Auditorium Free; first come, first seated

Join us for Jazz on the Move on Sunday, March 30, for a spectacular presentation by vocalist Dara Tucker exploring the life and music of Dinah Washington. This program begins at 3:00 p.m. (doors open at 2:30 p.m.). In this installment we celebrate the life and music of the Queen of the Blues, Dinah Washington. This iconic jazz and blues… Read More
View of the vast space in the upper level of the Frist foyer

Architecture Tour

Sunday, March 30, 2025, 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
Two males view artwork in the gallery and take notes on their observations.

Homeschool Monday

Monday, March 31, 2025, 10:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m.

Free for members; $16 adult admission for not-yet-members; youth ages 18 and under are free

Homeschool Mondays fall on the last Monday of the month (except May, November, and December due to holidays) and are designed to maximize the experience of our homeschool-community members. These drop-in days (no registration needed) offer special opportunities to learn more about selected exhibitions. All adult visitors enjoy our discounted… 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
A print of an elderly black man and a young black boy

Curators’ Perspectives: Kindred Spirits

Thursday, April 3, 2025, 6:30–7:30 p.m.

Auditorium Gallery admission required

Join Julie McGee, associate professor of art history and Africana studies at the University of Delaware; Jamaal B. Sheats, associate provost of art and culture at Fisk University and director and curator of the Fisk University Galleries; and Michael Ewing, associate curator at the Frist Art Museum, for this discussion about the exhibition Kindred Spirits: Intergenerational Forms of Expression, 1966–1999. Read More
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
Sun shines through the Frist windows and hits ceiling beams. Windows line the side of the building.

Architecture Tour

Saturday, April 5, 2025, 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
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
Three people sitting on stools in the galleries drawing on lap easels

Workshop Series Part III: Witnessing Art Through Expressive Writing

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

Studio B

In this workshop series, we invite participants to slow down and take time to reflect and renew through viewing artwork and the practice of writing. As current studies attest, contemplative practices like expressive writing, art viewing, and meditation can support human health, healing, and well-being. Join us for this three-part workshop series as we explore how these modalities can promote healthy self-awareness, personal enjoyment, and care for both self and community. Read More
Register
people arranging colorful flowers

Adult ARTlab: From Field to Vase

Saturday, April 12, 2025, 1:00–3:30 p.m.

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

Presented by Susan Lyell Young Come make a French market bouquet with Susan Lyell Young and Carter Dawson of Botanica. Using only flowers from local farms, you’ll learn how to select seasonal flowers for a hand-tied bouquet. We will cover sourcing, design, technique, and local flower farming. All levels of… Read More
Register
Docent holding up a book talking to a group of people in the gallery

Frist Arts Fest

Sunday, April 13, 2025, 1:00–5:30 p.m.

Free for members and guests ages 18 and younger $20 for adults*

Join us for a day of performances, art making, music, and more celebrating the exhibitions Farm to Table: Art, Food, and Identity in the Age of Impressionism, Tennessee Harvest: 1870s–1920s, M. Florine Démosthène and Didier William: What the Body Carries, David C. Driskell & Friends:… Read More
Frist black and white ceiling with light two light fixtures.

Architecture Tour

Sunday, April 13, 2025, 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
Two Burmese gardeners harvest produce

Panel Discussion: “Food for Thought: Food Justice in Nashville"

Thursday, April 17, 2025, 11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.

Auditorium Free; registration required (gallery admission, parking, and lunch included)

Presented in partnership with Vanderbilt University’s Division of Government and Community Relations and the Vice Provost’s Office of Arts, Libraries, and Global Engagement  In partnership with Vanderbilt University’s Division of Government and Community Relations and the Vice Provost’s Office of Arts, Libraries, and Global Engagement, the Frist Art Museum presents… Read More
Register
Guests walk down a hallway at the Frist. This hallway is lined with light fixtures, as well as stone interior design features.

Architecture Tour

Saturday, April 19, 2025, 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
A young girl sits on a stool drawing with her dad behind her.

Drop-In Drawing

Thursday, April 24, 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
This image features a light fixture, window, and stone interior design details.

Architecture Tour

Sunday, April 27, 2025, 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
A female and young male view artwork in the gallery.

Homeschool Monday

Monday, April 28, 2025, 10:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m.

Free for members; $16 adult admission for not-yet-members; youth ages 18 and under are free

Homeschool Mondays fall on the last Monday of the month (except May, November, and December due to holidays) and are designed to maximize the experience of our homeschool-community members. These drop-in days (no registration needed) offer special opportunities to learn more about selected exhibitions. All adult visitors enjoy our discounted… Read More
Young woman looking at black and white photographs

The Frequency of Images: Photography in Kindred Spirits

Thursday, May 1, 2025, 6:30–7:30 p.m.

Auditorium Gallery admission required

Join photographers Michael D. Atkins, John Simmons, and George Walker III for this conversation with Frist Art Museum Associate Curator Michael Ewing about their works in the exhibition Kindred Spirits: Intergenerational Forms of Expression, 1966–1999. About Michael D. Atkins  Michael D. Atkins was born and raised in Grand Rapids,… Read More
Young woman taking a picture of a work of art

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
Tahila Moss working on her artwork.

Open Studio with Artist Táhila Moss

Thursday, May 29, 2025, 4:00–5:30 p.m.

Studio C

Stop by Studio A and watch Táhila Moss in action as she creates her art! An Indigenous Yaqui and ancestral Jewish multidisciplinary artist, Táhila has been a visiting artist in Performance Art at Vanderbilt University and is part of the Engine for Art, Democracy, and Justice program. Once a… Read More
A blonde female draws on a clipboard in the gallery.

Drop-In Drawing

Thursday, May 29, 2025, 6:00–8:00 p.m.

Gallery admission required Materials included (first come, first served); all skill levels are 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
Tahila Moss working in the studio

Open Studio with Artist Táhila Moss

Thursday, June 12, 2025, 4:00–5:30 p.m.

Studio C

Stop by Studio A and watch Táhila Moss in action as she creates her art! An Indigenous Yaqui and ancestral Jewish multidisciplinary artist, Táhila has been a visiting artist in Performance Art at Vanderbilt University and is part of the Engine for Art, Democracy, and Justice program. Once a… Read More
Blue, white, and red quilt that depicts the American flag

Opening Conversation: Fabric of a Nation: American Quilt Stories

Thursday, June 26, 2025, 6:30–7:30 p.m.

Auditorium Gallery admission required

Presented by Jennifer Swope Join Jennifer Swope, the David and Roberta Logie Curator of Textiles at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and Katie Delmez, senior curator at the Frist Art Museum, for this conversation about the exhibition Fabric of a Nation: American Quilt Stories.  About Jennifer Swope Jennifer Swope… Read More
Two females and two younger females view a sculpture in the gallery for the Farm to Table exhibition.

Homeschool Monday

Monday, June 30, 2025, 10:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m.

Free for members; $16 adult admission for not-yet-members; youth ages 18 and under are free

Homeschool Mondays fall on the last Monday of the month (except May, November, and December due to holidays) and are designed to maximize the experience of our homeschool-community members. These drop-in days (no registration needed) offer special opportunities to learn more about selected exhibitions. All adult visitors enjoy our discounted… 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
A female holds a young female while looking at artwork in the gallery for the Farm to Table exhibition.

Homeschool Monday

Monday, July 28, 2025, 10:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m.

Free for members; $16 adult admission for not-yet-members; youth ages 18 and under are free

Homeschool Mondays fall on the last Monday of the month (except May, November, and December due to holidays) and are designed to maximize the experience of our homeschool-community members. These drop-in days (no registration needed) offer special opportunities to learn more about selected exhibitions. All adult visitors enjoy our discounted… 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
A female teaches three young males how to make prints in Martin ArtQuest. Another male joins them. There are other people in the background creating and experiencing art.

Homeschool Monday

Monday, August 25, 2025, 10:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m.

Free for members; $16 adult admission for not-yet-members; youth ages 18 and under are free

Homeschool Mondays fall on the last Monday of the month (except May, November, and December due to holidays) and are designed to maximize the experience of our homeschool-community members. These drop-in days (no registration needed) offer special opportunities to learn more about selected exhibitions. All adult visitors enjoy our discounted… Read More
A young male looks at his reflection at an activity in Martin ArtQuest. Other children create and experience art around him.

Homeschool Monday

Monday, September 29, 2025, 10:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m.

Free for members; $16 adult admission for not-yet-members; youth ages 18 and under are free

Homeschool Mondays fall on the last Monday of the month (except May, November, and December due to holidays) and are designed to maximize the experience of our homeschool-community members. These drop-in days (no registration needed) offer special opportunities to learn more about selected exhibitions. All adult visitors enjoy our discounted… Read More
Two young females create art in Martin ArtQuest.

Homeschool Monday

Monday, October 27, 2025, 10:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m.

Free for members; $16 adult admission for not-yet-members; youth ages 18 and under are free

Homeschool Mondays fall on the last Monday of the month (except May, November, and December due to holidays) and are designed to maximize the experience of our homeschool-community members. These drop-in days (no registration needed) offer special opportunities to learn more about selected exhibitions. All adult visitors enjoy our discounted… Read More
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