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
Cows wading in a pond on a farm with a family having a picnic under a tree near with a house background

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
Close up of a group of gourds of varying shapes and sizes

Ellen Altfest: Forever

May 30–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
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
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

Upwards view of the vast space in the Frist foyer

Architecture Tour

Saturday, November 30, 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
View of the vast space in the upper level of the Frist foyer

Architecture Tour

Sunday, December 1, 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
Two women sit side by side in desks drawing

Drop-In Drawing

Thursday, December 5, 2024, 6:00–8:00 p.m.

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

Occurs the first Thursday evening of the month
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
The tour guide is showing an image to two visitors

Architecture Tour

Saturday, December 7, 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
Volunteer working with a boy at the Multisensory Station

Family Sunday  

Sunday, December 8, 2024, 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.   Multisensory Exploration Stations are available in the galleries from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. The Multisensory Exploration Stations offer opportunities for visitors of all… Read More
Charms made with colorful beads, trinkets, and feathers

Family Drop-In ARTlab: “Kawaii Charms: Craft Your Own Cute”

Sunday, December 8, 2024, 1:00–4:00 p.m.

Studio C; No registration required

Presented by Jess Pouncy  Join Jess Pouncy for this kawaii (cute) family workshop inspired by Journey through Japan: Myths to Manga. Born from Japan’s vibrant manga and anime culture of the 1970s, the kawaii aesthetic blossomed into a global sensation by the 1990s, inspiring an explosion of colorful accessories, fashion, and playful designs. Read More
Curved details in the ceiling with silver star accents

Architecture Tour

Sunday, December 8, 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
Couple walking through a large gallery

Gallery Talk: “Magdalena Floats: On Sacred Holds and Movement”

Thursday, December 12, 2024, 6:00–6:30 p.m.

Ingram Gallery Gallery admission required

Presented by Dr. Grace L. Sanders Johnson Join us for a gallery talk by Dr. Grace L. Sanders Johnson, associate professor of Africana studies at the University of Pennsylvania, exploring the exhibition María Magdalena Campos-Pons: Behold. Sanders Johnson’s talk will dive deeper into the artwork on view and talk largely about… Read More
A bunch of books sitting on a table

Literary Salon: María Magdalena Campos-Pons: Behold

Thursday, December 12, 2024, 6:30–7:30 p.m.

Café Cheeserie Free

See how language helps you experience María Magdalena Campos-Pons: Behold anew. Poet Ciona Rouse, owner of Bard’s Towne Books & Bourbon, has curated a special selection of books—poetry, nonfiction, and fiction. You’re invited to join other literary-loving people in Café Cheeserie to discuss how the language of these works expands our connections with Campos-Pons’s incredible exhibition. Read just one or all three! Or don’t read at all, but come for fellowship, music from the Jeff Coffin Trio, and to learn from our community of readers.  Read More
Band on stage playing for a large crowd in an auditorium

Music for Seniors Holiday Concert

Friday, December 13, 2024, 10:30–11:30 a.m.

Auditorium Free; registration requested starting Nov. 22

Join us for a holiday concert featuring long-time Nashville favorites John England & the Western Swingers, a six-piece Nashville band that plays Western swing. The group has played at Nashville’s Robert’s Western World every Monday since July 2001. The Swingers have also performed at New York’s Lincoln Center, the Grand Ole… Read More
Register
Three book cover featuring swirly gray and white patterns embellished with colorful material pieces.

Adult ARTlab: Traditional Japanese Bookbinding with Suminagashi

Saturday, December 14, 2024, 1:00–4:00 p.m.

Studio A

Presented by Rima Day  $60 members; $75 not-yet-members (gallery admission, and parking validation included) Ages 18+ only; space is limited; all skill levels are welcome.  Join the Frist Art Museum and artist Rima Day for this workshop inspired by Journey through Japan: Myths to Manga. Explore suminagashi, a traditional Japanese marbling technique… Read More
Register
Godzilla poster

Frist Films: Godzilla vs. Destoroyah

Saturday, December 14, 2024, 3:00–5:00 p.m.

Auditorium Free; first come, first seated

Join us for this classic 1995 Japanese kaiju film that will leave you wanting more, more, MORE destruction! This movie is presented in conjunction with Journey through Japan: Myths to Manga.  Something has destroyed Birth Island, home of Godzilla and Little Godzilla! Worse, Godzilla has developed a bright, fiery glow—his nuclear energy… Read More
Tour group in the Frist's Grand Lobby looking at the walls

Architecture Tour

Saturday, December 14, 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
Close up view of metal art deco bannister along marble stairwell

Architecture Tour

Sunday, December 15, 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
Young man looking at a large work of art

Close Looking: Behold

Thursday, December 19, 2024, 6:30–7:00 p.m.

Ingram Gallery Gallery admission required

Join us for a closer look at artworks in María Magdalena Campos-Pons: Behold led by museum educators. Our Close Looking sessions are opportunities to come together as a community and practice looking, talking, listening, and engaging with art and each other. Read More
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

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
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
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.

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
Register
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
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

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
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
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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