New Year’s resolution 2008 – before you go to a local gallery, call first. Get the number, have it ready and call before you go. The hours may be posted on their Web site and they have hours on their ongoing messages and in the newspapers…. trust me. Call first.
I very rarely will go to openings at galleries to see the art. They are great events to take friends to and have some fun but honestly, to spend time with the art, I prefer to look when it’s not so hectic. That’s my style, there it is. It can be very frustrating when you make plans to have your own art crawl and three galleries in a row are closed. One recent welcoming was a sign that read “Back at 3 p.m.” It was 1:30 p.m. and the hours posted were 1-4 p.m. How does that happen? No, I didn’t go back at 3 p.m.
Most funky places I like to go are independently owned and operated, and I completely understand if there is an emergency and they have to take off unexpectedly. Life happens; I get that. However, if I had a baby like an art gallery, I would call a sitter to watch it while I left. I would do this particularly on a Saturday in December!
Galleries will typically be open Tues-Saturday. Plan accordingly. Call first; be happier.
A place you can count on being open is The Frist Center for Visual Art and there are two exhibits coming that should not be missed.
Opening Jan. 11, 2008: The Legacy of Aaron Douglas: Fisk University’s Art Faculty (Conte Community Arts Gallery) Includes works by current and former members of Fisk University art faculty. Presented in conjunction with Aaron Douglas: African American Modernist.
Opening Jan. 18, 2008: Aaron Douglas: African American Modernist. This exhibit was organized by the Spencer Museum of Art, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, Dr. Susan Earle, curator, and Stephanie Fox Knappe, exhibition coordinator. The exhibition and accompanying catalog are made possible in part with support from the Henry Luce Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.
The works of Aaron Douglas on the Fisk University campus are worth the trip as well so make the time to get to know this great American Social Realist as well some great Nashville architecture. Visit the Douglas gallery on the third floor of the University Library on Jackson Street and 17th Avenue North. The hours are different depending on the time of year so, yes it would be smart to call first: 615-329-8720. It’s a shame if you live in Nashville and have gone to see the Douglas murals at Fisk.
Don’t miss The Nashville Shakespeare Festival’sHamlet Jan., 17-Feb 2, at The Troutt Theater on Belmont Blvd. Costume designs are from Tony Award winner Franne Lee, set design by Paul Gatrell and lighting design by Anne Willingham.