Art
The Cheekwood Collection
The Cheek family collected and carefully displayed a collection comprised of decorative arts, paintings, furniture, textiles, silver and books. Today, The Cheekwood Collection encompasses the Cheek family collection and archival materials, as well as paintings, works on paper, sculpture, decorative arts and niche collections amassed since the opening of Cheekwood to the public in 1960. Masterpieces include the largest collection of William Edmondson sculptures, Andy Warhol and Jamie Wyeth’s portraits of each other, fine examples by American impressionists Childe Hassam, John White Alexander and William Merritt Chase, as well as paintings and works on paper by The Eight, an early twentieth-century artist collective in New York City.
William Glackens (American, 1870-1938). Village on the Seine No. 2, 1925. Oil on canvas. Gift of an anonymous donor in honor of the 2004 Collectors Group
Cheekwood is currently conducting a Foundation for Collections Access project that has been made possible by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this project and on this website, do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Outdoor Sculpture Collection/Ann & Monroe Carell Jr. Family Sculpture Trail
Cheekwood offers a unique environment in which to experience outdoor contemporary sculpture. The permanent collection features a diverse range of artworks—many commissioned specifically for the institution—created by regionally, nationally, and internationally recognized artists from Germany, Spain, the United States, and the United Kingdom, and installed across the institution’s 55-acre estate.
Siah Armajani (American, born Iran, 1939). The Glass Bridge for Nashville, 2003. Glass, steel on concrete foundation. Gift of Mr. & Mrs. Irvin Small. 2003.1.
Martin Shallenberger Artist-in-Residence Program
The Cheekwood Martin Shallenberger Artist-in-Residence program brings national and international artists to Nashville to create and exhibit site-specific works at Cheekwood, while allowing artists the opportunity to interact with staff, visitors, and the arts community throughout the creative process. With its renowned museum and gardens, Cheekwood offers the Martin Shallenberger Artist-in-Residence a unique resource which broadly reflects nature and sustainability within a global art practice. The residency program provides living arrangements for the artist while he or she are in residency. Mr. Shallenberger’s connection with Cheekwood has great length and significance. In June 1971, Shallenberger, the artist, exhibited 40 paintings at Cheekwood. Visitors who attended this exhibition were afforded a worldly experience with Shallenberger’s renderings of New York, Paris, Florence, Amsterdam, and Cologne. As a citizen of the world, he enjoyed experiencing and capturing the many sites he visited on canvas. Shallenberger knew the world of art had and would continue to expand without borders. The residence program is made possible with the generous support of a private foundation.
Current Exhibitions
Chihuly at Cheekwood
July 18, 2020 – January 10, 2021
Chihuly at Cheekwood celebrates the 10th anniversary of Chihuly’s 2010 blockbuster success at Cheekwood while also commemorating the 60th anniversary of Cheekwood as a public institution.
Chihuly at Cheekwood features large-scale installations in the gardens of the historic estate as well as pedestal works presented in the art galleries. Outdoor installations include two pieces on the newly-accessible Ann & Monroe Carell Jr. Family Sculpture Trail, as well as two new, site-specific works created for this exhibition. A monumental sculpture is on view in the Frist Learning Center Great Hall.
Visitors may view the exhibition during the daytime as well as during evening hours on select Tuesdays through Sundays.
Dale Chihuly, Fiori Boat, 2018 © Chihuly Studio
Upcoming Exhibitions
Sean Kenney’s Nature POP! Made with LEGO® Bricks
May 1 – September 5, 2021
From acclaimed artist Sean Kenney and produced by Imagine Exhibitions, this exhibition features over 40 sculptures made from more than 800,000 LEGO® Bricks. Inspired by the Pop art movement, Kenney’s work blurs the boundaries between austere and the everyday, drawing from a belief that everything is interconnected. Sean Kenney’s Nature POP! Made with LEGO® Bricks explores the beauty of nature through highly stylized, colorful displays that stand in striking contrast with their surroundings. Presenting a playful spin on traditional sculptural art, this exhibition is an accessible experience for all ages designed to inspire visitors to create something wonderful themselves.
© Sean Kenney www.seankenney.com
The Sculpture of William Edmondson: Tombstones, Garden Ornaments, and Stone Work
August 14, 2021 – October 31, 2021
The Sculpture of William Edmondson: Tombstones, Garden Ornaments, and Stone Work is the first large-scale museum examination of the artist’s career in over twenty years. A Nashville native and the first Black artist to have a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, Edmondson remains one of the most important self-taught artists of the twentieth-century. This exhibition, accompanied by a richly illustrated catalogue published by Vanderbilt University Press, draws upon new scholarship on Edmondson to reevaluate the full breadth of his sculptural output on its own terms and as part of a comprehensive practice.
Cheekwood’s Riverview Gardens and Art Installation at Riverfront Park
Since 2015, Cheekwood has been partnering with the Metropolitan Government to present a garden and art installation at Riverfront Park. Cheekwood contributes to the overall care and oversight of the garden, maintaining the perennial plants and regularly installing annual plants that mirror the coinciding displays at Cheekwood. For example, in spring, Riverview Gardens features thousands of tulips reflecting the 150,000 blooming bulbs at Cheekwood.
© Jaume Plensa, Courtesy Galerie LeLong, New York