Current Gallery Exhibit-- FREE to the Public
Metro Parks' Centennial Art Center - Gallery Schedule - 2013
Centennial Art Center’s biennial show features Nashville Calligraphers’ Guild “26 Seeds, a Year to Grow,” collection features calligraphy, blown glass and sculptures
Nashville, TN --- Metro Parks’ Centennial Art Center Gallery announces its biennial art show by the Nashville Calligraphers’ Guild. The exhibit will include the Guild’s collection entitled “26 Seeds, A Year to Grow,” works made in response to a year-long workshop with internationally renowned calligrapher, Reggie Ezell. Along with this new series, the Art Center will show blown glass vessels and sculptures by local artist Scott Hodes. The show will open with an evening reception Friday, April 5 from 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. The exhibit will continue through May 29, 2013.
A longtime advocate of the arts, the Nashville Calligraphers’ Guild was founded in 1981 by eight ambitious women. The initial function of the Guild was to promote community awareness of this ancient art form. Heading into its 32nd year, the Guild is now blossoming with more than 80 members from Tennessee and neighboring states Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi. The Calligraphers’ Guild is currently lead by Rose Wathen (President), Valerie Cypress (Vice President) and Ann Cobb (Workshop Chair). The Guild meets and hosts workshops several times per year to share techniques and new developments in this centuries-old practice. With their crafted penmanship and mastery command of ink, the Guild members scribe words that come alive on the page. The writings are so decorative; they are artworks themselves--much like the illuminated manuscripts of centuries ago. The art of calligraphy may have been around for hundreds of years already, but in Nashville, it is here to stay. Visit the Guild online at www.nashvillecalligraphersguild.org.
Also on display in the gallery, the flowing blown glass forms by local artist Scott Hodes provide a fluid complement to the Guild’s calligraphy. Scott Hodes, originally from Nashville, Tennessee is one of the region’s most prominent glass artists. He is the owner of “Chaos Glass and Metalworks” in Bon Aqua, Tennessee—a business he established after earning a Master of Fine Arts degree from Kent State University (Ohio) in 1996. For his undergraduate studies, Scott attended the University of Wisconsin (Madison). He continued his education with post undergraduate studies in glass and blacksmithing at the Appalachian Center for Crafts in Smithville, Tennessee before applying to the MFA program at Kent State University.
Scott Hodes’ work has been shown at Disney’s Festival of the Masters and the Tennessee Governor’s Inaugural Ball. He was also a featured artist on NPT’s Tennessee Crossroads television program. His work can be found in many permanent collections including: the Tennessee Governor’s Residence, the Tennessee Arts Commission and the Tennessee State Museum. Scott has served on numerous committees and on the board of TACA, Tennessee Association of Crafts Artists. He currently sits on the board of the Arts Council of Williamson County as Director of Visual Arts. In 2010, Hodes won a grant from the Tennessee Arts Commission and TACA to participate as a “master” in the first Tennessee Master Craft Artist/ Apprentice program. His list of accomplishments is impressive, and the ripple effect of his involvement in the arts can be seen throughout the region. Scott says he is, “dedicated to a belief in the importance of art in everyone’s daily lives and strives to help foster this belief in others.”
The Centennial Art Center Gallery is free and open to the public. The exhibit is open April 5-May 29, 2013 and gallery hours are Monday-Thursday 9am-5pm. For more information, call the Centennial Art Center at (615) 862-8442 or visit online: http://www.nashville.gov/cac
Visual Arts Classes for Adults
The Visual Arts Division also offers a variety of classes, most of which take place in the Centennial Art Center. Typically offered in three different sessions (FALL, WINTER/SPRING, and SUMMER) the class schedule will vary based on space and teaching staff availability.
Summer 2013 Class Schedule
Centennial Park Weddings
Within Centennial Park, at the Centennial Art Center, the Herb Society of Nashville maintains a beautiful year-round Herb Garden that surrounds the water fountain located behind the building. The adjacent courtyard is furnished with tables, and chairs. The courtyard is a wonderful area to host events such as weddings, lunch meetings, and reunions. Individuals or groups may rent the facility. It is also open to the public everyday during business hours for a tranquil space to enjoy lunch or just a break for the serenity found in the heart of Centennial Park.
Access to the courtyard is free & open to the public Monday–Thursday, from 9am – 5pm.
For more details on renting the courtyard for your next event, please contact: (615) 862-8442 or Brenda.McSurley@nashville.gov. .