Your Tennessee State Museum (TSM) has several FREE special programs coming up for the entire family, including a musical performance you won’t want to miss by Nashville Opera.
“Lunch and Learn: Tennessee Homefront: How Tennesseans Supported the Nation During World War II” by Lawrence Dahl is Thursday, March 14, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM. No RSVPs are required to attend this free event, livestreamed on the TSM website: TNMuseum.org/Videos.
During World War II, the US civilian population was called upon to aid the war effort as American troops fought thousands of miles away in Europe and the Pacific. Millions of Americans raised funds, manufactured equipment, and supported the military overseas. Tennessee, and Tennesseans, played a major role in preparing, supporting, and sustaining the nation. Dahl is TSM a curator of military history.
Saturday, March 16, 2024, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM is TN Writers | TN Stories: Dr. Mark Cheathem, discussing his book, “Who Is James K. Polk? The Presidential Election of 1844”, moderated by Richard White, TSM Chief Curator. The presidential election of 1844 had it all: an unpopular incumbent forced out of the race, a perennial presidential loser, a candidate whose career appeared to be on life support, a long-shot whose political ideology had been transformed by religious conversion, even a political assassination. Out of these emerged James K. Polk, one of Andrew Jackson’s Tennessee protégés, who narrowly won the White House, whose victory put the US on an accelerated path to civil war.
“Nashville Opera On Tour: The Three Little Pigs” is Saturday, March 16, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. Introduce your children to live opera with John Davies’ fun retelling of a classic children’s fairy tale. The three little pigs are all grown up and must now each build their own house. The first couple of attempts lead to disaster and land them in direct contact with the famous villain, Wolfgang BigBad! By working together, the three pigs are able to outwit the wolf. The Three Little Pigs teaches children the importance of team work and with the right book, any challenge can be overcome. With an emphasis on literacy, we learn that sometimes three heads really are better than one.
John Davies incorporates popular tunes from Mozart’s most famous operas (Don Giovanni, The Magic Flute, The Marriage of Figaro), making The Three Little Pigs a favorite of children everywhere. 30 minutes in length, this audience-interactive production is sung in English. Nashville Opera will bring a full set and costumes and a cast of four professional opera singers and a pianist, all members of Nashville Opera’s Mary Ragland Emerging Artist Program. Accompanying study guide and an accessibility toolkit to prepare children for the performance are on the TSM website.
TSM is on the corner of Rosa L. Parks Blvd. and Jefferson Street, near the Nashville Farmers’ Market and the Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park. Free parking is available, and the Museum, always free, is open Tuesdays – Saturdays, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sundays, 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
TSM features six permanent exhibitions, including Natural History; First Peoples (13,000 BCE to 1760 CE); Forging a Nation (1760 to 1860); The Civil War and Reconstruction (1860 to 1870); Reconstruction, Change and Challenge (1870 to 1945); and Tennessee Transforms (1945 to Present). The Tennessee Time Tunnel serves as the backbone for the entire permanent gallery experience, combining content-rich artifacts, exhibits and stories with engaging media and thought-provoking interactives for a multi-layered experience. The Tennessee Playlist: The People, Places, and Roots of Our Music is now on view in the Curb Music Gallery.
