April is a great month to get out and see art right here in Nashville. Not only the classic works at the Frist Art Museum or the Van Vechten Galleries at Fisk University, which I previewed extensively last month, but also amazing original visual art creations by talented artists at TSU, Vandy, the Kreate Hub, and the Art Crawls, downtown in what I call the “ArtCade,” and in Wedgewood-Houston.
This Saturday, April 5, meet Marcellus at his solo show of original art entitled “Layers” at the Kreate Hub. “This show is all about what’s beneath the surface – the hidden stories, emotions and energy we don’t always see but definitely feel,” says the artist. Come experience it from 5:00 – 8:00 pm at Kreate Hub, located at 309 Plus Park Boulevard.
Also Saturday, April 5, Zeitgeist Gallery reaches back to well-worn paths to present three regional artists that share over 25 years of history together at the gallery: Jim Ann Howard / “Mother Me Mother” ; Richard Painter / “Burghers of Calais”; and Lain York / “Permian Chapters”; through April 26, Opening Reception, 5:00 –8:00 pm also, at 516 Hagan Street #100 Nashville, TN 37203, as part of the Wedgewood-Houston First Saturday Art Crawl.
Thursday, April 10, 6:00 – 7:00 pm, an Artist Talk, featuring XPayne, Rod McGaha, Courtney Gatewood, and Katherine Frensley, will be held in the Arcade, ahead of the monthly Second Saturday Art Crawl.
On Saturday April 12, from 6:00 – 9:00 pm, enjoy art in several venues on Rep. John Lewis Way, the “Avenue of the Arts,” in addition to the upper level of Nashville’s historic Arcade building downtown, don’t miss Sky Kim “Cosmic Downloads” through May 10, at Tinney Contemporary, 237 Rep. John Lewis Way North; and “Euphoria” through May 31, 2025 at CHAUVET Arts, 215 Rep. John Lewis Way North, as Cuban artist Carlos Gamez de Francisco reflects on his journey — one defined by resilience, resourcefulness, and an unwavering passion for artistic expression.
Monday, April 14, the Closing Reception for “Dark Testament” is at 4:00 pm in the Vanderbilt Museum of Art, Cohen Atrium. Local artists Omari Booker, Lakesha Calvin and Dayo Johnson will reflect on their artworks created specifically for the Vanderbilt exhibit. Their remarks will be followed by a musical performance and refreshments. Omari Booker’s painting of Pauli Murray as the poet is on view in the Divinity School. Lakesha Calvin’s painting of Pauli Murray as the Episcopal priest is on view in the Divinity School; her painting of poet and Fisk University alumna Nikki Giovanni is on view at the Black Cultural Center. Dayo Johnson’s multimedia artworks of Harriet Jacobs and James Weldon Johnson are on view at the Vanderbilt University Museum of Art, where the reception will be held. “Dark Testament: A Century of Black Writers on Justice” will be on display at Vanderbilt through May 1, 2025. For more information, visit www.vanderbilt.edu/incunabula/dark-testament
And, on Thursday, April 17, the Senior Art Show Reception at TSU runs 4:00 –6:00 pm in the Hiram Van Gordon Gallery on the TSU Main Campus, 1108 — 37th Ave North, Elliott Hall, Room 118. See works by seniors Ehren Adams, Matthew Avery, Gracie Gary, Myles Jones, Samaria Jones, Synia Malbrough, Ashley Mintz, and Kimya Savage.
