The Metro Nashville Arts Commission (Metro Arts) is planning a celebration of the Lending Library Collection with an opening of 53 new art works at the Mezzanine Gallery at the Main Branch of the Nashville Public Library (NPL) on July 18 from 5:30-8 pm.

The Lending Library, a Metro Arts partnership with NPL, was devised in 2020 to provide direct, immediate financial support to local artists and create a novel way for the greater Nashville community to access these artists and their work. Metro Arts began the initiative as a direct response to Nashville artists dealing with impacts of the March 3, 2020 tornado and COVID-19 outbreak. Metro Arts purchased 60 works of visual art from local artists and launched the Lending Library, a program which allows Nashville library card holders to browse and check out works of art in three month blocks of time, in 2021. Of the purchased art works, 30 were based at Madison Branch Library and 30 at Southeast Branch Library.

Hundreds of library patrons have checked these works out since the collection launched in 2021, and many works carry a waitlist each quarter. At any given time, most Lending Library works hang in patrons’ homes rather than on the library wall.

Metro Arts is expanding the Lending Library Collection this year, providing further direct support to local artists and making professional art work accessible to a wider public audience.

The Commission purchased 53 new art works from Davidson County artists which will be distributed across five additional branches of NPL: Donelson, Green Hills, Old Hickory, Hermitage, and East. Metro Arts Interim Executive Director Dr. Paulette Coleman said of the expansion: “The tremendous success of the Lending Library speaks to the desire of Nashvillians to experience art in the many places they live and work. We are excited to see this program reach even more of our community with the expansion of the collection to five new branches because all Nashvillians deserve access to a vibrant creative life.”

The new works will be on display for library patrons to view at the Mezzanine Gallery of the Main Branch, located at 615 Church St, from July 11 until August 16. The public is invited to an opening reception for the Lending Library Collection July 18 from 5:30-8 pm.

This project is funded through Metro Nashville’s Percent for Public Art Fund, established in 2000 under Mayor Bill Purcell. This fund allocates one percent of funding for designated projects in the Metro Capital Improvements Budget toward the commission of artworks in the Metro Public Art Collection.