“State of the Art: Discovering American Art Now” from Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and “Vadis Turner: Tempest” at Nashville’s Frist Center

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – “State of the Art: Discovering American Art Now,” a survey of art from across the United States, and “Vadis Turner: Tempest,” art from Nashville-born artist Vadis Turner’s first monographic museum exhibition, are on view May 26-Sept. 10 at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts.

The “State of the Art” project, organized by Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, provides a vivid snapshot of contemporary work from diverse studios and creative communities today. It is the culmination of an ambitious year-long process in which Crystal Bridges’ curatorial team logged more than 100,000 miles, crisscrossing the country to visit nearly 1,000 artists in rural communities, small towns and urban centers.

From the original exhibition presented in 2014 at Crystal Bridges, the Frist Center presents works by 45 of the artists, grouped thematically to demonstrate connections between artists and ideas across the country in the Ingram Gallery. The exhibition curators considered factors of quality and originality in selecting artworks, and included artists with an impressive diversity of worldviews, styles, and mediums. They sought out compelling works from under-recognized artists and locales that are also accessible to broad audiences.

“Vadis Turner: Tempest” is on view in the Gordon Contemporary Artists Project Gallery. Turner’s practice revolves around transforming everyday materials—typically those associated with women and their work, such as ribbons and bedding—into bold, textured assemblages that assert value on female experiences, especially rites of passage, and question traditional gender roles.

Turner returned to the Nashville area in 2014 after living in Boston and New York for many years. Although trained as a painter, shortly after graduate school she began to create mixed-media sculptures from objects related to femaleness in a vein similar to that of the first feminist artists in the 1960s. She shifted to using discarded textiles for wall-based “paintings” after a residency at Materials for the Arts.

About the Frist Center

Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, the Frist Center for the Visual Arts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit art exhibition center dedicated to presenting and originating high-quality exhibitions with related educational programs and community outreach activities. Located at 919 Broadway in downtown Nashville, Tenn., the Frist Center offers the finest visual art from local, regional, national, and international sources in exhibitions that inspire people through art to look at their world in new ways. The Frist Center’s Martin ArtQuest Gallery features interactive stations relating to Frist Center exhibitions. Information on accessibility can be found at fristcenter.org/accessibility. Gallery admission is free for visitors 18 and younger and for members; $12 for adults; $9 for seniors and college students with ID; and $7 for active military. College students are admitted free Thursday and Friday evenings (with the exception of Frist Fridays), 5:00–9:00 p.m. Groups of 10 or more can receive discounts with advance reservations by calling 615.744.3247. The galleries, café, and gift shop are open seven days a week: Mondays through Wednesdays, and Saturdays, 10:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m.; Thursdays and Fridays, 10:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.; and Sundays, 1:00–5:30 p.m., with the café opening at noon. For additional information, call 615.244.3340 or visit www.fristcenter.org.                                                                           

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