NASHVILLE, Tenn. (February 5, 2018)—The Frist Art Museum presents Connect/Disconnect: Growth in the “It” City, an exhibition of photographs by Davidson County residents of diverse ages and backgrounds, capturing how the area’s population boom has affected them and the lives of the people around them. Organized by the Frist Art Museum, the exhibition will be on display in the always free Conte Community Arts Gallery from March 22 through August 4, 2019.
Connect/Disconnect is a community exhibition inspired by a 2017 Tennessean article about how Nashville has been growing at a rate of one hundred people per day. The exhibition explores the rising connectivity between neighborhoods and communities, and the potential for disconnection between people and socioeconomic classes as the city strives to adapt to record growth.
“Nashville has seen significant change since the Frist opened in 2001,” says Shaun Giles, assistant director for community engagement. “Neighborhoods have been transformed, downtown has grown in stature as a cultural center, and the city’s art scene has come into its own, but this progress has come with challenges, such as increased housing costs and a population that is grappling with Nashville’s current infrastructure.”
Wanting to provide a platform for individuals to share their views, the Frist issued a call for digital photographs that address the theme of connection or disconnection in our communities. Nearly two hundred images were submitted by more than one hundred Davidson County residents. Fifty photographs were chosen by a panel of three jurors: Frist Art Museum executive director and CEO Susan H. Edwards, educator and photographer Carlton Wilkinson, and musician and photographer Marty Stuart, whose work was the subject of the 2014 Frist exhibition American Ballads: The Photographs of Marty Stuart.
“The images represent a range of perspectives, from depictions of friends and neighbors to old and new homes, construction sites, and recognizable landmarks,” says Giles. “The photos are intended to promote conversation and present a broader view of the city through the eyes of those who live here.” Because these images also capture a historic moment of a city in transition, they will be added to an archive maintained by the Nashville Public Library’s Special Collections Division.
Public Programs
| Friday, March 22 | Community Opening: |
| 10:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m. | Connect/Disconnect |
Conte Community Arts Gallery
Free and open to the public
The fifty photographs in Connect/Disconnect: Growth in the “It” City represent a range of perspectives on Nashville, from depictions of friends and neighbors to old and new homes, construction sites, and recognizable landmarks. During the celebration at the Frist, the Nashville Public Library will be collecting stories related to the themes of the exhibition.
| Thursday, May 16 | Community in Dialogue: |
| 6:30 p.m. | Connect/Disconnect |
Meet at the exhibition entrance
Free; reservations required
Questions? Call 615.744.3355.
Share your own stories of how Nashville’s changing neighborhoods have affected your daily life in this mediated conversation inspired by the exhibition.
Moderated by Learotha Williams, associate professor of history at Tennessee State University and coordinator of the North Nashville Heritage Project, topics of conversation may include the impact of transit and housing, the ongoing effects of recent and historical events, or the connection or disconnection that Nashville residents are experiencing during this time of change.
Community in Dialogue is a new program designed for small group discussion about current topics of relevancy to our community and facilitated by a community thought leader. Class size is limited to promote active participation by attendees.
Sponsor Acknowledgment
Connect/Disconnect is sponsored in part by our O’Keeffe Circle members, the U.S. Bank Foundation, and the Bonnaroo Works Fund.
The Frist Art Museum is supported in part by the Metro Nashville Arts Commission, the Tennessee Arts Commission, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Buddy Kite: 615.744.3351, bkite@FristArtMuseum.org
Ellen Jones Pryor: 615.243.1311, epryor@FristArtMuseum.org