NASHVILLE, Tenn. – From morning to night, Cheekwood Estate & Gardens will celebrate Black artists with music, dance, spoken word, visual art and more. Guests can explore and experience the many forms of Black traditions and musical expression.
Black Arts Bash takes place Saturday, August 17th, from 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. Tickets are on sale now at cheekwood.org.
Artists from the Black Opry will be in the spotlight and showcase their talent through musical performances throughout the day on the Arboretum Lawn stage. The Black Opry is home for Black artists, fans and industry professionals working in country, Americana, blues, folk or roots music, and focuses on amplifying their work. Drum and dance as well as spoken word performances will take place inside Botanic Hall.
Other offerings include a community activity, hands-on activities for the kids, and a lounge featuring African American-owned spirits brands. Southern homecooked favorites made by local Black chefs will be available for purchase. In addition, an art exhibition featuring emerging and established artists will be on view in the Frist Learning Center.
Black Arts Bash Fine Art Exhibition | Frist Learning Center Great Hall
Black Arts Bash aims to elevate Black arts in all forms – performing, culinary, literary, and, in this space, visual. Featuring over 55 pieces from both emerging and established artists, this exhibition is a celebration of artists who call Nashville home. A panel discussion featuring artists DeShawn Lewis, XPayne, Barbara Higgins Bond, Destiney Powell, and Belmont student, Sydel Petty will take place at 5 p.m. The exhibition opens concurrently with Black Arts Bash on August 17 and runs through September 1.
Music | Main Stage on Arboretum Lawn
1 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Ping Rose
1:00 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.
Ping Rose is a singer and guitarist from Memphis. His musical style blends melody and storytelling and features elements of jazz, country and blues. He was influenced by artists ranging from Jimi Hendrix to the Smashing Pumpkins and is known for his high energy live shows with his band, The Anti-Heroes.
Jett Holden
2:30 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.
Jett Holden is a singer-songwriter known for his sincere lyrics and melodic vocals. His lyrics largely focus on his life experiences and personal feelings. He has collaborated with country artists including Charlie Worsham, John Osborne from the Osborne Brothers, and Cassadee Pope.
Grace Givertz
3:45 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Grace Givertz captivates audiences with her indie folk compositions that blend memorable melodies with heartfelt storytelling. She is a multi-instrumentalist who infuses her music with folk, Americana, and indie rock influences. She largely draws her inspiration from her personal journey of living with chronic illness.
Carmen Dianne
5:30 p.m. – 6:15 p.m.
Carmen Diane is a Nashville native, singer-songwriter, vocalist and bassist. Her musical style blends R&B, southern rock and country and features her angelic voice and songwriting skills.
Additional Musical Performance
7 p.m. - 8 p.m.
One more surprise performer from the Black Opry will take the stage. Details will be updated on cheekwood.org.
Family Activity: Learn about DeFord Bailey
Across from Botanic Hall | 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
An influential harmonica player in both country and blues music, DeFord Bailey was one of the Grand Ole Opry’s most popular early performers and country music’s first African American star. The grandson of a fiddler, Bailey grew up in a musical family that played what he called “Black hillbilly music.” Make your own harmonica, listen to recordings of DeFord Bailey play, and learn about his legacy.
From 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will present Harmonica 101. The program will be led by Carlos DeFord Bailey, DeFord Bailey’s grandson. Learn to play the harmonica and recreate DeFord Bailey’s signature sound. Harmonicas will be provided.
Performances | Massey Auditorium
Southern Word
11:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Believed to be the largest spoken word youth development and education organization in the Southeast, Southern Word gives students a platform to share their voices through spoken word. Hear from participants as they boldly express themselves through self-composed poetry.
AfricaNashville
12:00 p.m. – 12:45 p.m.
The Yeli Ensemble is a troupe of performers primarily composed of two Guinean master musicians - Ibrahima ‘Ibro’ Dioubate and Sekouna Conte. They will be joined by South African gumboots dancer and choreographer Michael Moloi with a goal of promoting cross-cultural relationships between African and American artists and providing hands-on artistic and educational exchanges through music and dance.
Sankofa African Drum and Dance
2:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Join Sankofa African Drum and Dance group for a heart-pounding performance featuring traditional African drumming and dance. Sankofa is a Tennessee based performing arts company whose mission is to rally communities around the beat of the drum to unify, heal and inspire.
The Urbaanite Nashville Lounge
Arboretum Lawn | 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
The 21+ crowd can visit the Urbaanite Nashville Lounge powered by Bevmatic Brands for a fun and free cocktail tasting experience featuring African American-owned spirits brands. Stick around for the evening’s headlining performance.
Community Activity with XPayne and DaShawn Lewis
Arboretum Lawn | 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Join Nashville-based artists XPayne and DaShawn Lewis to create a community mural.
In 2022, XPayne was named “Best Artist of the Year” by the Nashville Scene following the success of his latest exhibition of works that debuted in August of the same year. He has been part of group shows and live engagements nationwide since 2014, and has completed projects for The Source, Spike Lee’s 40 Acres and a Mule Studio, and Complex.com.
DaShawn Lewis is a self-taught photographer whose work focuses on the preservation of memories and youth arts. Building community, making connections, and storytelling are components that he considers when producing photographs. Lewis’ work has been featured at the Memphis College of Art, Frist Art Museum, NKA Gallery, Scarritt Bennett Center, Hiram Van Gordon Gallery at TSU, and in the Nashville Scene.
Storytime with Dorena Williamson
Across from Botanic Hall | 10 a.m. and 10:45 a.m.
Dorena Williamson is a bestselling author who is passionate about showing children—and adults—that differences can be curiously explored and joyfully celebrated. Using a graceful approach, Williamson’s books tackle tough subjects with storytelling that enriches young hearts and minds.
Food Vendors
Homecooked favorites provided by local Black chefs from will be available in Lot B from 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. An exciting lineup of local food trucks will offer tasty fare ranging from sandwiches to ice cream to vegan soul food.
Arts and Goods Vendors
Local artisans will sell their creations in Lot B from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Ticket prices
Black Arts Bash is free for Cheekwood members. For not-yet members, tickets for adults cost $20, and youth (3-17) are free. All tickets include access to the Historic Mansion & Museum.
Black Arts Bash is sponsored by HCA Healthcare and Nissan. The event is supported by Asurion. The media partner is Urbaanite.
About Cheekwood Estate & Gardens
With its intact and picturesque vistas, Cheekwood is distinguished as one of the leading Country Place Era estates in the nation. Formerly the family home of Mabel and Leslie Cheek, the 1930s estate, with its 30,000-square-foot Mansion and 55-acres of gardens, today serves the public as a botanical garden, arboretum, and art museum with furnished period rooms and galleries devoted to American art from the 18th to mid-20th centuries. The property includes 13 distinct gardens including the Blevins Japanese Garden and the Bracken Foundation Children’s Garden, as well as a 1.5-mile woodland trail featuring outdoor monumental sculpture. Each year, Cheekwood hosts seasonal festivals including Cheekwood in Bloom, Summertime at Cheekwood, Cheekwood Harvest and Holiday LIGHTS. Cheekwood is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and nationally as a Level II Arboretum. It is a three-time voted USA Today Top 10 Botanical Garden, in 2024 received a Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Award, and in 2021 was named by Fodors as one of the 12 Most Beautiful Gardens in the American South. Cheekwood is located eight miles southwest of downtown Nashville at 1200 Forrest Park Drive. It is open Tuesday through Sunday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., with extended days and hours of operation depending on the season. Visit cheekwood.org for current hours and to purchase advance tickets required for admission.
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