NASHVILLE, TN - (January 9, 2025) – The Parthenon, Centennial Park Conservancy, Metro Nashville Parks & Recreation, and Tennessee Art Education Association announced today that the 17th annual Middle Tennessee Regional Student Art Exhibition will return to the Parthenon this winter.
Selected works in Ceramics, Computer Graphics, Drawing, Mixed Media, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture, and Video will be on display in Metro Parks’ Parthenon from January 23 to March 1. An opening reception and awards ceremony honoring the selected artists will take place on January 23 at the Parthenon from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., with winners in each category announced throughout the evening.
The 188 winners were selected from close to 800 works submitted by students in grades 6-12 from Middle Tennessee public and private schools and home-schooled students. A panel of judges from Watkins School of Art at Belmont University evaluated the submissions in a blind process, selecting First, Second and Third Place winners and Honorable Mentions for every grade level in each artistic category. Overall winners were chosen as well, in the categories of Best of Show, Best of High School, Best of Middle School, Best of Ceramics, Best of Computer Graphics, Best of Drawing, Best of Mixed Media, Best of Painting, Best of Photography, Best of Printmaking, Best of Sculpture, and Best of Video. All works were judged based on criteria including originality, technical skill, and emergence of a personal vision or voice.
This year the Watkins School of Art at Belmont University is offering scholarships to the sophomores, juniors, and seniors who win the “best of” award in each category, as well as to the “Best of High School” winner.
The judging panel included: Benjy Davies, Associate Dean of the Watkins School of Art at Belmont University; Brandon Williams, Assistant Professor of Printmaking at Watkins; and Lane Carnell, Community Education Coordinator at Watkins.
“The caliber of work submitted by these Middle Tennessee student artists is remarkable,” said Davies. “All of the young people who submitted work for consideration should be very proud of themselves — the panel had our work cut out for us choosing winners! We look forward to welcoming these talented students to Watkins over the next few years.”
This is the 17th year the Tennessee Art Education Association has held the regional competition and exhibition, and the third year it has been hosted at the Parthenon.
“It is so important to us at The Parthenon and Centennial Park Conservancy to encourage and inspire young artists, and we are thrilled that Belmont University is joining us in this crucial work,” says Parthenon Curator Jennifer Richardson. “Belmont’s generous scholarship offers will help ensure that these talented young artists are supported materially as well as artistically. We are so pleased to see Belmont supporting the young artists of Middle Tennessee.”
“There were 778 entries this year for the judges to review, before selecting the 187 winners,” Richardson added. “We appreciate the teachers and parents who put in so much time and effort to nurture the artists and submit their applications. The award-winning artwork will be displayed on Level 2 with the Athena statue. I love that this exhibit draws in so many families, and the timing works perfectly with our STEAM Expeditions, which bring approximately 2,000 sixth-grade students from 17 MNPS schools to The Parthenon.”
In addition to being displayed as part of the Parthenon exhibition this winter, the Best Of winners will also be displayed in the Best of the Best Statewide Exhibition, which will be held July 13-18 at Middle Tennessee State University.
The Artists Reception will be held at The Parthenon from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on January 23. Admission is free, and guests may RSVP via Eventbrite. For more information on the exhibit, visit nashvilleparthenon.com/events/mtrsae-exhibition.
Exhibitions and educational programming at the Parthenon are underwritten by the Centennial Park Conservancy and its generous partners, including: Amazon, Advance Financial Foundation, Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, Dettwiller Foundation, HCA Healthcare Foundation, Jackson National Life Insurance Company, Old Town Trolley, Pinnacle Financial Partners, Sandra Schatten Foundation, The Memorial Foundation, and the Tennessee Arts Commission. Subject matter of Parthenon exhibitions does not necessarily represent the opinion of partners or sponsors. For more information, please visit conservancyonline.com.
PARTHENON HOURS & ADMISSION
The Parthenon is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Sunday from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Admission to the Parthenon is $10 for adults; $8 for seniors 62 and over; and $8 for children 4 to 17. Children under 4 are admitted free. Centennial Park Conservancy members receive free museum admission.
ABOUT CENTENNIAL PARK CONSERVANCY
Centennial Park Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to preserve, enhance, and share the Parthenon and Centennial Park so all future generations may benefit from these cultural and enriching landmarks. The organization works in partnership with Metro Parks to protect and revitalize the Park’s green space, underwrite the Parthenon’s exhibition and educational programs, and present accessible and inclusive community programming to sustain the Park’s vibrancy.
ABOUT THE PARTHENON
The Parthenon, owned and operated by the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County’s Parks and Recreation Department, is the city of Nashville’s longest-lived art museum. Opened as a museum in 1931, its galleries are the home of the distinguished Cowan Collection of American art and feature several temporary exhibitions per year. The galleries are housed on the lower level of the Parthenon, the world’s only full-scale replica of the fifth-century BCE temple in Athens, Greece. Beloved symbol of civic pride to Nashvillians since its original manifestation as the art building for the Tennessee Centennial Exposition in 1897, it welcomes hundreds of thousands of Nashvillians and visitors to the city per year.
ABOUT METRO PARKS AND RECREATION
The Parks and Recreation Department offers a variety of facilities and programs throughout Davidson County. Currently, Metro Parks oversees nearly 16,000 acres of open space, including 178 parks and 85 miles of greenways. It is the department’s mission to sustainably and equitably provide everyone in Nashville with an inviting network of parks and greenways that offer health, wellness and quality of life through recreation, conservation and community.
The Metro Board of Parks and Recreation does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, sex, color, national origin, or disability in admission, access to, or operations of its programs, services, or activities. For TTY (relay service), call 1-800-849-0299. For questions, concerns, or requests regarding the American Disabilities Act call 862-8400.
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