NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Frist Art Museum presents Enough to Go Around: Food and Community in Nashville, an exhibition that addresses topics of food production, food insecurity and food’s role in bringing people together. The juried exhibition of paintings, photography, and more serves as a companion exhibition to Farm to Table: Art, Food, and Identity in the Age of Impressionism and Tennessee Harvest, 1870s–1920s and will be on view in the always-free Conte Community Arts Gallery from March 21 through June 29, 2025.
Organized by the Frist Art Museum, Enough to Go Around features 25 works that focus on food systems and challenges around food security. The idea for the exhibition originated from conversations about these subjects between Frist Art Museum Community Engagement Director Shaun Giles and staff members of the nonprofit organizations Nashville Food Project and Tennessee Justice Center, whose missions are to support increased food access for people who are under-resourced in a variety of ways. To organize the exhibition, the Frist also partnered with Buchanan Arts and Unearthing Joy, nonprofits that also recognize the importance of the availability of nutritious, affordable food and offer educational gardening and farming programs for teachers, organizations, and people of all ages.
The open call for Nashville-based artists to submit artwork garnered 90 works from 45 artists. Jurors selected 25 works created by 22 artists, ranging from photographs and paintings to ceramics and textile works. The jury consisted of Buchanan Arts’ Executive Director Virginia Griswold, Frist Art Museum’s Chief Curator Mark Scala, the Nashville Food Project’s Director of Community Engagement Allison Thayer, Tennessee Justice Center’s Anti-Hunger Advocate Crys Riles, and Unearthing Joy’s founder Ashley Brailsford.
According to an estimate by the United States Department of Agriculture, 30 to 40 percent of the nation’s food supply goes to waste, while millions experience food insecurity across the country. “I want this exhibition to help people think about how much food is wasted and what they can do as individuals to change that, as well as think about how to decrease some of the barriers that keep food from certain communities and certain people,” says Giles.
Organized into five thematic sections, the exhibition seeks to share stories that together offer a well-rounded view of various food experiences and encourage viewers to consider ways they can enact change. The first section “Community Gardens” focuses on the practices of gardening and farming, exploring themes of self-sufficiency and stewardship of the earth’s resources. Home Grown (Napier Gardens), a black-and-white photograph by DaShawn Lewis, demonstrates the careful attention that is required to produce a crop from small seeds. Exploring the opposite end of the food production cycle, the section Food Waste examines the use of expiration dates and attitudes around shelf lives and waste, as seen in Leroy Dawson’s black-and-white painting Best if Viewed By.
Works in the grouping “Food Deserts and Food Swamps” highlight the lack of nutritional food sources available in lower-income communities. Sarah Spillers’ giclée print Gas Station Chips prompts reflection on the nature of mass-produced consumer goods by elevating the everyday packaging through the lens of her handmade artwork. “The term ‘food swamp’ refers to an area where there are only unhealthy options,” says Giles. “That might be a convenience store, gas station, or fast food—all of them less than ideal when you’re looking for nutritious options.”
The fourth section, “Supplemental Nutrition Assistance,” highlights the important work that SNAP does to ensure that food needs are met. Lulu Marin’s work EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer) is an image of an American flag comprised of 42 ceramic replica electronic benefit transfer cards, which represents the 42 million Americans that rely on the system.
“Shared Dining Experiences,” the final section, celebrates how meals can bring people together and strengthen bonds. In her acrylic painting Injera and Ethiopian Hospitality, Nadine Shillingford celebrates the intimacy and ritual of Ethiopian culinary traditions. Injera, a flat bread made from tef grain and served with savory stews and curries is intended to be shared by a group or family. Shillingford explains in her artist statement: “The mother may feed the other members of the family by offering gosha, or a handful of food, to them.”
“The second part of this exhibition’s title, Food and Community in Nashville, should really be emphasized,” says Giles. “This show tells a story of Nashville and our experience around food, our experience around scarcity and abundance, and how artists see these issues in ways that are specific and personal to us.”
EXHIBITION ARTISTS
Alayna Catacombs
Lee Colvin
Leroy Dawson
Stacy Dorris
Rocio Eckhoff
Asif ElAmri-Brantley
Annie Freeman
Kelly Ann Graff
Megan Jordan
DaShawn Lewis
Lulu Marin
Jocelyn Ni
Morgan Ogilvie
Jessica Peoples
Sandy Rochelle
Nadine Shillingford
Miriam Speyer
Sarah Spillers
Bryan Struble
Aurora Tower
Nathaniel Wheeler
Ashleigh York
JURORS
Ashley Brailsford, Founder, Unearthing Joy
Virginia Griswold, Executive Director, Buchanan Arts
Crys Riles, Anti-Hunger Advocate, Tennessee Justice Center
Mark Scala, Chief Curator, Frist Art Museum
Allison Thayer, Director of Community Engagement, The Nashville Food Project
PUBLIC PROGRAM
Panel Discussion: “Food for Thought: Food Justice in Nashville”
Thursday, April 17
11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Auditorium
Free; registration required (gallery admission, parking, and lunch included)
In partnership with Vanderbilt University’s Division of Government and Community Relations and the Vice Provost’s Office of Arts, Libraries, and Global Engagement, the Frist Art Museum presents “Food for Thought,” a three-part series of interdisciplinary conversations over lunch or happy hour inspired by our exhibitions. These discussions will be presented by Vanderbilt faculty and staff, Frist Art Museum staff, and other members of the Nashville community.
This discussion, moderated by Frist Art Museum Executive Director Seth Feman, is inspired by the exhibitions Farm to Table: Art, Food, and Identity in the Age of Impressionism, Tennessee Harvest, 1870s–1920s, and Enough to Go Around: Food and Community in Nashville, and will highlight those working for food justice in our community.
EXHIBITION CREDIT
Organized by the Frist Art Museum
SUPPORTER ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Supported in part by our Founders’ Circle
The Frist Art Museum is supported in part by The Frist Foundation, 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
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