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Carolyn Sorenson is the executive director of the Nashville Tree Foundation, (2008-2018). She manages overall operations and staff of the  non-profit that plants and preserves Nashville’s trees. Programs include the Big Old Tree Contest, Arboretum designations, education and community outreach, community tree plantings and free tree giveaways. Member of the Alliance for Community Trees, Metro Tree Advisory Committee, and Belle Meade beautification committee. Sorenson is graduate of the University of Georgia, and was raised in Greenville, SC.

 

De’Etra Young is an assistant professor and extension specialist in the Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Department at Tennessee State University where she has been teaching since the Spring 2013 semester. Young attended Southern University and A&M College where she majored in urban forestry, earning her B.S. degree in 2004. She was then accepted into the M.S/Ph.D. programs in forestry at Texas A&M University in College Station, TX. While at Texas A&M, she completed her Ph.D. in forestry with a concentration in spatial and hydrological sciences. De’Etra discovered her passion for teaching spatial and environmental sciences during her time at Texas A&M as a teaching assistant and participant in the Graduate Teaching Academy. She currently serves as the advisor for the Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences (MANRRS), Tennessee State University Chapter. She is also a member of the Metro Tree Advisory Committee and Nashville Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. Lastly, she serves as a board member of the Tennessee Urban Forestry Council.

 

Dr. Jason Oliver has been at the Tennessee State University Otis L. Floyd Nursery Research Center since 1997. He earned his doctorate degree in entomology from Auburn University and Master’s in entomology from the University of Tennessee. Oliver currently has a 100% research appointment at TSU focused on nursery crop insect issues. His primary research focus includes management of wood-boring insects like flatheaded borers and ambrosia beetles in nursery crops and development of certification treatments and biological controls for imported fire ant and Japanese beetle. He has past research experience with the development of new trapping techniques for invasive wood borers like emerald ash borer and walnut twig beetle.

 

Josiah Lockard boasts over 20 years of professional practice, and  specializes in ecologically based landscape design and sustainable site development. Lockard became a ISA Certified Arborist in 2003,and is a graduate of Lipscomb University’s Institute for Sustainable Practice. Heis an award winning Landscape Designer, member of the American Society of Landscape Architects, LEED Green Associate, and serves as both Consulting Arborist, and member of the Garden Development Committee at Cheekwood Estate & Gardens. In 2011, he founded the multi-disciplined firm Josiah Lockard & Associates (JLA), where he engages in projects throughout Middle Tennessee and internationally. Combining the disciplines of Landscape Architecture, Agriculture, Sustainability and Urban Forestry, Lockard integrates natural systems into the built environment to create spaces that have apositive affect on both people and nature.We’ll be hosting a panel discussion about Emerald Ash Borer featuring Peter Grimaldi, VP of Gardens and Facilities at Cheekwood, as well as:

Josiah Lockard: TUFC, Panelist
Dr. Young: TSU, Panelist
Jason Oliver: TSU, Panelist
Caroline Sorenson: NTF, Panelist

Saturday, April 14
12 PM
Panel Discussion
Recreation Room located in the Cheekwood Mansion

 

• Dieback and crown thinning
• Limb death and upper leaf loss
• Excessive & active woodpecker damage (often a first symptom of early detection as this ensures that larvae are present)
• Leafy shoots emerging from the main trunk or large branches, i.e., epicormic shoots
• Vertical bark splitting (can sometimes reveal larval galleries beneath)

Other signs of an EAB infestation:

• D-shaped exit holes in the bark.
• Serpentine galleries and frass (powdery wood refuse) filled tunnels beneath the bark.

Photo credit: Daniel Herms, The Ohio State University, Bugwood.org 

Resources:

http://protecttnforests.org/emerald_ash_borer.html
https://www.vanderbilt.edu/trees/pages/eab
http://www.emeraldashborer.info/Dirr, Michael A. Manual of Woody Landscape Plants. Champagne: Stipes, 2009 6^th Edition.Early detection can be challenging because it can take 1-3 years before trees look symptomatic. Signs of decline are due to the borer larvae feeding on tree tissue, disrupting sugar and water transport through the vascular system and effectively starving the tree.

Know what you can do to help save this important native tree that makes up a huge portion of our Tennessee woodlands.

1. Exercise Proper Tree Health Management. Keep trees well-watered and mulched, pruning when necessary.
2. Inspect your Ash Trees Annually for early detection by first knowing how to identify an ash. Summer is best to ensure trees are completely leafed out. This is also the time of year for peak egg hatch and larval establishment.

3. Learn to recognize Emerald Ash Borer:

• Rigid front wings meet in a straight line down the middle of the back
• Adults are dark metallic green and are the size of a small paperclip
• Larvae are white, legless and relatively flat. They have nested bell-shaped body segments

4. Call a reputable and professional arborist if you suspect EAB.
5. Lastly, refrain from transporting firewood under any circumstance as this is one of the most known ways that the beetle travels.

Among Cheekwood’s 55-acre estate, there are 241 accessioned Ash trees. We first began treatment for EAB in 2016 with a quantity of 10 trees. The next year that number was increased to 33. For 2018, 50 ash trees have been chosen for treatment. Selecting Ash trees for treatment is heavily based on risk assessment, which considers the possible danger to people and structures if a tree, or parts of a tree, were to fall. General health, species diversity, and location also play key parts in the decision making, as well as the tree’s significance to Cheekwood’s landscape and tree canopy (which trees would cause detriment to the canopy if infected and removed accordingly).

We plan to continue this annual process, increasing the number of trees to protect each year. While inspecting trees for treatment selection, it was also noted if a tree needed to be removed. Often, a specimen is past the point of treatment, being too weak to transport the systemic insecticide up from its vascular system to the canopy. It has been concluded that if 50% or more of a tree’s canopy has been killed, it is past the threshold of being saved.It is highly suspected that the extremely damaging and invasive Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) first hit North America in the early 1990s, most likely in a shipment of Ash tree lumber from Asia. In 2002, the insect was officially identified in Detroit, Michigan. Since this date, the EAB has been responsible for approximately 8 billion Ash tree deaths in the United States, rapidly becoming a national threat by infiltrating 22 states. The borer larvae feed on bark galleries under the tree’s bark, injuring the vital phloem and xylem tissues which transport nutrients and water throughout the vascular system.

In Tennessee, the Emerald Ash Borer was first found in an infected Ash tree growing at a truck stop in Knox County. Davidson County was added to the list of invaded regions in 2014. According to the USDA Forest Service and the Tennessee Division of Forestry, it is estimated that 271 million Ash trees are at risk of EAB in TN alone. EAB is now in over 34 counties and several of those are currently under quarantine. This involves heavy monitoring of wood movement (firewood and processed wood). In another effort to help combat the threat of EAB, 1000s of traps are set out each year by the consortium made up of the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, and the University of Tennessee. The traps are triangular, purple and look like box kites.

Photo Credit: Debbie Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.orgFraxinus: Our native Ash tree

The Ash tree is a member of the Olive Family, Oleaceae. A total of 65 species exist in North America, Europe and Asia. It is an attractive and tough hardwood that is used to make furniture, tools, oars and baseball bats.

The three species of ash mostly commonly found in Middle Tennessee are white ash (Fraxinus americana), green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) and blue ash (Fraxinus quadrangulata). These are all native species. White and green ash are frequently planted in the Nashville area, while blue ash is found growing wild in our limestone soil.

Identifying the Ash tree is not difficult. The leaves are dark green, opposite, pinnately compound with 5-11 ovate to ovate lanceolate leaflets at 8 – 15” long. Each leaflet is acute to acuminate at the apex and tapered at the base with remote serrations. Fall color ranges from yellow to purple. The bark is ash gray to gray/brown with diamond-shaped sections interlaced with ridges. Ash trees can grow to be very tall, with the average height being between 50-80 feet.

Photo credit: Paul Wray, Iowa State University, Bugwood.org

Bradford Robertson Color Garden (Arches) 
Common name: Phenomenal Lavender  (pictured, right)
Botanical name:
 
Lavandula
 x intermedia ‘Phenomenal’

Description
: Lavandula x intermedia is a cross between L. angustofolia and L. latifolia. ‘Phenomenal’ expressed tremendous winter hardiness at Cheekwood this past winter. It also boasts exceptional heat and humidity tolerance. This lavender, with its evergreen silvery-blue foliage, adds texture and interest to the Color Garden year-round.

Carell Dogwood Garden 
Common name: Barrenwort

Botanical name
: Epimedium ‘Orange Queen’ & Epimedium ‘Sulphureum’

Description: If you are an Epimedium fan, then you will understand way there are two, not one, listed as a featured plant this month. Barrenwort performs best in light shade with moderate soil moisture, however it will tolerate drier soil conditions and heavier shade. It tends to naturalize well.

• ‘Orange Queen’, a true collector’s barrenwort, has cheerful coral buds that open to copper-toned flowers. Its new leaves are outlined in red. Bronze fall color.
• ‘Sulphureum’, an excellent performer, is highly recommended for first time epimedium growers. Flowers earlier than other barrenworts. Yellow flowers, marbled red leaves, turning green with maturity.

Photos courtesy of Andrew Bruckse Photography. 
Shomu-en, Japanese Garden 
Common name: Common Flowering Quince (pictured, right) 
Botanical name:
 Chaenomeles speciosa ‘Spitfire’

Description: With an upright habit, ‘Spitfire’ has vibrant red blooms that present themselves in early spring before its dark green foliage emerges. A common selection for Japanese gardens, Chaenomeles can withstand a variety of soil conditions, even dry, and flowers best in full sun. Yellow-green pome fruit is totally ripe by October and is most palatable when used to make preserves and jams.

Turner Seasons Garden 
Common name: Seven – Son Flower

Botanical name
: 
Heptacodium
 
miconioides
 
Description: A large, deciduous shrub, the Seven – Son Flower gets its name from its seven tiny blooms presented in the fall. The Seven – Son has added a lot of winter interest to the seasons garden with its newly revealed inner layer of brown bark. Native to China and regaining some of its bygone popularity, the Seven – Son commonly attracts butterflies and hummingbirds to its whorls of little flowers.Weaver Walk 
Common name: Pussy Willow (pictured, right)
Botanical name
: Salix 
capre
a
 
Description: Large (1 – 2″ long), fuzzy, soft catkins appear before leaves emerge in early spring on the Salix caprea. This small tree will reach an ultimate height of 25′ and is Insect pollinated. With male and female flowers confined to separate plants (dioecious), ours happens to be a male. Salix 
caprea
 is often confused with S. discolor. However, the bark of S. 
capra
 typically possesses a yellowish-brown bark while S. discolor presents a deep brown bark and bluish while lower leaf.

Wills Perennial Garden 
Common name: Clove Currant

Botanical name
: Ribes aureum var. villosum (formerly R. odoratum)

Description: Trumpet shaped flowers of this Ribes are arranged in clusters, smell distinctly of cloves and are yellow with light red centers. Attractive blue-green and rounded (3 lobed) leaves. Irregular habit shrub. Black currants form in summer and are a great snack for Cheekwood’s resident birds.

 Howe Garden 
Common name: Daffodil (pictured, right)
Botanical name: Narcissus ‘Ceylon’, Narcissus ‘Gigantic Star’, Narcissus ‘Marieke’, Narcissus ‘Minnow’

Description: At Cheekwood, we enjoy singing the praises of the daffodil: an easy naturalizer, rodent resistant, and so much variety. These four cultivars were chosen for this month’s featured plant list for their radiant beauty, however this short daffodil list also serves as a planting recipe for an extended narcissus bloom season.

‘Ceylon’, a large-cupped daff, upward facing flower. Deep orange cup amid buttery-yellow petals. early-mid spring

‘Gigantic Star’, also a large-cupped narcissus, it is homogenously saffron yellow. Early-mid spring.

‘Marieke’ is a one of the largest trumpet forms (having a long corona) and golden in color. early-mid spring

‘Minnow’, a tazetta form, has the classic shallow corona and fragrance, is petite in size, and very often referred to as “paperwhites”. This cultivar emerges in bunches at the very end of February. Cream colored petals surround a golden yellow corolla. midspring

Martin Boxwood Gardens 
Common name:  Eastern Red Cedar

Botanical name
:  
Juniperus
 
virginiana ‘Canaertii’

Description: This is a needled evergreen with exfoliating bark, dark green foliage and aromatic wood. ‘Canaertii’ is a compact pyramidal cultivar with ascending branches and small grape-like cones. This conifer thrives in our Tennessee and Kentucky limestone rich soil and may reach a height of 45 feet.Spring has sprung at Cheekwood, with thousands of blooming bulbs, dogwoods, magnolias and more, there is something for everyone to enjoy in the gardens this month. With vibrant, cheerful tulips, to colorful, fragrant hyacinths, there is no better time to explore our gardens. Read this month’s featured plant list, and be sure to keep an eye out for the plant labels throughout the gardens to identify each of these plants.

These #5WomenArtists and several others bring unique mediums, talent, and beauty to our collection. We are proud to display some of their work at Cheekwood and very excited to advocate for the acknowledgement of all women artists, past and present.

Are you interested in supporting women artists alongside Cheekwood and the National Museum of Women in the Arts? We encourage you to keep learning about women in the arts, to start conversations with your friends, and to use the hashtag #5WomenArtists to promote this necessary campaign on social media.

Learn more about the NMWA campaign here: bit.ly/2I0UNmL
Maddison Gabay: As a part of Cheekwood’s community art initiatives, every year an exhibition is hosted that consists of works from local high school artists. The 2018 exhibition features work by artist Maddison Gabay. Maddison is currently a junior at Independence High School and is passionate about the visual arts. She was born in Florida and moved to Tennessee at the age of thirteen. When she was young, she was bullied for many of her traits, but found strength and pride in her identity when she moved to Tennessee. This new start gave her the chance to “emerge from the darkness of depression and low self-esteem and begin a new life filled with hope.” Her work in the 2018 scholastic art competition reminds her that judgment will no longer have the power to change who she really is.Marylyn Dintenfass (1943 – ): Marylyn is an American painter, printmaker, and sculptor. She was born and raised in Brooklyn, and graduated from Queens College with a degree in fine arts. In her early years, she worked with several Abstract Expressionist painters. This exposure helped to form Dintenfass’s Abstract Expressionist/Pop Art style. Although she is experienced in sculpture installations, her greatest popularity lies in oil paintings. Her work utilizes an expressive color palette and lexicon. Thematically, her works explore human experiences and pleasures. During 1966, Dintenfass spent time touring Amsterdam, Paris, and Rome, before landing in Jerusalem where she received her first commission to design the Pop Op Disco. Today, her work has been featured in more than 60 national and international exhibitions, and her work is held by over 30 public collections.Louise Dahl Wolfe (1895 – 1989): Louise was an American photographer born to Norwegian parents. She became one of the world’s leading fashion photographers of the twentieth century when she began working for Harper’s Bazaar for twenty-two years. She took much inspiration from the history of art to revolutionize the photography standards of the day. Her work was lively and natural and she made two large bequests of her work to Cheekwood in the 1960s and 80s.Soo Sunny Park: Soo Sunny is an American South Korean artist. She was born in Seoul, but moved to the United States at age eleven. She holds a BFA in painting and sculpture, and an MFA in sculpture. After completing her studies, she obtained a residency at Skowegan School of Painting and Sculpture in 2000. Her works encompass a variety of mediums to push the boundaries of the imagination in creating sculptures and installation art. Soo Sunny was the 2015 Artist-In-Residence at Cheekwood.Jenny Holzer (1950- ): Jenny is an American sculptural and projection artist. She often works linguistically, projecting words and phrases in public spaces. She was originally interested in being an abstract painter, and studied art at Duke University. This course of study was followed by painting, printmaking, and drawing at the University of Chicago before receiving a BFA at Ohio University in 1972. In 1976, through the Whitney Museums independent study program, she started working with language to create installations. Her work often emanates a stirring message with a sense of humor and courage.Sophie Ryder (1963- ): Sophie is a London born sculptor. She studied art and gained a diploma in painting at the Royal Academy of Arts, London. It was during this time that she first began experimenting with sculpture. Her sculptural works are largescale and supernatural in nature. She often works in a variety of mediums including sawdust, plaster, old machine parts, sheet metal, marble, and other materials. In addition to sculpture, she is also a skilled printmaker. Her most famous works are large hares with female bodies. A popular representation of this series is in Cheekwood’s permanent collection.

 If a friend asked you to name the first five artists that come to mind, who would you mention? Maybe Vincent van Gogh? Pablo Picasso? Michelangelo? All of these men are fantastic, renowned artists who drove the evolution of artistic styles in their era. They’re all good choices. But did you think of any female artists amongst the five? Maybe one?

More and more people are beginning to recognize the achievements of female artists, but there’s still work to be done. According to the National Museum of Women in the Arts, work by women artists makes up only 3 to 5 percent of major permanent collections in the U.S. and Europe.

As a part of Women’s History Month this March, the NMWA has relaunched their #5WomenArtists social media campaign. This is a promotion to encourage museums and art lovers alike to fill social media outlets with the work of female artists.

Cheekwood is thrilled to partner with the NMWA by showcasing five women artists featured in our collection, and one young woman recently featured in our Scholastic Art Awards Exhibit. Read below to learn more about each of these women and their careers:

Want to learn more? Check out these resources:

Americans for the Arts Arts and Economic Prosperity 5 report
Tennessee Arts Commission Arts and Economic Prosperity 5 report
Metro Nashville Arts Commission Resources
National Endowment for the Arts Research
University of Pennsylvania, Social Impact of the Arts Project
National Assembly of State Arts Agencies Why Should Government Support the Arts reportSo, what does all this mean? The arts matter and, we hope you will agree, should have continued public investment.

Arts Advocacy is the practice of recommending public policies and funding that support the arts. We at Cheekwood advocate for the arts and we hope you will too! On Arts Advocacy Day, supporters gather to learn about how to advocate for the arts and meet with elected officials to recommend support for arts funding and policies.

This year, Arts Advocacy Day is March 7 for Tennessee and March 12-13 for the nation.

To learn more, explore national and local agencies designed to help us advocate for arts and culture: Americans for the Arts, Tennesseans for the Arts, and the Nashville Arts Coalition.

If you want to participate in another way, simply getting a Tennessee specialty arts license plate builds support for local arts – not to mention making your car look oh-so-fabulous! Head over to our Foundation and Government Support page for more info on the license plate program.

 

Thank you for supporting arts and culture and thank you for supporting Cheekwood!According to the Arts Action Fund, studies have shown that students who have an “arts rich” education get better grades (especially in reading and math) and are more likely to stay in school. Additionally, research has shown that communities with strong arts and culture resources also report better civic participation, health, and quality of life.

The arts also contribute to the economy and help drive tourism. Arts creation and distribution companies represent 4% of all businesses in the U.S. and 2% of all U.S. employees. The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reports that arts and cultural production contributed $730 billion (4.2% of the GDP) to the nation’s economy in 2014.

In Nashville-Davidson County, the nonprofit arts and culture sector generates over $429 million to the local economy – almost twice that of similar regions by population.

The benefits of arts and culture warrant continued investment to ensure preservation and growth of these important community assets.In the United States, a small portion of federal, state, and many local government budgets are allocated for the arts. These small allocations make a big difference to arts and culture in our communities.

In recent years, Cheekwood has received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, Tennessee Arts Commission, and the Metro Nashville Arts Commission – imperative support for our enriching education programs and art exhibitions.Have you ever heard of Arts Advocacy? How about Arts Advocacy Day? If you know what we’re talking about – great! If not, let us share with you.

First, let’s begin with some context and a matter-of-fact statement: the arts matter. They make a difference in our personal lives and how we move about in society.

What am I hoping to do by planting a tree?

• Provide beauty.
• Increase shade.
• Create privacy.

What site factors am I dealing with?

• Fencing
• Overhead Powerlines
• Underground utility lines
• Proximity to house

What is the right tree for my site?

• Consider the size at maturity.
• What is the shape and form of the tree?
• Is the tree deciduous or evergreen?

Is the tree for my yard or for my street?If you intend to plant the tree to enhance the beauty of your street, there may be certain criteria to consider or even a form to submit. Please check with your local government or urban forestry organization. For Nashville, visit http://www.nashville.gov/Public-Works/Community-Beautification/Tree-Information/Planting-in-the-Right-of-Way.aspx.

 

Pictured: Tulip Tree  (Liriodendron tulipifera)
Why plant trees?

• Cool the earth! Trees can reduce our air conditioning costs.
• Trees can trap pollutants, dust, and pollen, cleaning the air we breath.
• Trees provide habitats and food for wildlife.
• Trees increase productivity and happiness and decrease stress.
• Trees increase property value.

 

Pictured:  Eastern Redbud On February 24, 2018, we’re partnering with the Tennessee Environmental Council in 250k Tree Day, a nation-wide initiative to plant 250,000 native tree seedlings across Tennessee as part of the largest community tree planting event in Tennessee history, and in the United States.

To participate, sign up to reserve your native tree bundles. You must pre-register for your seedling bundles by midnight on February 18. Click here to register.  Bundles will be prepackaged containing one each of five different tree species. The five species include Tulip Poplar, Redbud, Northern Red Oak, Persimmon and Loblolly Pine.

This year, we are proud to be hosting as a pick-up site for tree seedlings. If you have registered for your trees, visit Cheekwood’s main entrance on Friday, February 23 from 9am – 5pm, or Saturday, February 24 from 9am – 11am to pick up your seedlings. Join us all weekend long as we partner with TEC to plant more trees!

Register, donate, or learn more here:  https://tectn.org/250ktreeday/.

2018 Martin Shallenberger Artist-in-Residence
Gabriel Dawe
September 22 – December 30, 2018
Cheekwood is pleased to announce that the 2018 Martin Shallenberger Artist-in-Residence is Gabriel Dawe. This residency program brings national and international artists to Nashville to create and exhibit site-specific works at Cheekwood, while allowing artists the opportunity to interact with visitors and the arts community throughout the creative process. Using carefully dyed and arranged, down to the millimeter measurements, Dawe creates a three-dimensional, tangible prism of light and color that showers each space he interacts with. Dawe will be onsite working throughout the month of September, creating a site-specific installation that will remain on view through the end of the year.Cracking Art
June 16 – September 2, 2018
Cracking Art is a Milan, Italy-based artist collective born out of the intention to radically change the history of art by investigating the relationship between natural and artificial reality. By using 100% recycled plastic materials, Cracking Art creates site-specific installations using large-scale, natural animal forms made of synthetic materials, playfully arranging meerkats, bears, crocodiles, birds, and other animals in surprising invasions of familiar landscapes. The artists of Cracking Art will collaborate with Cheekwood to share a truly unique and extraordinary visual experience this summer. Cracking Art is presented by Gullett Sanford Robinson & Martin PLLC.Amanda Parer: Intrude


May 1 – May 27, 2018
Australian artist Amanda Parer uses her larger-than-life inflatable bunnies to draw attention to the natural world, its fragility and our role within it. In May, Parer’s glowing, white rabbits will take over the Cheekwood landscape. Though intentionally cute and seemingly innocent, these figures also represent the global conversation surrounding invasive species and their ability to alter natural habitats. The 18^th-century introduction of European rabbits to Parer’s native Australia resulted in a rapidly escalating continent-wide epidemic that persists today. Through these precocious bunnies, visitors experience captivating works of art as well as engage in an ecological dialogue. Cheekwood will be open Thursday and Friday evenings while Parer’s work is on view.1958-2018: Sixty Years of Collecting at Cheekwood

March 17 – May 20, 2018
Selections from Cheekwood’s permanent collection include niche collections of fine and decorative art spanning centuries and continents. This exhibition will highlight key acquisitions over the span of sixty years.The Middle Tennessee Scholastic Art Awards

February 3 – March 4, 2018
2018 marks Cheekwood’s 27th year as regional affiliate for The Middle Tennessee Scholastic Art Awards, an art competition and exhibition that aims to support students’ artistic discoveries and encourage them to seek opportunities to showcase their art. An Alliance for Young Artists and Writers Program, The Scholastic Art Awards competition is one of the oldest and most prestigious student art competitions in the country, and aims to support students’ artistic discoveries and encourage them to seek opportunities to showcase their art. The 2018 Scholastic Art Awards exhibition is presented by The Tennessee Credit Union.Featuring two large-scale outdoor presentations, our exhibition lineup complements the garden’s seasonal programming and is designed to appeal to guests of all ages.

In May, we will present a selection of Australian artist Amanda Parer’s Intrude inflatables: glowing, larger-than-life white rabbits that will take over the Cheekwood landscape. This summer, we’ll collaborate with Cracking Art, a Milan, Italy-based artist collective,  to present site-specific installations in our galleries and gardens, playfully arranging meerkats, bears, crocodiles, birds and other animals in whimsical and surprising places.

These large-scale exhibitions are complemented by the 2018 Middle Tennessee Scholastic Art Awards exhibition; 1958-2018: Sixty Years of Collecting at Cheekwood; and our annual Martin Shallenberger Artist-in-Residence program featuring Mexico City-based artist Gabriel Dawe.

Our 2018 exhibition schedule includes:

The Scholastic Art Awards 2018 is presented by The Tennessee Credit Union. 

Congratulations to the following award winners of the 27th Annual 2018 Middle Tennessee Scholastic Art Competition! Students on this list will receive formal notification and more details of their award(s) via e-mail the week of January 16. For more information about the Scholastic Art Awards, visit artandwriting.org.