Author: wordpress

Today, Cheekwood announces lead gifts from The Bracken Foundation, The Ann and Monroe Carell Foundation, and The Frist Foundation for The Cheekwood Campaign, an unprecedented effort that will create a strong long-term foundation for the institution. With over $20M pledged to date, this major fundraising campaign aims to address deferred restoration, build capital reserves and, most importantly, raise endowment for Cheekwood.

Coinciding with this effort, the Campaign will greatly elevate Cheekwood’s offerings with the creation of a future Bracken Foundation Children’s Garden, enhanced Carell Woodland Sculpture Trail, and restoration and enhancements to the Frist Learning Center.

“When Cheekwood opened to the public in 1960, it was an incredible gift to Nashville,” said Jane MacLeod, Cheekwood President and CEO. “But gifted without an endowment, Cheekwood has struggled since its inception to care for and maintain two fully developed and separate entities—a 55-acre botanical garden and 90,000 square feet of buildings comprised of an historic residence and art museum. This important campaign will allow Cheekwood to realize its full potential as one of the finest remaining examples of an American Country Place Era estate in the United States, becoming not only a Nashville destination, but a national one.”

These lead gifts of the Campaign will fund key capital enhancements anticipated to have an immediate financial impact on the institution:

Additionally, three $1 million commitments were made by former Cheekwood Board Chairman Mrs. James C. “Tooty” Bradford, Jr. for the Bradford Robertson Color Garden; an Anonymous donor; and a gift of land by Mr. and Mrs. William H. Freeman.

“Following years of transformative growth with record attendance and membership, this important campaign will enable Cheekwood to build the strong foundation that we have lacked since the beginning,” said Cheekwood Board Chair Jimmy Webb. “It has been over 18 years since Cheekwood’s last major campaign. As a landmark destination in our great city, we must not only preserve this Nashville treasure, but we should enhance it, planning for the next 50 years with the same ambition that came before us.”

When
The Cheekwood Campaign
quietly began in 2015, it was the first major fundraising campaign for Cheekwood in over 18 years. The campaign goal—to raise $30 million by 2018—will allocate $25 million toward endowment, capital reserves, restoration and working capital needs, and at least $5 million toward enhancements including the future Bracken Foundation Children’s Garden, the Carell Woodland Sculpture Trail and Frist Learning Center. Cheekwood’s endowment was at $4.8 million prior to the launch of this campaign.

For those interested in learning more about and getting involved through The Cheekwood Campaign, visit cheekwood.local/campaign or contact us at campaign@cheekwood.local.FRIST LEARNING CENTER: With a $4 million gift from The Frist Foundation, Cheekwood will restore and enhance the Frist Learning Center, its hub of education and public programs, to include a new café that will serve as a long-term satellite food service option adjacent to the future Bracken Foundation Children’s Garden, as well as reimagined meeting and interpretation gallery spaces.CARELL WOODLAND SCULPTURE TRAIL: With a $5 million lead gift from The Ann and Monroe Carell Foundation (Kathryn and David Brown, Edie and David Johnson, and Julie Carell Stadler), enhancements will be made to the mile-long sculpture trail considered a hidden treasure of the estate. Additions to the trail include an ADA accessible path, enhanced horticulture and nighttime lighting in 2020. The design process for the project will be led by Nashville-based Hawkins Partners, Inc. Gary Hawkins will be the principal-in-charge.BRACKEN FOUNDATION CHILDREN’S GARDEN: Cheekwood has received a $5 million lead gift from The Bracken Foundation. The gift, positioned as a challenge to raise an additional $2 million in endowment funds, will bring a permanent family feature to its grounds in spring 2019. Nashville-based architecture firm Hodgson Douglas will lead the project.

Summer is inching closer, and we are in need of volunteers! Cheekwood offers a variety of benefits to its volunteers, including flexible scheduling, free admission, discounts at the Pineapple Room gift shop and restaurant, invites to Cheekwood events and the opportunity to serve the Nashville community.

With the Cheek Mansion reopening this June following its major restoration, we are looking for capable volunteers and docents for the upcoming season. Guiding tours, tending to the gardens and assisting with events are just a few ways in which our volunteers help Cheekwood to operate efficiently. We sincerely value the time that is given to keeping this historic estate in pristine condition.

To learn more about becoming a volunteer or docent,  call 615-353-6966 or email volunteers@cheekwood.local.  Volunteers must be at least 15 years of age, or 12 years if volunteering with an adult.

The restoration of Cheekwood’s historic rooms and gardens, and the endowment for their care and maintenance, have been made possible with generous support from The Andrea Waitt Carlton Family Foundation, the Bovender Family, Mr. and Mrs. William F. Andrews, and the Founding Members of The 1929 Club.The next phase of the restoration will include installation of  historical and antique objects into the restored spaces. Stay tuned for more updates throughout the process, and be sure to mark your calendars for June 17 when the mansion officially re-opens to the public.

Learn more about the origin and history of the Cheek mansion.In the Dining Room, we exposed long-forgotten architectural features that have not been visible for many years. The original, decorative plaster molding was held together using horsehair!We are pleased to share that the historic restoration process in the Cheekwood mansion is moving right along. As with any major structural project, there have been some surprises along the way. Each development has offered Cheekwood staff and the project contractors opportunities to learn more about the history of the building, from initial construction to the previous renovations. We do not want to give away all the fun of the big reveal, but here are a few updates of the work being done so far.

Many of the historical, primary resources that informed this restoration effort came in the form of photographs. However, these photographs were taken before color photography was invented. Color choices, in fabrics, rugs, ceramics, and paint, are critical in the attempt to recreate an historical space. To determine the paint colors in each space, Cheekwood consulted expert paint analyst Matthew Mosca. Based on the samples Matthew collected, followed by microscopic analysis, we were able to determine the original Cheek family paint choices. In January, February and March of this year, the 1932 colors were fully restored. 

This image is a cross-section of a paint sample Matthew analyzed; the horizontal lines are layers of paint, with the most recent at the top of the image. From this image, we can tell that one room was painted many times and with many different color choices. Can you guess which room this represents?

In Spring 1929, the Cheek family took what can only be described as a “trip of a lifetime.” For an estimated three months, Leslie Sr., Mabel, and Huldah Cheek journeyed across the Atlantic by boat, arriving in Great Britain on a quest to seek and find inspiration for the development of their new home, “Cheekwood.” The family, along with their newly hired architect Bryant Fleming, wasted no time with their site-seeing plans and high-level shopping.

By March 21, signs of Mrs. Cheek’s shopping activity began to show as invoices and receipts were delivered to her room at London’s Mayfair Hotel.[i] Fortunately, the family saved many of these receipts, providing us a glimpse into the art galleries and antique stores Mr. and Mrs. Cheek frequented on the trip. Items purchased ranged from decorative furnishings to historic, architectural elements from well-known, recently demolished estates and homes. Every purchase was used to shape the Cheek’s vision for Cheekwood.

Pasted into the pages of family scrapbooks are postcards and souvenir photographs from Canterbury Cathedral, Rockingham Castle, and Chatsworth House, suggesting that while buying for their own home, perhaps Mabel and Leslie were also finding inspiration in the historic sites they visited. One photo of Chatsworth House shows a clear connection between the Grand Staircase located at the English estate and the hand-wrought iron railing the Cheeks sourced on this very trip for the First Floor staircase.

[i]March 26, 1929 D.S. Mann Furniture & Decorations Receipt to Mrs. Leslie Cheek, addresses payment to Mrs. Cheek’s temporary address at the May Fair Hotel, W.1. (Cheekwood Cheek Family Archives)