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Cheekwood’s 26th Annual Scholastic Art Exhibition is now on display and features incredible student artwork. With 1,465 entries from schools in the Middle Tennessee area, our jurors had a monumental task in assessing each work based on originality, technical skill and emergence of a personal voice. Using these three criteria to guide them, the jurors selected 49 works to receive a Gold Key and an additional 99 works received a Silver Key.

Out of the selected Gold Key works, five American Vision Nominees were selected by a separate panel of jurors to showcase the best works of the Middle Tennessee Region. These nominees, along with all Gold and Silver Key recipients, were honored at a ceremony on February 4. Massey Auditorium was filled with nearly 400 people in attendance for the special event, which included remarks from councilwoman Angie Henderson and Cheekwood’s President and CEO, Jane MacLeod.

After the final day of the exhibition on March 5th, all American Vision Nominees and Gold Key works will represent Middle Tennessee in Scholastic’s National Competition in New York. Works that receive a Gold Key on the national level will be exhibited at Carnegie Hall this summer.

The competition and exhibition wouldn’t be possible without The Tennessee Credit Union who have generously supported the competition for 26 years.

It is with great excitement, much like the Cheeks, that Cheekwood begins the new year with a historically-inspired resolution: to revive and restore a group of interior spaces to reflect the original design and environment created by Mabel and Leslie Sr., in the 1930s. To facilitate this important initiative, the Cheekwood Museum of Art will be closed from January 3^rd through June 16^th. Once reopened, the sights, sounds, and sensations of a bygone era will take us all on a journey as we look forward to our past.

Leslie Jones

Vice President, Museum Affairs & Curator of Decorative Arts
Made possible by The AWC Family Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. William F. Andrews, and the Founding Members of The 1929 Club. Eighty-seven years ago, in January 1929, Mabel and Leslie Cheek, Sr. began the new year by receiving the first of many floorplans from their recently appointed architect, Bryant Fleming. The drawings provided by Fleming outlined a four-story home, designed with intention and distinction. From the outside, the impressive façade was to reflect the premiere design choice of 18^th-century English aristocrats and the interior was to replicate and follow the formal movements of the era. Furnishings and decoration were to be carefully selected to keep the full-effect of English formality, yet introduce contemporary conveniences and technology that made the historically-inspired home into a modern marvel.

On November 29, 2016, we’re proud to participate in Giving Tuesday. This global day of giving invites individuals to celebrate the holiday season by giving back and creating change in their communities and their world. Together, we can make a difference.

Share all that Cheekwood has to offer by giving the gift of membership! Cheekwood members enjoy year-round, family-friendly activities with four distinct seasonal festivals, from Cheekwood In Bloom with more than 100,000 vibrant, blooming tulips in the spring, to a winter wonderland of real reindeer, trains, and more during Holiday at Cheekwood.

Cheekwood offers a unique historical landmark where beauty and excellence in art and horticulture stimulate the mind and nurture the spirit – and gives back to the community by offering free admission to thousands of visitors each year through our community and school tour programs. Your support on Giving Tuesday – and every day – allows us to continue this mission.
This Giving Tuesday, give the gift of membership! Available in person, by phone at 615-353-6984 and online at Cheekwood.org/support/membershipFollow the Giving Tuesday initiative on social media by visiting hashtag #GivingTuesday.

This year, Cheekwood was designated a Center of Excellence by the Tennessee Urban Forestry Council (TUFC). The Center of Excellence program serves as a way to enhance urban forestry at regional sites throughout the state of Tennessee.

We maintain a TUFC certified Level 4 arboretum to the highest standards throughout our 55 acres. With 12 gardens and a Nationally Accredited Cornus (Dogwood) Collection™, we offer more than 120 labeled and identified trees on site, representing the best trees to grow in Middle Tennessee.

Some criteria requirements for the Center of Excellence designation include:

• Qualified Level 4 arboretum
• Have a certified arborist on staff or on retainer as a member of a designated “tree team,” comprised of at least four volunteers including a Master Gardener or Master Urban Forester
• Serve as a community resource for tree information and education including at least four education programs each year on arboriculture or urban forestry

We strive toward excellence in all we do, and our Cheekwood team works diligently to maintain this excellence through various initiatives, including arboretum tours, special garden days and tree celebrations. Follow along with us on our website, blog and social media channels as we continue to work toward excellence.