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2023 Martin Shallenberger Artist-in-Residence Sarah Nguyen

Mixed media artist Sarah Nguyen is Cheekwood’s 2023 Artist-in-Residence. Working primarily with paper, Nguyen carves both recognizable and abstract forms out of paper fiber panels which evoke memory, play, and ritual. Her technique is reminiscent of Jewish paper cutting, a sacred tradition that Nguyen participated in as a child. Nguyen’s intricate designs often incorporate flora and fauna, bringing together new stories as well as those reminiscent of the past. The residency will culminate with an exhibition within the museum’s temporary exhibition space on view from November 18, 2023, through January 7, 2024.

It is not unusual for paper to act as a steward for information. We utilize paper in our everyday lives to jot down notes or write letters. Nguyen re-examines the function of paper by emphasizing the three-dimensional qualities of the material itself as opposed to its typical, more passive function of text vessel. Nguyen’s artworks retain a storytelling trait through visual motifs and symbolism. It is easy to become fully immersed in her elegant cut fiber panels, just as one might be wholly consumed with the narrative of a good story.

About the artist
Sarah Nguyen is a mixed media artist based in Columbia, MO, where she has worked as an art instructor at the University of Central Missouri for over ten years. She earned her BFA in Illustration from Rhode Island School of Design and her MFA in Painting from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Nguyen has exhibited her work internationally from Missouri to Japan. In addition to teaching and exhibiting, Nguyen works as the Book Designer for Pleiades Press and Magazine and as Freelance Illustrator where you can find her work on book covers and children’s books. She is also the Art Installations Curator for the True/False Film Fest.

Featured Image: Sarah Nguyen. Install of Devorah Bee and Deborah- Songs of Judgement 76” H x 49” W Hand-cut Tyvek and wooden rod, spray painted paper. Photo courtesy of Sarah Nguyen.

Image Right: Sarah Nguyen. Deborah- Songs of Judgement 78” H x 25” W (3 scrolls), Hand-cut Tyvek, spray paint, and plastic rod. Photo courtesy of the Artist.

Sarah Nguyen. Devorah- Songs of Judgement 78” H x 25” W (3 scrolls), Hand-cut Tyvek, spray paint, and plastic rod. Photo courtesy of the Artist.

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Glowga and LIGHT

Schedule of Events

Food Trucks

6 PM – 9 PM | Lot B

Bondi Bowls
Nash Kebabs
The Urban Juicer

Funk Night Nashville

6 PM – 8:30 PM | Arboretum Lawn

Glowga

7:30 PM – 8:30 PM | Arboretum Lawn

On August 11, Small World Yoga leads a unique, one-hour yoga practice for all skill levels in the illuminated gardens. Funk Night Nashville will set the groove and healthy food options will give you energy to move. Bring your best glow-in-the-dark, light up, or neon accessories, a yoga mat, and water to maximize the experience. No pre-registration for Glowga is necessary but tickets for LIGHT: Bruce Munro Evenings are required.

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Meditation in the Forest of Light

NEW! Meditation in the Forest of Light

This one-of-a-kind event encourages an awareness of our individual and collective journeys through time and space by dedicating an evening to mindfulness. Begin with a brief, guided, grounding meditation and then make your way into the heart of the Ann & Monroe Carell Jr. Family Sculpture Trail to immerse yourself in the artistic and mesmerizing elements of Forest of Light by artist Bruce Munro. Don’t miss this exclusive immersive Munro experience! Meditation led by: Jo-Jo Jackson

Elle & Jo Tea Co. will be offering ready to drink herbal/ decaf and sugar free iced tea from 7 – 7:30 PM and 8:30 – 9 PM with the option to add honey simple syrup! Settle into the meditation with a refreshing beverage or grab it on your way out to keep the relaxed vibes going all through the night.

Please dress comfortably for the outdoors and remember to stay hydrated. Registration is limited and non-refundable. If inclimate weather, participants will be notified 48 hours prior to event of rescheduling. Alternate date is August 22.

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Positioning the Body: Explorations in American Figural Studies

Positioning the Body

Explorations in American Figural Studies

This exhibition examines the development of figural studies in America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when the “rise of athleticism” – which dawned with the first modern Olympics in 1896 – brought about a renewed interest in the physique of both the male and female body. This period was one of many that revived Classical ideals following the synthesis of aesthetic values and anatomical studies by Renaissance art academies, which firmly establishing the tradition of figure drawing as it is known today. Comprised of 17 works on paper, drawings as well as newer media such as photography are represented, and aspects of movement, gender, and history are considered.

Featured Image: Everett Shinn (American, 1876-1953), Girl Sleeping, c. 1905-1920, Conte crayon on paper, Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Benjamin Caldwell, Jr., 1976.4.45.

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New Acquisition on the Sculpture Trail

Come celebrate the Tennessee Triennial for Contemporary Art with half-price admission to view the stunning new Elizabeth Turk installation in person on the Ann & Monroe Carell Jr. Family Sculpture Trail.

Elizabeth Turk
American, b. 1961

Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Golden-winged Warbler, and King Rail, 2023
Aluminum
Museum purchase
2022.2-4

Drawing inspiration from the songs of three endangered Tennessee birds: the Red-cockaded Woodpecker, the Golden-winged Warbler, and the King Rail, this sculptural grouping represents the birds through elegant, totemic sound columns. Turk frequently commemorates the calls of endangered and extinct birds in her work by using printouts of the sound waves they generate(d) during song. Working with recordings archived by the Macaulay Library of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Turk enlarges the sound wave images, reorients them from horizontal to vertical, and then painstakingly reproduces them in a variety of materials to manufacture her totems.

LEARN MORE

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Orchids in the Mansion

The orchid show activates a third season at Cheekwood and celebrates the beauty of nature at a time when the gardens are otherwise dormant. The exhibition builds on the historic backdrop to create the same juxtaposition employed by other awe-inspiring exhibitions within the space and even much of the permanent sculpture on display throughout the gardens – exuberant, modern artworks presented in contrast to the classical venue. The floral display will celebrate the artistic bravado of one of the most dramatically beautiful rooms in Nashville.

Three nine-foot chandeliers will hang along the room’s length, each consisting of a series of wire globes articulated around a central axis. The globes, themselves, will be covered in orchids, ferns and other decorative foliage, hanging not too far off the Loggia floor. Directly beneath the hanging trio is a twenty-eight-foot-long mirrored panel, reflecting the light and the image of the orchids above.

The color palette is primarily pink and yellow with accents of light green, expressed in a combination of Phalaenopsis, Dendrobium and Cymbidium. The crisp, modern orchid display will be framed by a hedge of English Laurel and balanced by a rich tropical ensemble flanking the historic fountain at the west side of the magnificent room.

Presented By

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INTERVENTIONS: Fortuna

In the fall of 2021, Cheekwood launched its latest innovative arts initiative focused on activating the mansion’s period rooms. Intended to enliven a historic environment, this program aims to create a complementary dialogue between the craftsmanship of the creative contemporary minds of today and the classical collections present within the Cheekwood mansion. The inaugural artist, Beth Katleman, installed her whimsical and satirical work offering a creative temporary shift in perspective on the museum’s permanent collection. Katleman derives her inspiration from eighteenth century Chippendale designs and traditional toile patterns to fabricate intricate installations made of porcelain.

Beth Katleman (American, born 1959). Fortuna Table, 2021. Porcelain, wood, wire.