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Event Tag: History

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Fleurs de Villes THE GILDED AGE 

Global flower show sensation Fleurs de Villes returns to Cheekwood to debut Fleurs de Villes THE GILDED AGE, presented in a flower-filled partnership with HBO Max® — a fresh floral celebration that brings the opulence, ambition, and iconic characters of the hit HBO® drama series to life through stunning fresh floral artistry.

From August 1–9, discover a curated collection of one-of-a-kind fresh floral mannequins displayed throughout Cheekwood’s Botanic Hall, Frist Learning Center, and Historic Mansion & Museum. This stunning showcase celebrates The Gilded Age, the acclaimed drama set in late 19th-century New York, where old money and new ambition collide in a time of extraordinary social change — reimagined through spectacular floral storytelling.

Created by Nashville’s talented floral designers, each floral masterpiece interprets the series’ distinct characters and opulent style — from the bold, aspirational gowns of Bertha Russell to the refined sophistication of Agnes van Rhijn, the understated elegance of Marian Brook, and the modern perspective of Peggy Scott — inviting visitors to experience the elegance and intrigue of The Gilded Age  in full bloom.

_FDV-GA Cheekwood_website SECOND IMAGE

From August 1–9, discover a curated collection of one-of-a-kind fresh floral mannequins displayed throughout Cheekwood’s Botanic Hall, Frist Learning Center, and Historic Mansion & Museum. This stunning showcase celebrates The Gilded Age, the acclaimed drama set in late 19th-century New York, where old money and new ambition collide in a time of extraordinary social change — reimagined through spectacular floral storytelling.

Created by Nashville’s talented floral designers, each floral masterpiece interprets the series’ distinct characters and opulent style — from the bold, aspirational gowns of Bertha Russell to the refined sophistication of Agnes van Rhijn, the understated elegance of Marian Brook, and the modern perspective of Peggy Scott — inviting visitors to experience the elegance and intrigue of The Gilded Age in full bloom.

Fleurs de Villes THE GILDED AGE Floral Mannequins

Character Name, Floral Designer, Location, and Patron

1. Mr. Bannister

By Flower Girls Floral Design
Located in the Historic Mansion & Museum

Sponsored by Gail Danner Greil and Joanne Slaughter

2. Gladys Russell

By Studio Izrada
Located in the Historic Mansion & Museum

Sponsored by Janice Morgan and Gus Mayer

3. Bertha Russell

By Rose Hill Flowers
Located in the Historic Mansion & Museum

Sponsored by Mrs. John Whitney Payson

4. George Russell

By Rose Hill Flowers
Located in the Historic Mansion & Museum

Sponsored by Barry Stowe and J. Michaels Clothiers

5. Larry Russell

By Village Revival
Located in the Historic Mansion & Museum

Sponsored by Russell Bates & Ben Scott

6. Mrs. Astor

By Laurel & Leaf
Located in the Historic Mansion & Museum

Sponsored by Northern Trust

7. Marian Brook

By Abbj Design
Located in the Frist Learning Center

Sponsored by Vicki & Kerry McCluggage

8. Peggy Scott

By By Gossamer
Located in the Frist Learning Center

Sponsored by Anonymous

9. Dorothy Scott

By Larson Floral Co.
Located in the Frist Learning Center

Sponsored by Lucie Cammack, Julia Cammack Truemper & John Truemper

10. Aurora Fane

By The Flower House
Located in the Frist Learning Center

Sponsored by Mimi Bliss

11. Agnes van Rhijn

By T Villager Designs
Located in the Frist Learning Center

Sponsored by Josephine Darwin, Sandra Lipman, and Mary Follin Simonsen

12. Ada Brook

By LL Floral
Located in the Frist Learning Center

Sponsored by Laurie & Steve Eskind

Presenting Patrons: Laurie & Jim Seabury | Denise Cummins

Floral Installations:
Opera in Bloom, by Florence Florals, in Botanic Hall, Sponsored by Theresa Godchaux Payne
The Gilded Floral Frame, by Florence Florals, Frist Learning Center, Sponsored by Pamela Darby Bollinger
The Gilded Peacock, by Flower Girls Floral Design, Historic Mansion, Horticultural Society of Middle Tennessee
Spring and Summer in Bloom, by LMA Designs, Historic Mansion

Florally Supported by

Fleurs de Villes THE GILDED AGE Events

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Fleurs de Villes Gifts & Keepsakes Pre-Sale

Fleurs de Villes official merchandise now available online! Shop the Fleurs de Villes Pre-Sale to reserve your official merchandise. Orders will ship during the exhibition or select in-store pickup to pick up your items at Cheekwood.

Shop Now

The Museum Shop will feature Fleurs de Villes merchandise, along with elegant items and gifts inspired by the Gilded Age including; books, stationery, jewelry, gilded barware, lace fans, and accessories. Be sure to stop by the shop for botanical bracelets, birth flower necklaces, botanical-infused cocktail syrups, and more!

Reserve Tickets

Garden & Mansion ticket is required to experience the full exhibition.

Gardens Only Gardens + Mansion
Adults $23 $29
Youth  $16  $22
Ages 2 & Under FREE FREE
Member Adult 9AM – 5PM FREE FREE
Member Youth 9AM – 5PM FREE FREE
Member Adult 5 – 9PM $10 $16
Member Youth 5 – 9PM $5 $14

$2 service fee per paid item
Non-Members: $5 per order parking fee

Featured Floral Designers

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An American Story: Paintings from the Parthenon’s Cowan Collection

Discover the remarkable story behind one of Nashville’s greatest artistic treasures. An American Story invites visitors to experience the Cowan Collection as it has rarely been seen, outside its permanent home of the Parthenon for the first time in nearly 40 years.

Gifted to the city nearly a century ago by James M. Cowan, this extraordinary collection reveals how American artists at the turn of the twentieth century shaped a national artistic identity. Featuring works by fifty-seven painters, many linked through shared training and artistic collaboration, the collection traces a pivotal moment in American art history.

Gifted to the city nearly a century ago by James M. Cowan, this extraordinary collection reveals how American artists at the turn of the twentieth century shaped a national artistic identity. Featuring works by fifty-seven painters, many linked through shared training and artistic collaboration, the collection traces a pivotal moment in American art history.

At its heart are sweeping landscapes and luminous plein-air paintings that capture the drama, beauty, and variety of America, from lush fields and forests to dynamic coastal scenes. Together with a select group of compelling portraits, these works reflect Cowan’s bold, personal vision and his enduring belief in the power of art to tell an American story.

HI RES - Moran, Town Pond-East Hampton
Thomas Moran (American, 1837-1926), Town Pond– East Hampton, 1909, Oil on canvas. On loan from the Nashville Parthenon.
HI RES - Bierstadt - Mount Tamalpais
Albert Bierstadt (German American, 1830-1902), Mount Tamalpais, c.1873, Oil on canvas. On loan from the Nashville Parthenon.
HI RES - Homer, Rab and the Girls (Over the Hills)
Winslow Homer (American, 1836-1910), Rab and The Girls (Over the Hills), 1875, Oil on canvas. On loan from the Nashville Parthenon.
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INTERVENTIONS: Karen LaMonte

American artist Karen LaMonte is renowned for her ethereal sculptures which explore the interplay of drapery, light, and the absence of the female form through her life-sized and small-scale Nocturnes, Etudes, and the kimonos from her Floating World series. In addition, LaMonte’s Cloud series are a paradox of weight and weightlessness.

The beautiful sculptures with their delicate folds and fluid details reveal both presence and mystery. Created in glass and metal, they capture fleeting moments of stillness while reflecting and refracting light, illuminating the space around them.

Now in its fifth year, INTERVENTIONS is an arts initiative to activate the Mansion’s period rooms. The series invites renowned artists from around the globe to imagine and implement a connection between their contemporary work and the fine and decorative arts within the period rooms. INTERVENTIONS is made possible by the Sandra Schatten Foundation.

Featured Image: Karen LaMonte (b.1967), Reclining Nocturne 1, 2019, Cast glass. Photo by Sam Angel.
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Pictured: Karen LaMonte (b.1967), Kabuki, 2013, Cast glass. Photo by Sam Angel.
Cheekwood_Karen L_Web-2
Pictured: Karen LaMonte (b.1967), Reclining Nocturne 3, 2015, White bronze. Photo by Sam Angel.
Cheekwood_Karen L_Web-12
Pictured: Karen LaMonte (b.1967), Nocturne 3, 2015, Cast glass. Photo by Sam Angel.
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Lost For Words

Lost for Words is a pop-infused graphic arts exhibition featuring prints from Cheekwood’s permanent collection that transform language into playful visual expressions. With bold typography, Pop Art energy, and nods to everyday American culture, these works explore how we communicate through both text and image. Mixing cultural references, bold graphics, and a wink of humor, Lost for Words turns language into an adventure in visual communication. Come get delightfully, creatively lost.

Photo Credit: Ed Ruscha (American, b.1937), News (from News, Mews, Pews, Brews, Stews & Dues), 1970, Organic ink, background printed with blackcurrant pie filling over red salmon roe on paper. Gift of Mr. Victor Dorman. 1981.1.10.1.1.
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Common Ground: The Hainsworth Collection in Conversation with Cheekwood’s Permanent Collection

Common Ground brings together, for the first time, paintings from the Hainsworth family collection and Cheekwood’s permanent collection to create a rich visual survey of American painting from the mid-19th to early 20th century. The two Nashville-based collections displayed alongside one another create a dialogue, revealing shared cultural aspirations and contrasting artistic visions. The exhibition examines major American art movements from the Hudson River School to American Impressionism and the Ashcan School. Together, the two collections enhance one another, offering a vibrant perspective on American art.

F. Luis Mora (American,1874-1940), Shadows in the Orchard, 1910, Oil on canvas. From the collection of John and Susan Hainsworth
F. Luis Mora (American,1874-1940), Shadows in the Orchard, 1910, Oil on canvas. From the collection of John and Susan Hainsworth.

The two Nashville-based collections displayed alongside one another create a dialogue, revealing shared cultural aspirations and contrasting artistic visions. The exhibition examines major American art movements from the Hudson River School to American Impressionism and the Ashcan School. Together, the two collections enhance one another, offering a vibrant perspective on American art.

Cheekwood-Common_Ground_Exhibition (3)
F. Luis Mora (American,1874-1940), Shadows in the Orchard, 1910, Oil on canvas. From the collection of John and Susan Hainsworth.
Cheekwood-Common_Ground_Exhibition (4)
Adam Emory Albright (American 1862-1957), The Raft, 1895, Oil on canvas. From the collection of John and Susan Hainsworth.
Cheekwood-Common_Ground_Exhibition (2)
Julian Alden Weir (American, 1852−1919), At the Piano, c.1890, oil on canvas. From the collection of John and Susan Hainsworth.
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Devoted: The Life and Work of Louise Dahl-Wolfe and Meyer Wolfe

Louise Dahl-Wolfe and Meyer Wolfe shared a devotion—to their craft and each other. This Graphic Arts exhibition curated from Cheekwood’s permanent collection illuminates the intertwined lives and legacies of two artists who once called Nashville home. Louise gained recognition as a pioneering photographer known for her modern, iconic work for Harper’s Bazaar. Meyer, a sculptor and draftsman, explored the human figure and spirit. Devoted honors not only their singular brilliance, but what they built together.

Photo Credit: Photograph © Margaretta Mitchell, 1977
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Sip & Stroll: Fleurs de Villes Cocktail Crawl

Sip, stroll, and celebrate Fleurs de Villes ARTISTE at our summer Cocktail Crawl. Wander through the gardens, savor floral-inspired cocktails and be dazzled by the 12 stunning floral mannequins on display throughout Cheekwood’s Botanic Hall, Frist Learning Center, and the Historic Mansion and Museum. Dress up in your favorite summer florals for extra flair!

Reserve Tickets

$50 Not-Yet Members
$45 Not-Yet Members with rideshare
$40 Members

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