: - Tennessee was the American frontier when Andrew Jackson moved
from the Carolinas to Nashville and opened his law office in
1788. After representing the state in Congress during the late
Eighteenth Century and fighting various native and nonnative
people around the Southeast, Jackson became the nation's seventh
president in 1828. He was the first of three Nineteenth Century
presidents from Tennessee, followed by James K. Polk and Andrew
Johnson. Gradually, folks back east learned more about Tennessee
and, in turn, the cultural vitality of the state was enriched by
settlers and artisans drawn by new opportunities in the west.
These early presidents are among many historical and artistic
figures profiled in an exhibition devoted to the "Art of
Tennessee," which is currently open for a four-month run at the
Frist Center for the Visual Arts in Nashville. The 270-object
show presents a complete overview of the state's aesthetic
history through works made by everyone from prehistoric potters
and pioneer chair-makers to living painters still working at
their easels.
The center is named after the prominent local family of
philanthropists, which includes Tennessee US Senator Bill Frist.
The splendidly modified Art Deco post office building on Broadway
has no permanent collection but provides an ideal display space
for traveling exhibitions, as well as shows organized at the
institution, such as "Art of Tennessee." Long before they opened
their doors in 2001, museum executives began to visit local
collectors, calculating what was available and soliciting good
ideas for future exhibits.
