Clarksville, TN – Produced by The Downtown Clarksville Association, First Thursday Art Walk is a free, self-guided tour spanning a 5-block radius that combines visual art, live music, engaging events, and more in the heart of Downtown Clarksville.
The First Thursday Art Walk in Clarksville is the ultimate opportunity to savor and support local creative talent.
The March Art Walk will be held on March 3rd from 5:00pm to 8:00pm at the shops and galleries on Public Square, Franklin Street, and Strawberry Alley. The participating businesses are listed below as well as a description of the work they will be exhibiting and services they will be offering during the event.
The Customs House Museum (200 S. 2nd Street)
The Customs House Museum and Cultural Center is Tennessee’s second-largest general interest museum. It features fine art, history, and children’s exhibits.
Museum Exhibitions
Breaking Through: The Rise of American Women Artists
March 5th – May 29th | Kimbrough & Jostens Galleries
This juried show features over 100 paintings and sculptures by members of American Women Artists (AWA) from across the country. AWA is an organization that aims to increase the number of professional opportunities for women in the visual fine arts.
Rising Voices 2: The Bennett Prize for Women Figurative Realist Painters
Through April 24th | Crouch & Bruner Galleries
The depiction of the human figure is central in the history of art, and this exhibition brings a contemporary view to a timeless subject. The $50,000 Bennett Prize is awarded biennially to a woman fine art painter whose principal artistic focus is figurative painting in a primarily realistic style. Rising Voices 2 is comprised of paintings by the ten 2021 Bennett Prize finalists, including Prize winner Ayana Ross.
Aneka Ingold: Transfiguration
Through April 24th | Orgain Gallery
Aneka Ingold’s dramatically staged paintings present mysterious allegories informed by the stories and lives of women. Drawn from self-reflection and the shared experiences of peers and women throughout history, her narratives are relayed through symbols and patterns that culminate in a central, goddess-like figure. Ingold’s powerful characters, rendered in precise layers of colored pencil and paint, earned her the honor of being named the inaugural winner of The Bennett Prize for Women Figurative Realist Painters in 2019.
Baskets & Bowls: Art of the West
Through April 3rd | Harvill Gallery
Enjoy an assortment of Native American baskets and pottery from the collection of Bob Stanton. After discovering a Hupa hat basket at an antique shop, the Stantons became increasingly interested in Native American cultures. This exhibit includes pieces from various tribes that call the American West home.
The Infirmary
Through April 17th | Lobby
Dr. Robert T. Burt was a skilled surgeon who opened Clarksville’s first hospital in 1906. He performed over 300 operations per year, including C-sections long before they were common practice. This exhibit features photographs and other artifacts that tell the story of Dr. Burt and his colleagues at the Home Infirmary.
Explorers Landing: Exploring Our Town
Open Now on the Lower Level
New Memories, New Adventures, New Explorers Landing! Explore our town with timeless favorites like the Bubble Cave and McGregor’s Market and new discoveries like the Landing and Car Ramp. It’s an adventure for all ages.
Museum Events
First Thursday Art Walk
March 3rd, 5:00pm–8:00pm
The Museum will offer free admission during First Thursday Art Walk Clarksville from 5:00pm–8:00pm. That Taste of Florida food truck will be serving up delicious eats in the Courtyard.
The New Gallery (732 – 744 Joseph Street – Art+Design building)
The New Gallery is Austin Peay State University’s 1500 sq’ white cube contemporary art gallery operated by the Department of Art+Design. The New Gallery brings in nationally and internationally recognized contemporary artists for to Clarksville for exhibitions, lectures, workshops, class visits, and studio visits with students.
Listening: The Fourth String
An Artistic Collaboration: Artist + Musician + Community = SOCIAL AWARENESS + SOCIAL CHANGE
Listening: The Fourth String is a series of interactive multimedia installations and public performances that re-imagine the silenced existence of the Iranian musician, Moshtagh Ali Shah, and emphasizes his historic contributions to music. The project addresses the concept of sound, suggesting the act of listening can power community engagement, promote social change, and foster a better future. The exhibition will be staged via various events between February 21st-March 25th in The New Gallery at Austin Peay State University.
The Fourth String is a reference to the traditional Iranian instrument, the setar. Literally translated from the Persian Farsi language, setar means three (se) strings (tar), and the Iranian setar is a three-stringed instrument. However, centuries ago, the Iranian Sufi musician, Moshtagh Ali Shah, added a fourth string. This dramatically changed the instrument from its original configuration, enhancing the sound and allowing musicians to explore more complex compositional and performance possibilities while retaining the traditional capabilities of the three-stringed instrument.
There are three components in this exhibition:
1) Installation and Performance
A Kermani rug that traditionally serves as a gathering place is transformed into a four-string instrument where artists and community members can experience sound and music together. In addition to community participation, local musicians have been invited to collaborate in an experimental performance with this instrument.
2) An Installation – Artists as Witnesses
In a multi-channel video, this installation provides an opportunity for underrepresented artists to collectively come together as witnesses and participants of social change in action. Close-ups of over 30 Middle Eastern musicians peer back at exhibition viewers.
3) Installation as a Platform for Learning and Engagement
This is an educational and interactive installation that allows individuals to sit and play the setar. Three video monitors will provide step-by-step instruction on a few basic strumming and picking techniques.
Reza Filsoofi is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, and composer born in Tehran, Iran. Reza’s versatile musical styles combined with his expansive knowledge of different classical instruments have given him opportunities to collaborate with numerous artists and musicians on a variety of projects.
For over six years Raheleh and Reza Filsoofi’s socially engaged practices as visual artist and musician have brought groups of people together from diverse cultural backgrounds in South Florida and South Texas. They live and practice in Nashville, Tennessee.
City Boy Country Life: A Lifestyle Collection (120 Franklin Street – Suite 114)
City Boy Country Life: A Lifestyle Collection is proud to feature NEW work from local artist Kris Lee during the March 2022 First Thursday Art Walk.
Kris Lee is originally from San Jose, CA, but has resided in the Clarksville, TN area since 1999 when the US Army brought her husband to Ft. Campbell, KY. Upon his retirement in 2007, the family chose to stay and make Tennessee their permanent home.
While being a military spouse for most of her marriage, she has had a variety of different careers. Through it all she has had a passion for art, both performing and visual. A dancer as a child and through college, she is no stranger to the stage. As a college student she majored in art, and as an adult, she dabbled in graphic arts for local advertising.
In 2016, after a creative drought, she was convinced by a family member to try oil painting. With no prior experience in this medium, she rose to the challenge. And, despite being primarily self-taught with some coaching from her family, she fell in love with the oils, canvas, and pallet knife.
Kris is an avid hiker and loves the beauty of the mountains and the Tennessee countryside. These very images are where she gets her inspiration to paint. She hopes to continue to hone her craft and share this beauty through her art with the world.
Journey’s Eye Studio (131 Franklin Street)
Journey’s Eye Studio is proud to host Patsy Sharpe during the March 2022 First Thursday Art Walk.
Patsy has always loved art and anything connected to art starting with childhood. Her favorite part of any class was the illustration that was required in a report or project. Her high school art teacher always said of her assignments, “You have, again, outdone yourself.”
She is now a member of the Tennessee Watercolor Society, the Nashville Artist Guild, the Southern Watercolor Society, the Chestnut Group and the Miniature Art Society of Florida. She currently heads the 2Rivers Society of Painters, a group of local professional artists credited with a number of achievements. Her proudest achievement was gaining signature status in the Tennessee Watercolor Society.
She has won awards in local and regional exhibitions and has been juried into national and international ones as well. One of her miniatures traveled to Moscow, Russia to participate in the Fifth World Federation of Miniatures.
Patsy loves painting nature subjects with trees being a particular favorite, but finds the human figure or portrait an exciting challenge. She resides in an historic home with her husband and paints the huge trees surrounding her home and the home, as well, as there are many interesting and beautiful features with which to choose. While she will try different techniques in water media, pure watercolor has always been her favorite.
ArtLink Studios (116 Strawberry Alley)
ArtLink Studios located at 116 Strawberry Alley, will be featuring a variety art from our in-house artists.
ArtLink is proud to host local artist Kayla Muñoz during the March 2022 First Thursday Art Walk.
Kayla Muñoz is a local West Creek High School Senior who plans to attend APSU and pursue a career in animation. Kay is a self taught artist, as well as a percussionist in high school marching band. Kay enjoys music, band, and all different mediums of art!
We will also be serving snacks and wine, along with having a featured project anyone can do!
Edward’s Steakhouse (107 Franklin Street)
Come enjoy the best steaks in Clarksville in a relaxed atmosphere with live piano on Friday and Saturday night. We also offer Clarksville’s largest wine selection in town from around the world. 10% Military and APSU discount daily
Edward’s Steakhouse is proud to support the March 2022 First Thursday Art Walk and will feature local artist Jay Swafford this month.
Jay Swafford is an artist-designed to look at the world from the inside out. And even from this very personal perspective, Swafford further skews the subjects in his mind through a multifaceted prism. He guides the viewer into his way of seeing things that we just might be taking for granted. Things that have become so commonplace that they have become almost invisible. He invites us to revisit our environment of people, places and things with his deeply felt paintings.
No review of Jay Swafford’s work would be complete without using, at least, all of the words: energy, drive, power and color.
Born in Nashville, Tennessee in 1954, Swafford now resides in Springfield, Tennessee, where he is involved with the local art community & has served as Art Director for both the Robertson County Chamber Gallery & Springfield Inn Gallery.
For More information: www.SwaffordART.com
Stop in, see the art, listen to Jackson Miller on the piano and enjoy the Thursday night special, 1/2 priced $7.00 appetizers and 2 for 1 draft drink specials.
Roxy Regional Theatre (110 Franklin Street)
For those who enjoy the visual arts, the Peg Harvill Gallery, located just beyond the lobby, hosts twelve shows annually featuring locally and nationally known artisans. Shows generally open the first Thursday of each month for our First Thursday Art Walk.
During the month of March, the Peg Harvill Gallery at the Roxy Regional Theatre will feature mixed media paintings by Takaya Curlin to complement the Roxy’s upcoming production of Angels in America, playing March 11th–March 26th.
Takaya Curlin was born and raised in Cairo, IL. She is a wife, mother, army veteran and artist. She obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and is currently working on a Masters in Marketing. Being an artist has always been inside of her, but she never had anyone to tell her it was possible to make a career out of it.
As a way to give back, she has started the Tae’s Angels foundation through her business. This is dedicated to the child she lost in 2012 to hydrocephalus. Ten percent of each painting sold is put towards the end of the year donation made to the Hydrocephalus Association in his name.
Artist Statement:
“I just want the world to know my name like Basquiat or Kara Walker. My style mixed with graffiti and silhouettes. Stun them with abstract visions until they think I’ve done my best, Then tell them I ain’t done yet.” – K.C.
For tickets and information about our current production of ANGELS IN AMERICA, please visit www.roxyregionaltheatre.org or call the box office at 931.645.7699.
Additional gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday, 9:00am–2:00pm.
River City Clay (115 Franklin Street)
River City Clay is an art gallery and studio located in Downtown Clarksville. We offer pottery classes for all skill levels with the goal of spreading our love for ceramics with our community.
River City Clay is an art gallery and studio located in downtown Clarksville offering pottery classes for all skill levels with the goal of spreading our love for ceramics with our community.
River City Clay Studio features handmade pottery made by Ken Shipley, Melody Shipley, and Shelby Crutcher. The gallery is also spotlighting handwoven textiles and handmade jewelry by Eloise Freeman, and original pastel and charcoal drawings by Martin Freeman.
Sanctuary On Main (334 Main Street)
Sanctuary on Main is proud and excited to participate in the March 2022 First Thursday Art Walk.
Stop by to see several local artisans work that is featured within!
Jewelry
- Melanie Haven Design
- Made by Adelaide
- Pocketdharma
- A Little Love and Light
Wood Art
- Beatrix Brockman
Photography
- Katie Cameron
Macrame Art
- Lavishly Leashed
Soap
- Linden Tree Soap
Apparel
- Carlisle Creations
Be sure to stop in and see these other venues during the First Thursday Artwalk:
- Mildred & Mables – 109 Franklin Street
- Couture Crush – 101 Franklin Street
- Downtown Commons – 215 Legion Street
- Hudubam Booktraders – 110 Franklin Street
- DBO Gallery – 106 N. Second Street
- The Clarksville Collection – 120 Franklin Street – Suite 109
- The Framemaker – 705 North Second Street – Suite B
- Trazo Meadery – 116 Franklin Street
