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 October Art Walk will be held on October 6th 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 the services they will offer during the event.
The Customs House Museum (200 South Second 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
Art of the Nashville Artist Guild
October 4th – November 27th | Kimbrough Gallery
The Nashville Artist Guild is a nonprofit, juried organization of professional artists, irrespective of any particular school, style, or movement. For over 70 years, the Guild has promoted fine visual art as an integral part of Middle Tennessee life and provided educational opportunities to the public.
A Simpler Life: Photographs by Carl Wilson
October 19th – January 2nd | Jostens Gallery
In this new series of photographs, Carl Wilson features scenes of the land, animals, and people of rural Kentucky.
Spookies from the Collection
Through November 6th | Lobby
From a Victorian wreath made of human hair to mysterious portraits and dolls, get in the Halloween spirit with this selection of spooky artifacts from the Museum’s permanent collection.
Peripheries: New Work by Laurén Brady
Through October 30th | Bruner & Orgain Galleries
Laurén Brady is a visual artist living in Charlotte, Michigan whose paintings explore landscape, memory and respond to current environments through expressive mark-making and bold use of color.
The Art of Clarksville
Through October 26th | Crouch Gallery
This impressive collection of original artworks representing the expansive story of our community is on display together for the first time. From picture-perfect downtown views to charming watercolors of peaceful riverside scenes, the collection contains over 60 works of art that depict a historic Clarksville scene, were created by a Clarksville resident or both.
Thomas Adams: Pen & Inks from the Collection
Through October 19th | Harvill Gallery
Local artist Thomas Adams captured iconic Clarksville sites in pen and ink with these drawings from 1973 and 1974. Experience these landmarks – some no longer standing – with this collection of delicate illustrations.
Illumination: The Art of Dr. John Stanton
Through October 16th | Jostens Gallery
A variety of subjects come to life in the illuminated glasswork and engravings of Dr. John Stanton.
Museum Events
First Thursday Art Walk
October 6th, 5:00pm – 8:00pm
Free to the public
The Museum offers free admission during First Thursday Art Walk Clarksville from 5:00pm – 8:00pm. Grab a bite from the Hotdog Emergency food truck in the Courtyard!
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.
Artist Information
Edward’s Steakhouse is proud to support the October 2022 First Thursday Art Walk and will feature local artist Maegan Collins this month.
Return to the Smokies
Maegan Collins is a local photographer that has called Clarksville home since graduating from Austin Peay State University. She loves to photograph the moments that mean the most to her, including this collection of moments from a recent visit to the Smoky Mountains. These are the moments that she shares with millions of others that visit one of the most popular National Parks in the country.
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.
Artist Information
During the month of October, the Peg Harvill Gallery at the Roxy Regional Theatre will feature artwork by Blossom Robertson to complement the Roxy’s upcoming production of “The Rocky Horror Show”, playing October 13th – October 29th.
Blossom Robertson was born in Tacoma, Washington, and moved to Clarksville, Tennessee in 1996. She attended APSU’s fine arts program from 2001 to 2003. While in college, Blossom started a family and took a hiatus from her artistic endeavors, taking a 9-5 job to raise her children.
As her children got older, she began to refocus on her love of art and leading local private paint parties to share the joy of creating something with others. She left her day job and began leading classes at Horsefeathers, as well as privately.
After a brief stint in framing and a training program to become a yoga instructor, she has put her full energy into her two passions – yoga and art. She is currently a yoga instructor at Shangri-La Hot yoga and leads paint classes at local venues around town as well as privately.
Her work consists of mostly acrylic paintings but dabbles in ink, watercolor markers, and some basic woodworking. She has done murals for some local businesses and friends. You can find her work at local places around Clarksville.
Statement:
“I tend to lean towards images of space, flight, and female characters. These themes symbolize woman’s liberation, freedom of sexuality, and spiritual growth. I love the visual aspect of something slightly dark yet also beautiful.
After some major life changes, I have spent the last few years really learning who I am, embracing it, and exploring the weird and different. My love of nature, bugs, skulls, and film all pop up repeatedly.
I don’t generally create a piece with the intent to convey a particular message. I paint whatever I am feeling at that moment, whatever brings me joy, whatever fantasy is floating in my head.”
City Boy Country Life (120 Franklin Street Suite 114)
Artist Information
City Boy Country Life: A Lifestyle Collection is proud to feature NEW work from local artist Kris Lee during the October 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 Fort 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.
DBO Gallery (106 North Second Street)
Artist Information
DBO Gallery is proud to present a guest artist, Wesley Hernandez during the October 2022 First Thursday Art Walk. Wesley Hernandez, a military veteran [More to Come].
Trazo Meadery (116 Franklin Street)
Artist Information
Trazo Meadery is proud to support the October 2022 First Thursday Art Walk and host local photographer Nadia Amro.
Art Link (116 Strawberry Alley)
Artist Information
ArtLink is proud to support the October 2022 First Thursday Art Walk and will host local artist Ragaiey Ibrahim.
“I like to think I am more of an art enthusiast, as I love to explore all around for the artwork the world has to offer and enjoy constantly learning all these new ideas and methods people apply to such unique creations.
Finding my passion in helping others express themselves in such a manner is what led to my desire of wanting to create and share with others myself now!”
The ArtLink studio will be open during the October 2022 First Thursday Art Walk with a variety of featured art projects you can pop in and create!
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 to Clarksville for exhibitions, lectures, workshops, class visits, and studio visits with students.
Artist Information
The New Gallery, with support from The Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts and the APSU Department of Art + Design, continues the 2022-23 exhibition season with One More River, a solo exhibition by Miami-based artist Friday.
“I am excited to introduce the work of Chris Friday – or just Friday – to the Austin Peay and Clarksville community,” said Michael Dickins, director of The New Gallery. “Friday creates drawings of figures at rest or doing mundane leisure activities, but on a larger-than-life scale. It’s the scale of the drawings, one close to 20 feet long, that draws in the viewer and enhances the importance, and desire, of leisure and rest – but with their backs turned toward the viewers – forcing the viewer to become a bystander and witness to this leisure – not a participant. The exhibition title, One More River, refers to the song One More River to Cross by Sam Cooke. With this exhibition, Friday, as a Black woman, asks the question, ‘When is that last river coming, because I’m tired?”
In the exhibition essay, written specifically for this exhibition by Joe Tolbert Jr., he writes: “Set against the backdrop of the artist’s experience of 2020, family archives and history collide in Chris Friday’s new exhibition, One More River. With this exhibition, Friday invites us into her freedom dream of rest for Black people in the United States.
Tolbert continues: “One more river to cross. One more mountain to climb. One more valley I gotta go through then I’m leaving my troubles behind.” The chorus of the song from which this exhibition gets its title sets up a problem for Black people. Friday shared, ‘It’s this idea, especially in the Black community that, ‘Oh, don’t worry about the here and now, cause when we die, we will get this eternal rest.’ I’m fundamentally disagreeing with the idea that we’re not allowed to have that right now.’”
The exhibit opened on Monday, September 26th, and runs through October 28th at The New Gallery in the Art + Design building on the campus of Austin Peay State University.
The New Gallery will be open for the First Thursday Art Walk on October 6th from 5:00pm-7:30pm.
Downtown Artists Co-op (96 Franklin Street)
The DAC is an association of talented local artists and interested patrons dedicated to promoting the visual arts in the Clarksville-Montgomery County area.
Our objectives are to sponsor art exhibitions of work by Co-op members and regional artists, to provide continuing support for the Co-op and its membership through the sale of artwork, to encourage arts education with outreach programs and scholarship fundraisers, and to develop membership services that directly support the arts community.
Artist Information
2 Rivers Plein Air Painters 2022 Exhibit
Reception: Thursday, October 6th, 5:00pm – 8:00pm
Exhibit: DAC – Rivers Gallery – – October 6th – 30th
Twitter – @Clarksville_DAC
Instagram – @downtown.artists.cooperative
Facebook – @clarksvilleartists
River City Clay (115 Franklin Street)
Artist Information
River City Clay invites you to come to paint a bowl for the Empty Bowls Project on October 6th from 5:00pm to 8:00pm. Each bowl painted will be donated to the Empty Bowls Project to be a part of the dinner event in February 2023. The event benefits local food insecurity non-profit organizations like Loaves and Fishes, Urban Ministries, and the Food Initiative. The cost to paint a bowl is $8.00.
Be Sure To Stop In and See These Other Venues
Mildred & Mables – 109 Franklin Street
Couture Crush – 101 Franklin Street
Hudubam Booktraders – 110 Franklin Street
The Clarksville Collection – 120 Franklin Street – Suite 109
Pups, Plants & Goods – 117A Strawberry Alley
Sanctuary On Main – 334 Main Street
Journey’s Eye Studio – 131 Franklin Street
The Clarksville Collection – 131 Franklin Street
