Clarksville, TN – The Customs House Museum and Cultural Center is located in Historic Downtown Clarksville, Tennessee. Come explore an entire city block featuring large gallery spaces filled with fine art, science, and history.
Some of the events in October at the Museum include American Watercolor Society 156th Traveling Exhibition, Annual Staff Art Show, Monique Carr’s Ethereal Abstractions: A Journey through Landscapes, Florals & Beyond, Homeschool Fieldtrip Day, Storytime & Craft: Batty About Bats, Community Weaving with Vickie Vipperman.
Customs House Museum Exhibits
American Watercolor Society 156th Traveling Exhibition
October 3rd – January 2nd | Kimbrough Gallery
Since 1866, the American Watercolor Society has worked to advance education and foster the appreciation of watercolor painting in America. Their annual exhibition is open to all artists working in water-soluble media: watercolor, acrylic, casein, gouache, and egg tempera on paper.
Annual Staff Art Show
Through October 17th | Lobby
The annual staff art exhibit showcases the creative work of those who work behind the scenes at the Museum. Each piece reveals the unique personalities and skills of the artists, special moments in their lives, and their inspirations.
Tennessee Craft: A Statewide Member Exhibition
Through October 26th | Crouch Gallery
Since 1965, Tennessee Craft has championed the local fine craft movement by supporting growth and creative expression for all artists, building a platform for high-quality craftsmanship, and reinforcing the importance of fine craft for the entire community. This exhibit features over 70 works of art in various mediums.
Todd Saal: Telling Stories
Through October 29th | Orgain & Bruner Galleries
Todd Saal started life in New York City as an artist and musician. Spending his travel time sketching on the road, he captured moments of the places and people he observed.
Immersing himself in the unconstrained nature of watercolor is what he has come to love the most.
“I like to think of watercolor as my partner, each of us having our own voice in every painting. It does its own thing and continues to work long after the guidance of my initial brush strokes. I seek to capture the spirit and character of the people and places I portray in my work. Each one has its own story to tell.”
Monique Carr’s Ethereal Abstractions: A Journey through Landscapes, Florals & Beyond
Through November 8th | Jostens Gallery
Monique Carr’s work bursts with energy as she combines expressive colors and intriguing textures with her imaginative and abstract landscapes. Her florals are fun and full of energy.
“My contemporary landscapes are a fusion of experience, experiment, and emotion. Instead of painting what I see with my eyes, I want to depict my own interpretation of a scene with my soul. I want to capture the mystery and the beauty of nature.”
The Art of Mike Lugger
Through October 29th | Harvill Gallery
Mike Lugger’s creations are whimsical and bright – from 2D mixed media compositions to sculptural pieces made from airplane propellers, his work is a nod to the pop art genre and his own family’s inspiration.
“At 73, I’m a semi-retired aviation engineer, and I’m finally following in my father’s footsteps with his out-of-the-box abstract art. My dad painted 1,723 oil and acrylic paintings – all of which flowed directly from his imagination onto canvas and boards.”
Red Grooms: Selected Works from the Caldwell Collection
Through February 11th | Memory Lane
Born in Nashville in 1937, Red Grooms stands among Tennessee’s cultural icons. A performance artist, filmmaker, printmaker, and cartoonist, he is best known for colorful pop art that captures both the grotesqueness and humor of everyday life. His art is featured in the collections of more than 35 museums, including the Art Institute of Chicago, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art in Nashville, the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Carnegie Museum of Art and the Knoxville Museum of Art.
This exhibit features paintings and paper sculptures, and is produced in partnership with the West Tennessee Regional Art Center with contributions from the Discovery Park of America.
Museum Events
First Thursday Art Walk
October 5th | 5:00pm – 8:00pm
Free to the public
Mark your calendars for October Art Walk! The Museum offers free admission during First Thursday Art Walk Clarksville from 5:00pm – 8:00pm.
To get in the spooky spirit, join us at 6:00pm for “Scary Horrors: Halloween Season Stories,” a reading of horror flash fiction, a demonic house’s secrets, and freaky fairytales by Clarksville writers from CECA’s Community School of the Arts Creative Writing program. (For adult audiences only.)
Historic Greenwood Cemetery Walking Tours
September 23rd, October 7th & 21st | 10:00am – 11:00am
$20.00 ticket | $15.00 member ticket
Join us for our popular historic walking tour of Greenwood Cemetery, one of Clarksville’s oldest active cemeteries. Take a spooky stroll through the winding paths of Greenwood to hear tales full of local history and intrigue. Tickets must be purchased in advance, and space is extremely limited – register today at customshousemuseum.org.
Historic Riverview Cemetery Walking Tours
September 30th, October 14th & 28th | 10:00am – 11:00am
$20.00 ticket | $15.00 member ticket
NEW this year! The Riverview Cemetery has existed since February 23rd, 1800 (when Clarksville was no more than a village), on land donated by Valentine Sevier. Join us on a tour through the grounds and learn about its history and the notable figures interred there. Tickets must be purchased in advance and space is extremely limited – register today at customshousemuseum.org.
*The grounds of Riverview Cemetery are not handicap accessible. The terrain is bumpy with few paved paths.
Halloween History on the Rocks – A Listen & Learn Happy Hour
October 25th | 5:30pm – 7:00pm
Location TBD
Join us for a special spooky edition of our quarterly history happy hour with Second & Commerce magazine – we’re talking Bell Witch, poisonous books, and more! Check out the newest issue, chat with contributing writers, enjoy drink specials, and try your hand at some trivia.
Museum Programs
Homeschool Fieldtrip Day
October 3rd | 10:30am | All ages, with adult
Free for Museum members; $3.00 per student and $5.00 per adult for nonmembers
Local homeschool groups are invited to experience an unforgettable day of exploration and learning every semester. For more information or on how to register, contact Curator of Education Stephanie Stafford at stephanie@customshousemuseum.org.
Storytime & Craft: Batty About Bats
October 5th | 10:30am | All ages, with adult
Free with membership or paid admission | Family Art Studio
On the first Thursday of this month, join us in the Family Art Studio to embark on a journey into the enchanting world of bats. We will be reading Stellaluna by Janell Cannon and Nightsong by Ari Berk. Afterward, kids can let their creativity soar with our coffee filter bat art activity to take home.
*All parents are expected to participate with and supervise their children.
Community Weaving with Vickie Vipperman
October 8th | 1:30pm – 3:30pm | All ages, with adult
Free with membership or paid admission | Crouch Gallery
In conjunction with American Craft Week, celebrate art, community, diversity, collaboration, color, texture, and so much more with this community weaving project alongside artist Vickie Vipperman. Together, we will create a rag-rug style weaving from fabric strips inscribed with each weaver’s “secret message.”
Storytime & Craft: It’s Monster Season!
October 19th | 10:30am | All ages, with adult
Free with membership or paid admission | Family Art Studio
Get ready to unleash your inner monster! Join us for a monstrously good time as we dive into the world of friendly monsters with The Monsters’ Monster by Patrick McDonnell and The Monster at the End of this Book by Jon Stone. After these entertaining tales, it’s time to let your imagination run wild by creating unique monsters using colorful art supplies.
*All parents are expected to participate with and supervise their children.
Growing Minds! A Day of STEAM
October 21st | 10:30am | All ages, with adult
Free to the public | Turner Auditorium
Join us for a day of STEAM activities for all ages. Workshops will include musical instruments
(3-8 years old), model trains (8-12 years old), photography (middle school), videography (high school) and printmaking (adults). Check our website for times and registration info for each workshop.
Baby Picasso: A Sensory Art Activity
October 25th | 10:30am | Ages 1-2, with adult
$5.00 Registration | Family Art Studio
Get ready to immerse your little ones in a spooktacular world of creativity! In this delightful Halloween adventure, your tiny Picassos will dip their feet into a palette of vibrant tempera paints to create their very own adorable footprint ghosts. They are guaranteed to create a spooktacular masterpiece that will haunt your heart forever!
Family Art Saturday: Spooky Spider Spree
October 28th | 10:00am – 12:00pm & 2:00pm – 4:00 pm | Ages 3+, with adult
Free with membership or paid admission | Family Art Studio
Join us for a spooktacular October edition of Family Art Saturday as autumn leaves fall and Halloween draws near. Using the mesmerizing technique of marble painting and the twisty magic of pipe cleaners, kids can craft their own spiders and spider webs.
*All parents are expected to participate with and supervise their children.
F&M Bank Huff & Puff Express Model Trains
Exhibit open daily | Trains run Sundays 1:00pm – 4:00pm pm, Wednesdays 10:00am – 12:00pm, Fridays 10:00am – 12:00pm and the last Saturday of each month 1:00pm – 4:00pm
Get ready for a hauntingly fun time as our model train exhibit takes you on a thrilling adventure through a world transformed by Halloween magic. Our model train exhibit is open daily, and themes change every season – so stick around, because Santa will soon come to town!
Seasons: The Museum Store
20% off all locally handmade items
Offer expires October 31st, 2023
Seasons is gearing up for the fall with another fantastic sale! From jewelry to pottery and everything in between, we have a collection of locally handcrafted items that are all 20% off through the end of the month. This is a great opportunity to support our local artisans! (No other discounts apply.)
About the Customs House Museum
Located in the heart of Historic Downtown Clarksville, Tennessee, the Customs House Museum and Cultural Center is the state’s second-largest general interest museum with over 35,000 square feet of exhibit space and houses hands-on activities and special events. Membership and admission information can be found at customshousemuseum.org.
Regular museum hours are 10:00am to 5:00pm Tuesday through Saturday and 1:00pm to 5:00pm on Sundays. Adult admission is $12.00 (18-64). Senior Citizens (65+), Adult Military, CMCSS Teachers, and College Students are $9.00. Children ages 3 to 17 are $5.00, and children 2 years or younger and Museum members are free.
The Customs House Museum is located at 200 South Second Street. For more information, call 931.648.5780 or visit their website at www.customshousemuseum.org
