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 January at the Museum include Jacob Lawrence: Anne Beyer & Wyatt Severs: Inhabit, African Americans & the Arts: Celebrating Black History Month, American Watercolor Society 156th Traveling Exhibition, Champagne & Chocolate.
Customs House Museum Exhibits
Anne Beyer & Wyatt Severs: Inhabit
January 10th – March 24th | Crouch Gallery
Ceramicist Anne Beyer and wood artist Wyatt Severs bring together a new collection of furniture, vessels and more intimate pieces that can be found in the space we inhabit. “We create our home and make it ours with the objects that we choose to live with, and that in turn gives us agency for how we want to inhabit our home.”
African Americans & the Arts: Celebrating Black History Month
January 11th – March 17th | Lobby
The Black History Month theme for 2024 highlights the many impacts Black Americans have had on visual arts, music, cultural movements and more. Experience the works of local artists through a diverse variety of mediums and subjects.
American Watercolor Society 156th Traveling Exhibition
Through 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.
Vintage Christmas: From the Collection
Through January 3rd | Lobby
Step back in time this holiday season and enjoy a selection of vintage toys, Christmas ornaments and more from the Museum’s permanent collection.
Customs House Museum Christmas Village
Through January 14th | Jostens Gallery
This large collection of porcelain pieces was assembled by Jimmy and Sue Drye of Clarksville and donated to the Museum by their children in their honor. Follow the Christmas locomotive and make your way through the lights and moving parts of the village.
Juliette Aristides & Alan LeQuire: The Figure in Charcoal & Terra Cotta
Through January 28th | Orgain & Bruner Galleries
Celebrate the lines, curves and complexities of the human form with new drawings by Juliette Aristides and incredible terra cotta sculptures by Alan LeQuire. LeQuire, the creator of the monumental Athena Parthenos for the Parthenon in Nashville, is one of Tennessee’s most iconic sculptors. Aristides is an accomplished Seattle-based artist who seeks to understand and convey the human spirit through her work.
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.
Brenda Stein: A New View
Through January 24th | Harvill Gallery
Nashville artist Brenda Stein is recognized for her graceful and uplifting turned wood art. She fosters timeless connections by creating commissioned pieces from trees that have special meaning to their owners. Her ever-expanding scope of material includes wood, ceramics and mixed media.
Museum Events???
First Thursday Art Walk
January 4th | 5:00pm – 8:00pm??
Free to the public??
Mark your calendars for the first Art Walk of the new year! The Museum offers free admission during First Thursday Art Walk from 5:00pm – 8:00pm.
Champagne & Chocolate
February 2nd | 6:00pm – 9:00pm
$75.00 tickets
The Customs House Museum & Cultural Center is kicking off our 40th anniversary with our premier winter fundraiser. Invite your date or a group of friends to this evening soiree and indulge in a selection of savory and sweet bites, and of course, champagne & chocolate!
*Tickets will go on sale to Museum members on January 12th and go on sale to the general public on January 15th.
Museum Programs??
Sundays at 3:00
Navigating Cultural Identities through Ceramic Arts
January 7th | 3:00pm | Turner Auditorium
Free to the public; does not include Museum admission
This second installment of our Sundays at 3:00 lecture series brings Wansoo Kim, APSU ceramics professor and artist, to explore how intercultural dialogues form our cultural and artistic identities.
Storytime & Craft: A Snowy Day
January 4th | 10:30am | All ages, with adult
Free with membership or paid admission | Family Art Studio
Immerse your little ones in the classic tales of The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats and The Most Perfect Snowman by Chris Britt. Afterward, they will let their creativity shine as they craft their snowman masterpiece.
*All parents are expected to participate with and supervise their children.???
Storytime & Craft: Walking in a Winter Wonderland
January 18th | 10:30am | All ages, with adult
Free with membership or paid admission | Family Art Studio
Join us for another January Storytime where we’ll be reading The Mitten by Jan Brett and The Wish Tree by Kyo Maclear, followed by a delightful craft activity where children can create their very own winter landscape scene.
*All parents are expected to participate with and supervise their children.
Sunday Studio: Painting with Sarah Spillers
Third Sunday of each month | 2:00pm & 3:30pm
Free, with registration required; does not include Museum admission
Introducing a new workshop series for adults in partnership with APSU’s Community School of the Arts! Throughout each class, Sarah will guide you through various art techniques. Whether you are a beginner or have painting experience, this workshop is designed to help you develop your skills and express your creativity. This workshop is free and all materials are included, but registration is required for ages 16+.
*This month’s scheduled workshop for January 21st is fully booked, so be sure to stay tuned for February’s registration.
Baby Picasso: A Sensory Art Activity
January 24th | 10:30am | Ages 1-2, with adult
$5.00 Registration | Family Art Studio
Toddlers are invited to explore the world of creativity through another sensory-rich experience! This time, we’ll be crafting adorable handprint winter cardinals. Through sensory exploration and hands-on art, toddlers will create delightful colorful keepsakes. Click here to register.
*All parents are expected to participate with and supervise their children.
Family Art Saturday: Do You Want to Build a Snowflake?
January 27th | 10:00am – 12:00pm & 2:00pm – 4:00pm | Ages 3+, with adult
Free with membership or paid admission | Family Art Studio
Join us for a frosty adventure at January’s Family Art Saturday! Embrace the beauty of winter as we dive into a creative journey, exploring the magic of snowflakes through a captivating art project. This month, we’ll be crafting stunning snowflake art using salt and watercolor.
*All parents are expected to participate with and supervise their children.
Homeschool Fieldtrip Day
February 6th | 10:30am | All ages, with adult
Free for Museum members; $3.00 per student and $5.00 per adult for nonmembers
Every semester, local homeschool groups are invited to experience an unforgettable day of exploration and learning. For more information on how to register, contact Curator of Education Stephanie Stafford at stephanie@customshousemuseum.org.
F&M Bank Huff & Puff Express Model Trains
Exhibit open daily | Trains run Sundays 1:00pm – 4:00pm, Wednesdays 10:00am – 12:00pm, Fridays 10:00am – 12:00pm and the last Saturday of each month 1:00pm – 4:00pm???
Our model train exhibit is open daily, and themes change every season – so stick around, because you never know what they’ll have in store.
*Extra run times during the Christmas Break: December 26th, 27th, 28th, & 29th
10:00am – 12:00pm & 1:00pm – 3:00pm
Seasons: The Museum Store
Apparel Sale
Offer expires January 31st, 2024
Rep the Museum or Clarksville with some new shirts! Seasons has an assortment of shirts, jackets, scarves, hats and more for 20% off this month!
No other discounts apply.
Holiday Schedule
New Year’s
The Museum is open on New Year’s Eve (12/31) and closed on New Year’s Day (1/1).
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
