Clarksville’s Customs House Museum March 2020 Exhibits, Activities

February 23, 2020 |

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 March at the Museum are: Women of the Neighborhood, Wonders of the West, The Artwork of HAPI (Healing Arts Project, Inc.), Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Dunwody Boehm Porcelain Collection, Apron Strings: Ties to the Past, I Have a Voice: Traveling Exhibition from Tennessee State Museum, and Hands-On Explorers: Dr. Seuss Science.

Customs House Museum and Cultural Center

Customs House Museum Exhibits

Women of the Neighborhood
March 1st–May 18th | Museum Lobby

In celebration of Women’s History Month, this exhibit will feature traditional costumes and artifacts from different cultures. The collection of items on display are from women from many countries and cultures who now call Clarksville home.

The countries represented include South Korea, India and Jamaica, to name a few. Join us at the Museum to kick-off Women’s History Month on Sunday, March 1st, from 1:30pm– 3:30pm for dance and music performances and native treats!

Wonders of the West
March 14th–May 31st | Kimbrough Gallery | Sponsored by Heimansohn Steel & Salvage

Wonders of the West features artwork and artifacts celebrating the Western region of the United States through scenic landscapes, Native American baskets and ACME boot products. Artwork included in the exhibit comes from the Booth Western Art Museum in Cartersville, Georgia, as well as from many Tennessee artists.

The Artwork of HAPI (Healing Arts Project, Inc.)
March 21st–May 25th | Harvill Gallery

This exhibit features art by students of the Healing Arts Project, Inc. (HAPI) out of Nashville. Healing Arts Project, Inc. provides artistic opportunities for persons in mental health and addiction recovery to promote healing, community awareness and inclusion.

Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Dunwody Boehm Porcelain Collection
Through May 3rd | Crouch Gallery | Sponsored by Fred & Judy Landiss

Edward Marshall Boehm, with no formal art training, started his porcelain studio in Trenton, New Jersey in 1950.

Also, among his patrons were Britain’s Royal Family and several American presidents. We’ll celebrate the 25 year anniversary of the collection by displaying it in its entirety with an exhibition sponsored by Judy and Fred Landiss, founders of the Museum’s Dunwody Boehm Porcelain Collection.

Apron Strings: Ties to the Past
Through March 16th | Jostens Gallery

Apron Strings: Ties to the Past reviews the apron’s role as an emotionally charged vehicle for expression with a rich and varied craft history. Featuring aprons dating from the 1900s through the present, the exhibition chronicles changing attitudes toward women and domestic work.

It also surveys the wide range of design and craft techniques apron-makers have used to express themselves, while still working within creative venues traditionally available to women. This is a program of ExhibitsUSA and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Reimagined Lore: The Art of Tara Swalgren
Through May 5th | Orgain Gallery

This animal-themed mixed media exhibition showcases the work of local artist and Austin Peay State University graduate, Tara Swalgren. She is currently an art instructor at Madison Street Art & Music Academy in Clarksville.

Swalgren explains, “I want to create these intricate and beautiful creatures that we only see and hear about in folk lore or our fantasies. I want to bring them into our reality, our view. To allow us to gaze upon something so fantastical that it can only be made through art.”

I Have a Voice: Traveling Exhibition from Tennessee State Museum
Through March 29th | Kimbrough Gallery

The exhibition, on loan from the Tennessee State Museum, gives a snapshot of Tennessee’s rich African American musical heritage and its influence on worldwide music. The exhibit gives visitors a chance to hear the voices of the many Tennessee African American men and women who made their mark on American music from ragtime to Motown.

Serepta Jordan: From the Collection
Through March 31st | Lower Level Foyer

Serepta Mildred Jordan was born on January 27th, 1839 in New Providence, Tennessee. Jordan started a journal around 1857, when she was 18. She continued writing in her journal until 1864, close to the end of the Civil War. The journal, recently restored, is featured in the exhibition along with photos and a collection of Jordan’s personal belongings.

Sher Fick: Imitation of Life
Through March 30th | Bruner Gallery

Sher Fick brings her carefully crafted assemblages—works inspired by her spinal cord surgery. Fick was the inaugural artist at Seed Space for Experimental Art & Dialogue in Nashville, TN.

Fick was one of nine female artists in TAKE CARE: Biomedical Ethics in the 21st Century, a traveling exhibition featured at The Pool Art Fair, during Art Basel–Miami and ArtPrize in Grand Rapids, MI. She has exhibited in select museum, solo, and juried exhibitions since 2001.

Museum Programs

Little Explorers: Color Me Creative!
Fridays, March 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th | Explorers’ Landing Drop-in between 10:30am–11:30am

Free with paid admission or membership | Ages 2 – 5 with adult

Play with enticing shapes and textures in a sensory bin filled with rainbow-colored pastas. Search for stunning colors found in nature, and create a multi-media color collage to take home. WARNING: Activities include items that may be a choking hazard. All parents must supervise their children.

Hands-On Explorers: Dr. Seuss Science!
Saturdays, March 7th & 21st | Family Art Studio Drop-in between 2:00pm–4:00pm
Free with paid admission or membership | Grades K & above with adult

Happy Birthday Theodor Geisel, a.k.a. Dr. Seuss! Participate in interactive science experiments that relate to themes in books by Dr. Seuss. Inspired by Horton Hears a Who!, investigate the physics of sound using items like tuning forks and wire hangers. Explore the properties of non-Newtonian liquid “ooze,” inspired by Bartholomew and the Oobleck.

The Lorax motivates us to utilize chemistry and nano-technology to clean-up a mini-oil spill. The Cat in the Hat challenges you to construct a tall tower without it falling over. Stimulate your curiosity and your brain in this fun, “hands-on, minds-on” program.

Family Fun Learning: A Dandelion is a Flower, too!
Sunday, March 15th | Family Art Studio Drop-in between 1:00pm–4:00pm
Free with paid admission or membership | All ages welcome at parent’s discretion

Beautiful yellow flowers are popping up in yards everywhere! They are one of many flowers that require no special care and even plant their own seeds. They are the first flowers we picked for mom when we were little kids. They are members of the daisy family.

Drop by the Family Art Studio to make your own bouquet of dandelions using paint, Q-tips, tissue paper and other materials. Read the story Dandelion by Don Freeman. Enjoy the beautiful porcelain flowers and birds in the Crouch Gallery. Can you find any dandelions made of porcelain?

Museum Events

Women’s History Month Kick-off Event: Women of the Neighborhood
Sunday, March 1st | 1:30pm–3:30pm | Museum Lobby & Geraldine Brame Turner Auditorium
Free with paid admission or membership | All ages welcome

Kick-off Women’s History Month at the Museum! Come see the exhibit Women of the Neighborhood and enjoy dances and music performed by women from many countries and cultures who now call Clarksville home. The countries represented include South Korea, India and Jamaica, to name a few. Following the performances will be a meet & greet with the participants along with samplings of some their native treats.

Spring Exhibits Member Reception
Saturday, March 21st | 5:00pm–7:00pm
Free with membership | All ages welcome

Join us for a Spring Exhibits Reception celebrating the opening of several new Museum exhibits. New spring exhibits include a western art and artifact exhibit, Wonders of the West, an exhibit in honor of Women’s History Month, Women of the Neighborhood, and a fascinating exhibit from participants of Nashville’s Healing Arts Project, The Artwork of HAPI.

First Thursday Art Walk
Thursday, March 5th | 5:00pm–7:00pm

The Museum is open to the public with free admission as part of Downtown Clarksville’s First Thursday Art Walk.

Second Saturday Free Admission Day
Saturday, March 14th | 10:00am–5:00pm

The Museum is open to the public with free admission all day from 10:00am–5:00pm as part of our monthly Second Saturday Free Admission Day.

Seasons: The Museum Store

Kid’s Toy Sale

Enjoy 10% off (members receive 20% off) all kid’s toys purchased during the month of March at Seasons: The Museum Store. Shop a wide array of toys for kids and kids-at-heart! Offer ends March 31st, 2020.

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 museum. The original portion of the building was constructed in 1898 as a U.S. Post Office and Customs House for the flourishing tobacco trade. Incorporating a number of architectural styles, the original structure is one of the most photographed buildings in the region.

With over 35,000 square feet of the region’s best hands-on activities and special events…people of all ages agree – the Customs House Museum is well worth the stop!

The Explorer’s Gallery is packed with fun, learning and fantasy in Aunt Alice’s Attic, McGregor’s Market and kitchen, and of course – the Bubble Cave! Finally, get “all aboard” to see our fantastic model trains. Our volunteer engineers “ride the rails” every Sunday afternoon from 1:00pm to 4:00pm.

Regular museum hours are 10:00am to 5:00pm Tuesday through Saturday, and 1:00pm to 5:00pm on Sundays. Adult admission is $7.00, Senior Citizens and College ID $5.00, Ages 6 to 18 $3.00, and under six years 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

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