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 May Art Walk will be held May 6th from 5:00 to 8:00 pm 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.
Something Special for the May First Thursday Art Walk
There will be an exciting addition to the First Thursday ArtWalk on May 6th! Cumberland Winds will be playing under the gazebo located at the corner of Franklin Street and First Street.
- Red-River Brass from 5:00pm-6:00pm
- Clarksville Repertoire Wind Ensemble from 6:00pm–7:00pm
- Cumberland Winds Brass Quintet 7:00pm–8:00pm
Cumberland Winds is sponsored by a grant from the Tennessee Arts Commission.
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.
Artist Information:
Richard Sloan’s Birds of the Southeast
May 3rd – July 18th | Kimbrough Gallery
Richard Sloan’s careful attention to detail is captured in his exquisite illustrations of Southeastern birds. Once a staff illustrator at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, Sloan’s work has been collected by the Smithsonian Institution among others. This collection of illustrations was donated to the Museum by Mr. & Mrs. Carl Eisemann.
Annual Staff Art Exhibit
May 1st – June 27th | 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 of the artists, special moments in their lives, and their inspirations.
Susan Bryant: 7 Chapters from A Book About Light
A 40-Year Retrospective of Photographs
April 27th – July 25th | Crouch Gallery
View the “7 Chapters” that represent the diverse processes Susan Bryant uses to create her expressive photographs. Her work includes gelatin silver prints, hand-colored silver prints, digital photographs, daguerreotypes, and ambrotypes. Bryant has taught at APSU for 30 years and her work has been exhibited throughout the U.S.
Curiosities: Objects from the Museum Collection
Through June 27th | Jostens Gallery
Take a gander at an assortment of perplexing objects pulled from the Museum shelves; their uses may not be obvious at first look. Can you guess the function of these items from the past?
Larry Hughes: A Walk in the Parks
Through July 18th | Bruner & Orgain Galleries
Larry Hughes is a Memphis-based artist working primarily in watercolor, drawing media and oil. With deep roots in Arizona and California, his primary artistic interests turn to western wilderness areas, particularly the Grand Canyon, the Sonoran Desert, the Guadalupe Mountains of West Texas and Northern New Mexico, where he works en plein air to support later studio work.
Mike Egan: Modern Pop
Through May 30th | Harvill Gallery
Mike Egan’s work is often themed in death, with a stylized nod to Mexican folk art and pop. While in school, Mike became enamored with German Expressionism and printmaking. After receiving his degree from Edinboro University, Mike worked in the funeral home business while developing his painting genre. His work has since been exhibited in group and solo exhibitions from New York to L.A.
Helping Americans Help Themselves: 140 Years of the Red Cross
Through July 18th | Kimbrough Gallery
Celebrating 140 years of the American Red Cross through artifacts, photos, and local stories. The American Red Cross works to rebuild lives and communities after disaster strikes. Read the valiant stories of the beginning of the local Red Cross chapter created in 1917, national humanitarian efforts and wide-spread volunteerism.
The Electrification of the TVA
Through June 20th | Memory Lane
Take a look back at the history of the Tennessee Valley Authority and how electricity changed lives, especially for those living on farms.
Museum Events
Saturday Hours
Beginning May 1st, the Museum will resume normal hours of operation, including opening on Saturdays. The Museum will be open Tuesdays – Saturdays, 10:00am–5:00pm and Sundays, 1:00pm-5:00pm. The Museum will no longer close mid-day for cleaning.
First Thursday Art Walk
May 6th, 5:00pm–8:00pm
The Museum will have free admission during First Thursday Art Walk Clarksville from 5:00pm–8:00pm.
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 art work, to encourage arts education with outreach programs and scholarship fundraisers, and to develop membership services which directly support the arts community.
Artist Information:
The Board of the Downtown Artists Cooperative is happy to announce the upcoming art exhibit for May 2021, featuring the work of Dr. Charles T. Young and special musical guests Stuart Bonnington and Friends.
Dr. Charles T. Young taught fine art at Austin Peay State University for 38 years, serving as chairman of the department for 28 years. He earned his Masters in Fine Art from George Peabody University in Nashville, Tennessee. In addition to being a talented watercolorist, he was known as a wonderful storyteller. He was beloved by his students.
Dr. Young’s primary medium was watercolor paint. Watercolor paint consists of fine pigment particles suspended in a water-soluble binder (adhesive substance). It is usually used on paper. As watercolor is semi-transparent, the white of the paper gives a natural luminosity to the washes of color. Transparent watercolor means that light is able to shine through the paint onto the white surface and reflect back to the eye, creating colors that are luminous and seem to glow. His painting of sky and clouds was masterful, as you can see in the painting “Jesus Saves”, on exhibit here.
Tennessee scenes were a specialty of Charles Young. He first achieved notoriety by painting “See Rock City” and “See Lookout Mountain” barns, prevalent in the Tennessee countryside. He also painted many local Clarksville scenes, such as the “Behind the Depot” paintings on exhibit, owned by Dee Boaz. Also of interest is the Cumberland River Tugboat scene on exhibit, owned by Mark and Peter Olson. If you look closely at this painting you can see that he named the tugboat “Kenneth Olson” in honor of his friend.
The DAC Gallery, located at 96 Franklin Street, in the Downtown Historic Clarksville, is open on Fridays 1-5 PM and on Saturdays 11:00am to 4:00pm. The Gallery can also open by appointment for patrons and visitors who are interested in taking a closer look at the exhibits outside business hours.
The DAC remains committed to supporting local artists by exhibiting and promoting art online, and volunteering for in-gallery activities to help the organization survive through the pandemic.
For more updates and more information, please visit the gallery’s website or social media accounts:
www.downtownartistsco-op.com
Twitter – @Clarksville_DAC
Instagram – @downtown.artists.cooperative
Facebook – Downtown Artists Cooperative
ArtLink Studios (116 Strawberry Alley)
Artist Information:
ArtLink Studios will be featuring a variety of art from our in-house artists.
Artlink will feature Mattie Lewellen Artist Student is a multi versatile artist she has a variety of mixed media illustration and paintings that will be on display in artlink for art walk in our featured artist gallery space.
Artlink will feature an open studio for the community to come in and create during art walk a variety of projects are available we will have music from a local musician and many friendly faces to greet you in the studio and encourage you to get crafty. Please come and drop in we would love to see you.
The Framemaker (705 North Second Street)
For over two decades, The Framemaker has offered a unique selection of frames and art services to the Middle Tennessee area.
The Framemaker is proud to support the May 2021 First Thursday Art Walk, but will NOT feature any artists or exhibits this month due to the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic.
Horsefeathers Pottery & Art Studio (94 Franklin Street)
Horsefeathers is a paint your own Pottery and Canvas Studio — Come discover the artist in you!
Horsefeathers is proud to support the May 2021 First Thursday Art Walk, but will not feature an artist due to a private event that night.
Couture Crush (101 Franklin Street)
Couture Crush is proud to support the May 2021 First Thursday Art Walk. Stop in and find the perfect piece to spice up your Spring wardrobe, during the March First Thursday Art Walk!
