Paintings, sculpture, prints, and decorative arts from the permanent collection at Cheekwood Estate & Gardens take center stage throughout the second-
floor galleries in the Historic Cheekwood Mansion & Museum.
Each gallery highlights a different sub-category of the collection including American
painting, 20th century sculpture by William Edmondson and Worcester Porcelain.
With the re-contextualization of the collection, Cheekwood takes the opportunity to
display works that have been in storage for a prolonged period.
“We are excited to share more fine art and decorative arts from our permanent
collection with visitors and our community,” says Sarah Sperling, Cheekwood Vice
President of Museum Affairs. “It is the first time since our major exhibition of William
Edmondson in 2021 that we have the opportunity to display a large quantity of his work
at one time. The sculptures are treasures, and we are proud to display them along with
many other exceptional works from our permanent collection.”
In the American Portraiture gallery, visitors can view paintings ranging from the 1790s to
1930s, from three-inch-tall portrait miniatures to a large family portrait. Other galleries
feature American landscape painting, American Impressionism, and paintings by
notable Tennessee artists such as George Inness, Childe Hassam, and Gilbert Gaul.
In addition, the Worcester Porcelain gallery features fine examples of English porcelain
from the Ewers-Tyne collection. The history of Worcester comes to life as the objects in
the room illustrate a variety of patterns and styles for the factory’s rich history.
William Edmondson
Upon entry into the galleries, guests will encounter limestone sculptures of animals and
human figures created by Nashville native William Edmondson. Edmondson was a
notable sculptor active in Nashville during the 1930s and ‘40s and today is considered
one of the most important self-taught American artists of the 20th century. His keen
attention to detail mixed with whimsical qualities bring each of the limestone pieces to
life. Cheekwood is proud to have the largest collection of Edmondson’s work among
public institutions in the U.S. with the majority of his sculptures in the permanent
collection now on display.
Wonder Women: Women Printmakers of the 1970s
This exhibition features prints created in the 1970s by women who advocated for
themselves and their work in a male-dominated field. Having entered the workforce on
the heels of second-wave feminism, these women were uniquely situated to fight for
equality and visibility in their field. The exhibition features 19 works on paper drawn from
Cheekwood’s permanent collection, including a print titled Women’s Equality by Marisol
Escobar and the 10-piece Chinatown Suite series created by Chryssa Vardea. Other
featured artists include Helen Frankenthaler, Louise Nevelson, Alima Rita, Liliane Lijn and
Linda Plotkin.
Ticket Information
Selections from Cheekwood’s Permanent Collection and Wonder Women: Women
Printmakers of the 1970s can be viewed in the Historic Mansion & Museum from July 27
until November 4. Admission to the Mansion is free for Cheekwood members while not-
yet members will need to purchase a Gardens and Mansion ticket for entry. Tickets can
be reserved at Cheekwood.org
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