Cheekwood Unveils Diverse Permanent Collection in New Gallery Display

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