nashville public art

Back in the Day

The blog has been a little quiet of late because of computer problems at home, but the art keeps calling! This work by LaRhonda Angelisa (owner/operator of Painting Live), is found at the entrance to Jefferson Street Sound, which under the leadership of Lorenzo Washington bills itself as both a museum dedicated to and music studio inspired by the music scene found on Jefferson Street in the 1960s and ’70s. Appropriately, the mural honors two of the best-known figures to work on Jefferson Street, Jimi Hendrix and Billy Cox. Hendrix was only here in Nashville for a short while, but Cox has made his home here in Nashville for most of his life.

Located at 2004 Jefferson Street. Not much parking available right at the spot, so you might have to park a little ways away, perhaps at the bank across the street. The mural is found on the east side of the building, right at the entrance. Check out the mural, and head inside and visit the museum!

February 21, 2017 1

Angels will rise

“Angels will rise” is written on the bottom of the Seventh Letter mural found on the old Best Way Tire Service building at the corner of 2nd, Lafayette, and McCann. Some internet sleuthing suggest that the two tags read “Revok” and “Sever.” These are the tags of a couple of active graffiti artists, but perhaps because the mural is as old as it is (it is dated 2001), I’ve not been able to definitively link it to the artists currently using those handles. In any event, it’s hard to say how long this particular survivor will continue to exist. Best Way Tire Service has been closed for some time and the building is in a state of disrepair. Given that development is on the march in Chesnut Hill, and the proximity of this site to the heart of downtown, the days of this mural may be numbered. Let’s call it endangered art.

UPDATE: The Seventh Letter is a well-established graffiti crew based out of Los Angeles.

The address for the building is 206 McCann Street, but that doesn’t quite capture it. This building lies on the southwest corner of the three-way crossing of Second Avenue South, McCann Street, and Lafayette Street, about a block south of I-40. The mural faces Second, on the east side of the building. Street parking on McCann is probably your best bet.

February 16, 2017 3

You’ve been Eclipsed!

Eclipse Cafe and Market on 17th Ave North (and which Google Maps confidently refers to as “Lee’s Market” despite abundant signage to the contrary) is a study in contrasts. Here, on the 17th Ave side of the building, is an exuberant graffiti installation that I can’t begin to decipher, while round back is a colorful Eastside Murals work. The mural faces an alley that Google declares to be Prison Avenue, though given the failure to name the market right, who knows? That alley, by the way, is filled with graffiti art I’ll feature later.

Located at 310 17th Avenue North between State and Patterson. Plenty of street and market parking. Grab a cold one and enjoy the art!

February 16, 2017 0

Going up!

I have been remiss in posting about art found in the “skyscraper” district, something I aim to fix. I start small here with a single door, on the east side of the Downtown Presbyterian Church. It’s the work of Sarah Shearer, done in 2009, and she even has a blog post detailing her progress as she put the work together.

Located at 154 5th Ave North, in the alley on the east side of the building. The church is at the corner of Church and Fifth and is worth a look itself. Walk up the alley. There’s more art up there I’ll feature later. This is downtown, so parking lots and garages abound, none of them free.

February 10, 2017 3

With mind and spirit soaring

That’s the motto of the Episcopal School of Nashville, who commissioned Chip Boles to produce this mural to grace their parking lot/basketball court. Boles, whose mural work seems to be mostly in indoor locations, used the theme as inspiration for “Nashville Community,” as he has dubbed the mural. Familiar Nashville icons grace the mural, though I’ve seen more possums than raccoons myself! There is also a more abstract piece behind it that pushes the limits of the term “public art.” While the Boles mural is clearly visible from Woodland Street, the other piece (last picture at the bottom), while outdoors, can only be clearly seen if you get up on the porch of the school building, which you would need permission from the school operators to do. We’ll call it “hidden art.” My guess is it is also temporary student art.

Located at 419 Woodland Street, just west of St. Ann’s Episcopal Church, near the corner of 5th and Woodland. The parking lot has a gate, but it is often open after hours. During the school day this is, of course, a working school, so you should probably not approach without permission. The Boles mural is fairly easy to see from the street if the gate is locked.

February 8, 2017 0

I for one welcome our digital overlords!

anode1

Some art is best seen at night. Anode‘s sentry on Main Street, with its echoes of sci-fi computers from the 50s and the Monolith from 2001, only shows its best face at night, when you can see all its many lights. The lights are LED and color programmable, so its actual color depends on the night you visit, and the folks at Anode will even take suggestions as to its color scheme. Interactive digital communication and design seem to be their thing, so that’s in keeping with what they do. The aluminum sculpture was designed by Anode staff and installed in 2015.

Located at 926 Main Street in East Nashville. The best time to see the statue is at night, and you should have no problem parking in the Anode lot after hours. Just remember – Europa is off limits!

February 5, 2017 0

Color, color, color! (And math.)

A recent edition to the stretch of Nolensville Pike north of I-440 is this symphony of color by Nathan Brown on the outer wall of Barber Woodworking (I had trouble with that website. Here is their Facebook page). Brown gives us a photographic diary of sorts of the process of putting this mural together. The pattern is based on the Fibonacci Sequence. If you look on his website or Instagram page you’ll see that this kind of playful use of geometry and color is typical of a lot of his work, though he works in other styles as well and is responsible for some other murals around town.

Located at 1911 Nolensville Pike, south of the Fairgrounds. Barber Woodworking shares its building with Dollar Club and some other businesses. The mural is on the north side of the building. There’s plenty of parking to be had.

February 4, 2017 1

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Nashville murals, street art, graffiti, signs, sculptures and more