I don’t know how many times I have driven by the Frist Center. I drove by it on my way to see the Red Hot Chili Peppers at the GEC and I drove by it on my way to see George Carlin at the Ryman.
Finally, I dragged my boyfriend to the Frist one Sunday afternoon.
We walked in the back entrance and at first I was not sure what all the excitement was about. There was a small, very cute caf’ to our right and some intimidating guards to our left. After realizing the guards were not there to frisk us, we continued to walk down the hall observing the art from local high school students. It was kind of a tease because then we stood in line waiting for the center to open.
Once the rope was removed we walked into a huge open area, I really began to take in the building.
Sun came pouring in the front doors. I looked up to see the extremely tall ceilings. The building was breathtaking. The architecture was amazing. Let’s just say that the hallway did little to prepare me for the beauty in which I was about to be immersed.
The Frist currently has on display the Matisse, Picasso, and the School of Paris exhibit. It features paintings, sculptures and drawings mostly from the personal collection of Etta and Claribel Cone and will remain in the gallery through June 3.
The exhibit is doing well, said Mark Scala, chief curator.
“In 2004 we had the Phillips Collection here and in 2006 we had The Quest for Immortality, Treasures of Ancient Egypt,” Scala said. “Both gained a good deal of attention.’
The Frist Center for the Visual Arts used to be Nashville’s post office, which was constructed in 1933’34. During the Depression, unemployed workers lined up by the hundreds at the site to seek paying jobs helping with the construction.
Architects working for the federal government through the Depression were asked to express the values of permanence, stability and order. Nashville’s former post office displays both of the most distinctive architectural styles of the period, classicism and Art Deco.
There are 12 icons to represent the 12 motifs from the era. They include an airplane, a train, a boat, and an automobile representing transportation. The other eight icons are: scientific research, harvesting, industry, publishing, sowing, metal works, the pursuit of knowledge and nautical endeavors.
In 1984, the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
’In November 1999, the Frist took over the old post office building,’ Ellen Pryor, director of communications, informs me.
The former post office is a perfect place for the visual arts center. The huge, high-ceilinged rooms are spacious and naturally suited for the exhibition galleries.
Keeping the building in top shape is an ongoing process. Rules, regulations, and laws that are set up by the National Register of Historic Places must be strictly followed. The sign out front is only brushed aluminum. The Frist is not allowed in any way to alter the original state of the building. That means nothing permanent, Pryor explains.
The Frist Center for the Visual Arts is proud of its historic site.
“Because of the climbing stature and increased attendance, there are no plans to relocate the center ,” Pryor tells me.
If you were like me and occasionally drove by the Frist, take the time one Sunday afternoon to check out one of Nashville’s most beautiful historic places.
Visit fristcenter.org for more information.
