THE ARTS IN MUSIC CITY From a musical perspective, Nashville is certainly known as a creative center. Those same artistic instincts extend to visual and performing arts as well. Nashville has long been known as "Athens of the South" for the emphasis it has placed on education and fine arts. The city continues to be home to a vibrant, ever-growing art scene with variety of art museums, galleries, and even a college solely dedicated to fine arts, design and film. AmericanStyle Magazine named Nashville as one of the top 25 Art Cities in the big city category. Check out the article here. Take a look at just a handful of events happening in Nashville's art scene right now. Visions of the American West: Masterworks from the Buffalo Bill Historical Center Cheekwood Botanical Garden & Museum of Art October 22, 2011 - March 4, 2012 Now through February, enjoy HALF PRICE admission to Cheekwood before noon on weekdays! This highly anticipated special exhibition, on loan from the Buffalo Bill Historical Center, features more than 200 items presenting a view of the cowboy life, from firearms and saddles to a Gatling gun. Get more information here. To See As Artists See: American Art From The Phillips Collection Frist Center for the Visual Arts February 3 – May 6, 2012 The first international exhibition organized by the Phillips Collection, this exhibit incorporates nearly 100 works by 68 artists, including paintings by George Inness, Winslow Homer, Maurice Prendergast, John Sloan, Georgia O’Keeffe, Philip Guston, and many others. This collection celebrates the very best of American art from the late 19th through 20th centuries. After leaving Tokyo, Japan, the exhibit arrives in Nashville on February 3, 2012. Get more information here. Fairy Tales, Monsters, and the Genetic Imagination Frist Center for the Visual Arts February 24 – May 28, 2012 Fairy Tales, Monsters, and the Genetic Imagination is an exhibition of works by contemporary artists who invent humanlike, animal, or hybrid creatures to symbolize life’s mysteries, desires, and fears. Finding inspiration in sources ranging from Aesop’s Fables to the products of genetic experimentation, the artists in the exhibition examine interactions between nature and humanity in the context of oral and written lore, psychology, ethics, and visions of the future in both science and science fiction. The exhibition will include approximately 60 contemporary paintings, photographs, sculptures, and video works. Get more information here. HCA/TriStar Broadway at TPAC Series Tennessee Performing Arts Center February 7-12, March 20-25, & May 1-6, 2012 Don't miss performances of Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific, a sweeping love story set on an island during World War I. Take the whole family to the popular classic Mary Poppins. See a legendary tribute to the Beatles, performed by a live band with projections on giant screens, at Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles. Art After Hours Throughout Nashville First Thursdays of Each Month 5-8pm The first Thursday of each month offers a break from the work week as art galleries throughout Nashville keep their doors open a bit longer, offering locals and visitors a great opportunity to explore local galleries displaying local art. Click here for more information. Hillsboro Village Art Walk Hillsboro Village (21st Avenue and Wedgewood) First Thursday of Each Month Year-round, on the first Thursday of each month, Hillsboro Village shops and restaurants host an assortment of artists, live music, raffles, and more. Get more information here. First Saturday Art Crawl Throughout Music City First Saturday of Each Month Galleries throughout Music City open their doors to browsing art-lovers, enthusiasts and visitors on the first Saturday of each month. Many galleries reserve that first Saturday for show openings and offer wine and hors d'oeuvres to patrons strolling through. It's a great chance to experience the Nashville art scene for free! Click here for more information. Search more on the arts in Music City. Reserve your room now so you don't miss a minute of these great events.