(Nashville, TN) – Cheekwood will debut its inaugural African American Cultural Family Celebration, featuring a weekend of activities highlighting the visual and performing arts. Visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy activities throughout Cheekwood’s gardens on Saturday, August 14 and Sunday, August 15. Complimentary tickets will be distributed through community partners to ensure those without the means are able to enjoy this weekend celebration.
“I have enjoyed working with fellow community leaders on Cheekwood’s inaugural event celebrating Black history and culture,” says Brenda Corbin, co-chair of the African American Cultural Family Celebration Advisory Committee. “Our Committee has created an exciting weekend of events and performances showcasing Nashville’s talented Black artists, musicians and poets. We hope to welcome visitors from all parts of Middle Tennessee to Cheekwood to enjoy the festival.”
The African American Cultural Family Celebration will feature art activities, local food trucks and bar stations. It will also feature live musical performances by Brassville, Jason Eskridge, Lauren McClinton and Bryant Taylorr, which Cheekwood secured in partnership with Lovenoise. In the Museum, visitors will learn about the renowned Nashville artist and first Black artist to have a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, William Edmondson, with special tours and panel discussions on the exhibition The Sculpture of William Edmondson: Tombstones, Garden Ornaments and Stonework.
“I am thrilled that Cheekwood is making an intentional effort to engage and welcome Nashville’s Black community,” say Rita Mitchell, co-chair of the event’s advisory committee. “It is our hope that the African American Cultural Family Celebration will become a legacy event and introduce a more diverse audience to Cheekwood while sharing pieces of the African American experience with all who visit.”
The African American Cultural Family Celebration advisory committee includes prominent community members and Black leaders including Brenda Corbin (Co-Chair), Rita Mitchell (Co-Chair), Harry Allen (Studio Bank), Grace Awh (Community Volunteer), Michael Gray (Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum), Barbara Higgins-Bond (Award-Winning Illustrator), Lagra Newman (Purpose Prep Academy), Monique Odom (Nashville Metro Parks), Ronald Roberts (Finn Partners, DVL Seigenthaler), Billye Sanders (Marian Dockery & Associates), Mark Schlicher (Sun Porch Media), Jamaal Sheats (Fisk University), Tamar Smithers (National Museum of African American Music), Michelle Steele (Lipscomb University), David Swett III (Swett’s Restaurant), Lolita Toney (Dismas House) and Carolyn Waller (Zeitlin’s Sotheby’s).
For more information on the African American Cultural Family Celebration please visit cheekwood.org.
About Cheekwood
Cheekwood is considered one of the finest early-twentieth century estates in the nation. Formerly the family home of Mabel and Leslie Cheek, the extraordinary 1930s estate, with its 30,000 square foot Mansion and 55 acres of cultivated gardens and expansive vistas, today serves the public as a botanical garden, arboretum, and museum with period rooms and art galleries, showcasing works from its permanent collection as well as traveling exhibitions. The property includes 13 distinct gardens including the Blevins Japanese Garden and the Bracken Foundation Children’s Garden, as well as a 1.5-mile woodland trail featuring modern and contemporary outdoor sculpture. Cheekwood is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, and is a three-time USA Today Top 10 Botanical Garden. In 2020, the grounds were awarded a Level II National Arboretum Accreditation by The ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program and The Morton Arboretum. Cheekwood is located just 8 miles southwest of downtown Nashville at 1200 Forrest Park Drive. Daily hours of operation: Tuesday through Sunday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Admission to Cheekwood must be purchased in advance at cheekwood.org. For further information, call 615-356-8000 or visit cheekwood.org.