Arts & Crafts Movement in America exhibition in Nashville

Cheekwood Estate & Gardens presents Spanning the Atlantic: The Arts & Crafts Movement in America, the second of a two-part exhibition examining the international Arts & Crafts movement opening January 28, 2023 and running through April 2. The movement first developed in the British Isles during the 19^th century before its influence made its way across the Atlantic to America. This highly anticipated exhibition will explore how the British approach to aesthetic ideas and philosophical ideals were adapted by American artisans and disseminated across the continent through publications, journals, magazines and lectures.   

“The exhibition provides our visitors with a rare opportunity to view extraordinary examples of American Arts and Crafts furniture and decorative arts within our intimate gallery spaces,” Vice President of Museum Affairs Sarah Sperling said.

The Arts & Crafts movement first gained traction when anxieties over industrialization fueled a re-evaluation of societal morals, in turn spurring the resurgence of traditional handicraft. With the intention of creating a “total work of art” in domestic spaces, resulting wares were produced with impeccable workmanship and designs were simple yet striking for furniture, ceramics, glass, metalware, textiles, jewelry and interiors.  

Spanning the Atlantic will feature more than 100 objects of fine art, furniture, decorative arts and textiles on display throughout the Cheekwood Mansion’s temporary exhibitions galleries. With leading examples from the collections of Crab Tree Farm, it will highlight some of the most talented American craftsmen and women of the early 20^th century, including Gustave Stickley, Rookwood Pottery, Marie Zimmerman, Adelia Robineau and Newcomb Pottery.  

Cheekwood is open Tuesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., and advanced reservations are required.

Visit cheekwood.org to learn more and purchase tickets. 

About Cheekwood   

With its intact and picturesque vistas, Cheekwood is distinguished as one of the leading Country Place Era estates in the nation. Formerly the family home of Mabel and Leslie Cheek, the 1930s estate, with its 30,000-square-foot Mansion and 55-acres of gardens, today serves the public as a botanical garden, arboretum and art museum with furnished period rooms and galleries devoted to American art from the 18th to mid-20th centuries.

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 outdoor monumental sculpture. Each year, Cheekwood hosts seasonal festivals including Cheekwood in Bloom, Summertime at Cheekwood, Cheekwood Harvest and Holiday LIGHTS.

Cheekwood is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and nationally as a Level II Arboretum. It is a three-time voted USA Today Top 10 Botanical Garden and in 2021 was recognized by Fodor’s as one of the 12 Most Beautiful Gardens in the American South.

Cheekwood is located eight miles southwest of downtown Nashville at 1200 Forrest Park Drive.