Frist Art Museum

Details

The Frist Art Museum is a non-profit art-exhibition center dedicated to presenting the finest visual art from local, state and regional artists, as well as major national and international exhibitions.

Art Walk tour information / Listed in the National Register of Historic Places

President Herbert Hoover appropriated funding for the construction of a new post office for downtown Nashville following successful lobbying by Nashville Postmaster Ollie F. Minton. The federal government commissioned the Nashville firm of Marr of Holman who worked with the Treasury Department to construct this monumental building in 1933-1934, with financing in part through the Public Works Administration. Incorporating colossal fluted pilasters and huge stone eagles, the architects successfully blended classical elements with national symbols in an architectural style known as “stripped Classicism”, but with Art Deco leanings. Following the construction of a modern central post office near the Nashville airport, this building was re-purposed in 2001 as the Frist Art Museum. The museum features a regular series of major art shows in 24,000 square feet of exhibit space. The Art Deco theme, found throughout the building, is carried to a new state-of-the-art branch Post Office located downstairs on the west end of the building.