October Calendar

Nashville’s Art scene, all in one place.

Welcome to the October edition of the Nashville Art Bulletin. The first ever edition!!!

The month of October not only brings fall, but it brings plenty of opportunities to meet other creative people. This month celebrates art crawls, artist talks, and several gallery openings. There is even an entire weekend of handmade art at Centennial Park and the 10th anniversary of the North Nashville Culture Crawl

The monthly guide helps you plan your artsy itinerary ahead of time. Our weekly editions, bring you those same schedules, but in more detail. 

Explore for experiencing art, Create for making something, and Connect for meeting people and getting involved. 

 

October 5–11

Make room for a weekend of handmade work at Centennial Park, then choose a workshop or an evening art crawl. There’s also a chance to preview OZ Arts’ new performance season.

OZ Arts Season Preview

October 6 · 5:30–9 PM
Connect · OZ Arts Nashville · Free

Get a first look at OZ Arts’ 2026–27 performance season during a preview happy hour with Mark Murphy. Hear Banning Bouldin and Ciona Rouse discuss their forthcoming world premiere, DECLARATION.

Included: Complimentary drinks and light bites.

48th Fall Tennessee Craft Fair

October 9–11
Explore · Centennial Park, near the Parthenon · Free

Browse handmade work from approximately 200 artists—and ask the person who made it about their process. Demonstrations, food vendors, and children’s activities round out the weekend.

Fall Floral Weaving

October 10 · 10 AM–noon
Create · Cheekwood Estate & Gardens · $48 members / $60 nonmembers

Weave textiles and dried flowers into a wall hanging to take home. A morning of tapestry weaving with a little autumn texture.

Downtown Makers’ Market

October 10 · Noon–4 PM
Explore · Riverfront Park · Free

Browse local vendors under the pedestrian bridge, with live music, food, and drinks along the way.

Rain or shine. Bring your Metro Courthouse/Public Square Garage parking ticket for validation at the market.

Dax van Aalten: Incidental Meditations

October 10 · Opening reception: 5–8 PM
Explore · Red Arrow Gallery

Look for leaves, water, weather, and terrain emerging from six paintings that move between abstraction and landscape. Join the opening or visit through November 21.

Second Saturday Art Crawl

October 10 · 6–9 PM
Explore · The Arcade

Spend Saturday evening exploring art at the Arcade. Give yourself time to wander, look closely, and talk with people along the way.

Hatch Show Print Block Party

October 10 · 6–8 PM; October 11 · 10 AM–noon; October 17 · 3–5 PM
Create · Hatch Show Print · $75

Print on paper or fabric using Hatch’s hand-carved blocks. Try relief printing and make a tea towel or tote bag of your own.

Included: Materials and a tea towel or tote bag. Beginners welcome; ages 18+. The October 11 session is limited to 12 adults.

Oil Workshop: Holbein, Legion Paper + General Pencil

October 11 · 10 AM–noon
Create · The Forge Nashville

Try traditional, water-soluble, and Vernet oil paints with Erica Feinberg. Experiment with different papers and drawing materials to see what suits your mark-making.

Included: Materials. All experience levels welcome; ages 18+.

Family Sunday

October 11 · 1–5 PM
Create · Frist Art Museum · Free for members and guests ages 18 and younger

Explore the exhibitions together, join a family tour, and make butterflies at Family ARTlab. Butterfly-making runs from 1–4 PM; tours begin at 1:30 and 2:30 PM.

Adult nonmembers need gallery admission.

Move & Make

October 11 · 4–6 PM
Create · White Limozeen · $65

Start with 30 minutes of mat Pilates with The Brokerage, then bedazzle small accessories with Nashville Craft Club. Goodie bags and little surprises are part of the afternoon.

Bring: Your own mat.

October 12–18

This week pairs conversations about Nashville’s arts community with a retrospective and a local art market. For something hands-on, choose watercolor, lantern-making, or the October 17 Hatch Block Party listed above.

Arts Commission: Grants and Funding

October 13 · 1–3 PM
Connect · 1417 Murfreesboro Pike

Listen in on the Grants and Funding Committee’s discussion of arts grants and funding. Bring your perspective to a public conversation about support for the arts.

Public comments welcome. Online comments are due two hours before the meeting; in-person speakers sign up before it begins.

Arts Commission: Advocacy

October 13 · 5:30–7 PM
Connect · McCabe Park Community Center

Join the Advocacy Committee’s conversation about arts advocacy in Nashville. Listen to the discussion or add your voice through public comment.

Online comments are due two hours before the meeting; in-person speakers sign up before it begins.

Arts Commission: Executive Committee

October 14 · 2–3 PM
Connect · 1417 Murfreesboro Pike

Hear the Executive Committee’s discussion at this public meeting. It’s an opportunity to listen and share a comment.

Online comments are due two hours before the meeting; in-person speakers sign up before it begins.

Arts Commission: Public Art

October 15 · 11 AM–1 PM
Connect · 1417 Murfreesboro Pike

Hear what the Public Art Committee is discussing and take part through public comment. Start here if public art is the part of Nashville’s creative life you want to follow more closely.

Online comments are due two hours before the meeting; in-person speakers sign up before it begins.

Nima’s Retrospective

October 17 · 2–5 PM
Explore · Art & Soul Nashville

Explore a retrospective celebrating Art & Soul founder Arunima “Nima” Orr. Nima plans to attend and share the stories and inspiration behind her work.

100 Taylor Art Market

October 17 · 3–9 PM
Explore · 100 Taylor Street · Free

Meet local artists and makers while browsing paintings, pottery, jewelry, textiles, woodwork, and more. Food, drinks, and music make it an evening to linger.

Family- and dog-friendly.

Eat Your Vegetables! with Kim Lane

October 18 · 11 AM–2 PM
Create · 801 Percy Warner Boulevard · $40 members / $50 nonmembers

Turn root vegetables into inspiration for a liquid-watercolor composition. Play with wet-into-wet techniques and mark-making with Kim Lane.

Included: Materials. Beginners welcome; children over 12 may attend with an adult.

Lantern Club: Franklin

October 18 · 4–6 PM
Create · Fainting Goat Coffee, Franklin · $45

Make a decoupage lantern with Nashville Craft Club. Go spooky for Halloween or create something you’ll want to keep out all winter.

Lantern light not included.

October 19–25

The North Nashville Culture Crawl marks ten years this week, with a mixer to start the celebration. You’ll also find photography, an arts fundraiser, and an early chance to shop Artclectic.

Obscuring, Revealing

October 22–December 4
Explore · Belmont University’s Leu Art Gallery

Consider what photography makes visible—and what it obscures. Nashville-area photographers explore documentary practice through personal stories, experimentation, historical references, and alternative processes.

The Educators’ Cooperative Fundraiser

October 22 · 6–8:30 PM
Connect · RADAR615 · $100 community supporters / $40 EDCO members

Test your knowledge against “The Curriculum” at trivia tables hosted by EDCO members. Browse an artist showcase and auction while supporting The Educators’ Cooperative.

Light snacks and drinks are part of the evening.

Artclectic Patrons Party

October 22 · 6:30–9:30 PM
Connect · 2000 Edgehill Avenue · $125–$250

Get an early opportunity to view and purchase Artclectic artwork while supporting Innovative Teaching at University School of Nashville. Innovator-level patrons receive an exclusive first look and a chance to connect with the featured artist.

Ages 21+.

North Nashville Pre-Crawl Mixer

October 23 · 6–9 PM
Connect · Fisk University Galleries · $12.51–$30

Start the anniversary weekend with gallery tours, Fisk Band music, theatrical performances, and documentaries about Fisk history and culture. Meet people before Saturday’s crawl.

North Nashville Culture Crawl

October 24 · 3–9 PM
Explore · Kossie Gardner Park and the Jefferson Street corridor · Free

Celebrate ten years of Black art, music, and culture in North Nashville. Explore gallery shows, live music, art-making, food, and vendors, with Kossie Gardner Park as a central gathering space.

A shuttle connects crawl locations.

October 26–31

Close the month with museum exploration, lantern-making, and a conversation about Jewish ceremonial art. There’s also a chance to hear the full Arts Commission discuss Nashville’s arts community.

Homeschool Monday

October 26 · 10 AM–5:30 PM
Create · Frist Art Museum · Free for members and guests ages 18 and younger; $16 for other guests

Explore the exhibitions and enjoy priority access to Martin ArtQuest. Teacher-led tours begin at 10:30 and 11:30 AM, with a led tour at 1:30 PM.

Lantern Club

October 27 · 6:30–8:30 PM
Create · White Limozeen · $40

Make a decoupage lantern at the Graduate Hotel’s White Limozeen. Settle into an evening of crafting, with food and drinks available to order.

Included: Craft supplies. Lantern light not included.

Arts Commission Meeting

October 28 · 1–3 PM
Connect · 1417 Murfreesboro Pike

Hear what the full Arts Commission is discussing about Nashville’s arts community. Listen in or share your perspective.

Written and in-person public comments welcome.

Beauty and Ritual: Opening Conversation

October 29 · Conversation: 6:30–7:30 PM
Explore · Frist Art Museum · Free for members / $20 nonmembers

Explore Jewish ceremonial art with Abigail Rapoport, Trinita Kennedy, and Seth Feman. Arrive early for music by Cantor Josh Goldberg at 5:15 PM, then enjoy the galleries until 9 PM.

Registration required.

 

Look out for the weekly editions for a closer look at what’s coming up. Have an event you’d like included in a future guide? I’d love to hear about it. Email me at vellaforma@gmail.com