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The premiere art museum and cultural center in Nashville, the Frist Center for the Visual Arts opened in 2001 and boasts 24,000 square feet of gallery space. The museum's permanent collection includes paintings and sculpture from around the world, as well as rotating exhibits of fine art and folk art from local and regional artists. The building itself was constructed in 1932 and served as a U.S. Post Office until the 1980s. It is an excellent example of Art Deco architecture and for this reason was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

The Frist Center is located in the historic Nashville Post Office, an art deco building constructed during the Great Depression.

The Frist Center is located in the historic Nashville Post Office, an art deco building constructed during the Great Depression.

WW1 Exhibit

WW1 Exhibit

This museum's official displays both of the most distinctive architectural styles of the period: classicism and Art Deco. The building was constructed from 1933 to 1934 under the direction of the local architectural firm of Marr & Holman and financed by monies appropriated by Congress during the Hoover administration. The building's layout was inspired by the mindset of architects from the Depression who preferred starved and stripped classicism. The floors are filled with marble coated flooring and the walls consist of glittery- stoned wall. This type of layout is called "Art Deco". The Frist Art center opened in 2001 and since then they have had many art exhibits bring in new culture, customs, and ideas from around the world.

The Frist Center for the Visual Arts has become a magnet for Nashville’s rapidly expanding visual arts scene. With an exhibitions schedule that has new art flowing through the magnificent art deco building every 6 to 8 weeks, no matter how often one visits, there is always something new and exciting to see in the spacious galleries.

Each exhibition page contains detailed information about exhibition-related programs and an array of resources, including gallery guides, audio guides, videos and additional information from varying sources. The Frist Art Center is always growing and inspiring people of all ages to come together to admire all kinds of Art.

"A history of the Frist Center." Frist Center for the Visual Arts. Accessed 1/19/2015.  http://fristcenter.org/about/the-building.. .