CLARKSVILLE, TN – Here is everything you need to know about what’s happening at Customs House Museum & Cultural Center this August.

Exhibitions

Between Tone & Texture: The Art of Edie Maney, through August 21 | Crouch Gallery. Labeling herself an abstract expressionist, Edie Maney paints in a chaotic manner with layer after layer of color and strokes, finding a balance between intensity and motion. “For me, it is color that stimulates a conversation between tone and texture, between motion and shape. Four, five, six layers emerge – and a focal point is revealed.”

Kitty Harvill: New to the Collection, through August 27 | Jostens Gallery. Kitty Harvill is an internationally acclaimed wildlife artist and illustrator. This exhibit features nine original watercolors of endangered animals, created during her time in Brazil. Since 2016, Harvill has led a group of like-minded artists through ABUN – Artists & Biologists Unite for Nature. Her work is included in collections throughout the United States, Brazil, Germany and Singapore.

David Smith: Tennessee Waterfalls, through August 29 | Harvill Gallery. Local photographer David Smith captures the movement, spectacle and allure of waterfalls across Tennessee in this collection of photographs.

At Rest: A Still Life Invitational, through August 30 | Orgain & Bruner Galleries. Even the simplest, everyday objects have the power to spark inspiration in an artist’s brush. This invitational exhibition features 14 award-winning artists showcasing a variety of styles that celebrate the still life genre.

Women. Artists. Masters. The Big & the Small of It, through September 24 | Kimbrough Gallery. Women. Artists. Masters. (WAM for short) is a group comprised of three artists sharing common goals. In this traveling exhibition, Debra Keirce, Maria Bennett Hock and Carrie Waller render representational paintings that highlight the ways the big and the small work together. Debra has palm sized oil miniatures, some of which are hidden in boxes. Maria paints on large canvases that draw viewers in. Carrie paints everyday objects, elevating them to their most beautiful, larger-than-life presentation.

Annual Staff Art Show, through October 22 | Lobby. The annual staff art exhibit showcases the creative work of those who work behind-the-scenes at the Museum. Each piece reveals the unique personalities and skills of the artists, special moments in their lives and their inspirations.

Red Grooms: Selected Works from the Caldwell Collection, through January 7 | Memory Lane. Born in Nashville in 1937, Red Grooms stands among Tennessee’s cultural icons. A performance artist, filmmaker, printmaker and cartoonist, he is best known for colorful pop art that captures both the grotesqueness and humor of everyday life. His art is featured in the collections of more than 35 museums, including the Art Institute of Chicago, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art in Nashville, the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Carnegie Museum of Art and the Knoxville Museum of Art. This exhibit features paintings and paper sculptures and is produced in partnership with the West Tennessee Regional Art Center with contributions from the Discovery Park of America.

Events

First Thursday Art Walk & Book Signing, August 3, 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. Free to the public. The Museum offers free admission during First Thursday Art Walk from 5 – 8 pm. Starting at 5:30 pm in the Museum Lobby, join author Dr. Minoa Uffelman and editors Phyllis Smith and Dr. Ellen Kanervo for a book signing of their newest release, The Civil War Letters of Sarah Kennedy: Life Under Occupation in the Upper South.

Programs

Storytime & Craft, August 3 & 17, 10:30 a.m. | All ages, with adult.  Free with membership or paid admission | Family Art Studio. Join us in the Family Art Studio to read our favorite children’s books and create fun summer-themed crafts! *All parents are expected to participate with and supervise their children.

Family Art Saturday: Watercolor Stained Glass, August 26 | 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. & 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. | Ages 3+, with adult.  Free with admission | Family Art Studio. Step into a world of vibrant colors with a fun “watercolor stained glass” art activity. Using the whimsical medium of watercolors, you will be able to create a stunning collaborative display of colors, just like a true stained-glass window. *All parents are expected to participate with and supervise their children.

Baby Picasso: A Sensory Art Activity, August 23 | 10:30 a.m. | Ages 1-2, with adult. $5 Registration | Family Art Studio.  Join us as we embark on a colorful adventure where your little one can use playful techniques to squish, pat and wipe their hands to paint a beautiful masterpiece on canvas. Messy fun is guaranteed for your baby or toddler! Registration will open August 2! *All parents are expected to participate with and supervise their children.

Closures

Saturday, August 19. The Museum will be closed on Saturday, August 19 and Sunday, August 20 for our 39th Annual Flying High fundraiser.