CLARKSVILLE, TN – The upcoming events for Customs House Museum & Cultural Center for the month of November have been announced.
Exhibitions
Nature! From Raw to Refined: TACA Award Winner Marty McConnaughey, Through November 2 | Bruner & Orgain Galleries, Tennessee Craft’s Award Winner Marty McConnaughey’s Nature! The From Raw to Refined exhibition displays her love of transporting nature into her work. Her walks have become a hunt for pinecones, acorns, tree branches, and driftwood. She harvests sweetgrass and iris leaves from her property. The antlers, turquoise, jasper, or agates add a spark to many of McConnaughey’s three-dimensional designs. Each piece is one of a kind and sure to bring an extraordinary element to any space.
Anthology of Place: Rachael McCampbell, Opening November 1 | Crouch Gallery, Rachael McCampbell teaches workshops in the U.S. and abroad in locales such as Ireland, Italy, England, Spain, and places in the U.S., such as Ghost Ranch, the Smokies, and other cities. She is a GOLDEN Educator and a brand ambassador for Holbein, Legend Paper, General Pencils, and Dynasty Brushes. She has created pieces for large public installations and healthcare environments. Working recently, for example, with the architectural and design team for a new wing of Ascension St. Thomas in Nashville, Rachael created (with the help of a fabricator) computerized/motorized kinetic pieces for their lobby and gardens that rotate at different rates of speed and patterns. Her exhibition at the Customs House Museum includes oil paintings from her various travels and a large installation piece.
Memories of Myth: Caney Hummon, Opening November 4 | Jostens Gallery, Caney Hummon is a young Nashville artist whose work is created in narrative and surrealistic styles. The suite of works he is presenting references his family history, created in a narrative, realistic approach. Caney grew up as the son of a songwriter and a priest, and, as such, was raised in a household that encouraged creative pursuits and open theological thinking. This led to his introduction to painting at the age of 10, a skill and passion that Caney carried on through his whole life and into his college education. As a result, paint has become his best means of expressing his attempts to understand theology and spirituality and to share his personal perspective on the world around him.
Beverly Ford Evans: His Mercy Is Over All That He Has Made, Opening November 6 | Bruner and Orgain Galleries, Beverly Ford Evans presents a series of wildlife paintings in the Orgain and Bruner galleries of the museum. What inspired Beverly to return to her love of painting, after a career in interior design, was the beauty of her home state. Beverly captures its essence and shares it through her paintings. In recent years, Beverly has combined her love of the outdoors and animals into her art and has become known for her wildlife, fowl, game, and sporting art. She has been inspired by the works of artists Bob Kuhn, Frank W. Benson, Tucker Smith, and Carl Rungius.
Christmas Village, Opening November 13 | Memory Lane, The Christmas Village exhibition is an exhibition of items from the Customs House Museum’s collection.
Portrait Society of America: The Tennesseans, Through December 31 | Kimbrough Gallery, Featuring the Portrait Society of America: Tennessee Members in their first state exhibition. Sixty figurative pieces—done in paintings and sculptures—will be on display in the Kimbrough gallery of the museum. Established in February 1998, the Portrait Society of America is a 501(C)3 registered charity, formed as an educational organization dedicated to furthering the traditions of fine art portraiture and figurative art through programs and publications. The Portrait Society is committed to providing educational resources to anyone interested in technical information, traditional aesthetics, and the history of figurative art and portraiture.
Clarksville Sounds: A Musical Exhibition from the Collection, Through January 2, 2026, | Harvill Gallery, an exhibition of vintage musical instruments is displayed along with a look at the Clarksville music scene of the past.
Go Team! Football & Basketball from the Museum Collection, Through January 6, 2026, | Hand Gallery, Cheer on local sports history with this exhibit featuring jerseys, balls, trading cards, and more artifacts from athletes in our community. Play Days: Toys from the Collection, Through Jan. 11, 2026, | Memory Lane, Play Days: Toys from the Collection is an exhibition of toys from the Customs House Museum’s Collection.
Events
First Thursday Art Walk, November 6 | 5-8 pm | Free to the public, Mark your calendars for November’s Art Walk at the Customs House Museum, where you can enjoy free admission from 5–8 p.m.
Live Portraiture Demonstration by the Portrait Society of America – Painting Kevin Kennedy, November 8 | 4 pm – 5:30 pm | Customs House Museum | Free with membership or paid museum admission, Artist Tom Root will be painting Clarksville’s own Kevin Kennedy during a live painting demo in conjunction with the new exhibition, The Portrait Society of America: Tennessee Members. A professional figure and portrait painter for over thirty-five years, Tom Root studied drawing and painting at Lyme Academy of Fine Arts in Old Lyme, Connecticut, under Aaron Shikler N.A. and Deane G. Keller, and at Ringling School of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida. Preferring to work from live models, he describes his style as “a naturalistic, yet somewhat simplified painterly style.” His work is in private and public collections across the country, including the New Britain Museum of American Art (New Britain, CT) and the Tennessee State Museum (Nashville, TN). The exhibition at the Customs House Museum is the first show featuring only Tennessee members of the National Portrait Society.
Painting Demonstration & Gallery Talk with Rachael McCampbell, November 9 | 1 pm – 3 pm | Customs House Museum | Free with membership or paid museum admission. Rachael McCampbell will be doing a painting demonstration and gallery talk in connection with her exhibition, Anthology of Place, currently on view at the Customs House Museum. Rachael McCampbell teaches workshops in the U.S. and abroad in locales such as Ireland, Italy, England, Spain, and places in the U.S. such as Ghost Ranch, the Smokies, and other cities.
Programs
Amazing Thailand: A Birding Adventure, with Mike O’Malley, local businessman and APSU board member, November 2 at 3 pm | Turner Auditorium | Free to the public. Does not include museum admission. Follow Mike O’Malley on a three-week birding trip to Thailand from the southern coast and wetlands to the northern mountainous forests. He’ll share some spectacular birds like rare Pittas, amazing Hornbills, and critically endangered shorebirds. Some of the fabulous cultural sites are visited along the way! Reserve your spot by registering here: customshousemuseum.org
Homeschool Fieldtrip Day, November 4 | 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. | K-12 students with adults, School tour admission of $3 per student and $5 per adult for non-member homeschool families. On the first Tuesday of each month, local homeschool families are invited to experience a day of self-guided exploration and learning. For more information, contact Curator of Education Stephanie Stafford at stephanie@customshousemuseum.org.
Storytime & Craft: Let’s Make a Pie, November 6 | 10:30 am | All ages, with adult | Free with membership or paid admission. It’s time for pie! Join us for Storytime & Craft when we’ll read some stories about yummy pies and create a paper plate pie to take home. All parents are expected to participate with and supervise their children.
Sunday Studio: Crafting with McLean Fahnestock, Chair of APSU’s Art + Design Department, November 16 | 2 pm | Ages 16+ | Free, with registration required. Does not include Customs House Museum admission. In partnership with APSU’s Community School of the Arts, our Sunday Studio class is a creative workshop series for adults. For November, participants will be making ornaments from recycled aluminum using metal embossing techniques. The workshop is free and includes all materials. Registration is open at customshousemuseum.org.
Storytime & Craft: A Week Before Thanksgiving, November 20 | 10:30 am | All ages, with adult | Free with membership or paid admission. Gobble gobble, as the turkeys do. We’ll read two stories about the Thanksgiving season and make turkey paper plates in honor of the gobblers. All parents are expected to participate with and supervise their children.
Art & More, Fall Semester (Sept. 2, Oct. 7, & Nov. 4) | 10:30 am – 12:15 pm | $25 non-refundable registration fee for the semester | Grades K-12 with adult. Join us for our two-in-one art class for homeschool families. Art & More is a combination of an instructor-led art class, covering art standards, and an educator-led exhibit tour with cross-curricular topics. For additional information, please contact Curator of Education Stephanie Stafford at stephanie@customshousemuseum.org.
Family Art Saturday: Fall Trees, November 29 |10 am – 12 pm, 1 pm – 3 pm | Ages 3+, with adult | Free with membership or paid admission | Family Art Studio. Get creative with us this November as we honor the beauty and variety of fall trees by making a craft. As always, this is perfect for artists of all ages — no experience needed, just bring your imagination! All parents are expected to participate with and supervise their children.
F&M Bank Huff & Puff Express Model Trains, Exhibit open daily | Trains run Sundays 1 – 4 pm, Wednesdays 10 am – 12 pm, Fridays 10 am – 12 pm, and the last Saturday of each month 1 – 4 pm. Family, home, and community! Come and explore one of the region’s largest model railroad layouts, featuring a whole community around our model train exhibit, which is interactive for kids of all ages. Our model train exhibit is open every day, with themes that change each season.