Music Credit: “Annibelle June,” composed and performed by Abigail Washburn and Bela Fleck. <music up> Jo Reed: Welcome to Art Works, the weekly podcast produced at the National Endowment for the Arts. I’m Josephine Reed. Last week, we kicked off the launch of the eighth annual Blue Star Museums program. It’s a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and more than 2,000 museums across America. From Memorial Day through Labor Day, these museums will offer free admission for the nation’s active duty military personnel, National Guard and Reserve, as well as their families. The Frist Center in Nashville, Tennessee has been a participant in the program since its inception. Located in the former post office—an art deco treasure in the heart of downtown Nashville—the Frist Center has long worked to develop a special relationship with its nearby military personnel. So according to the Center’s executive director, Susan Edwards, joining the Blue Star program was a no-brainer. Susan Edwards: Here in Nashville, we have a very significant military community in the region. We also do a number of programs that reach out to veterans particularly. We have a very generous philanthropist here in town who's made it possible for any active military family to have a free membership to the Frist Center. And of course we have reduced admission for military and veterans throughout the year. But that Blue Star program shines a light on the importance of our military to the cultural fabric of every community in this country. Here in Nashville, we expanded that program to include retired military as well, so that we capture every person in active duty as well as all of our veterans. Jo Reed: Have you seen service members and their families taking advantage of the program and visiting the Frist? Susan Edwards: Oh, absolutely. We have a lot of engagement because we also have other programs that reach out to the military installations here and involve people who help us sometimes with interpretation as well. So we already have that base. And as you point out, we've been part of the Blue Star program from the inception and whenever you make it known to anyone that they are welcome, that audience builds over time. So it's been a very successful program for us, and the feedback that we get, we think it enriches the lives of our active and retired military as well. Jo Reed: Yes, can you talk a little bit more specifically about that feedback? Have you had the opportunity or people at the museum to talk to the service members or their family members? Susan Edwards: Well, in several ways. One, we're always conducting surveys because if it's not a measurable goal, you never know if you're achieving it. So we do that through interviews and anecdotes and online surveys. But above and beyond that, we've had some specific programs that have been targeted to the military and their family members in response to specific exhibitions. If I can give you one example… Jo Reed: Please. Susan Edwards: We were exhibiting the work of Francisco Goya's "Disasters of War" series, which can be a bit difficult. And we updated that by pairing it with the contemporary work of Steve Mumford who was a watercolorist embedded in Afghanistan and Iraq. And knowing that this might unearth some trauma of military people coming to see the exhibition, we partnered with a group that helped bring certified counselors for posttraumatic stress into the galleries to be there when people arrived. You know, visual art can unlock some of those memories. We at the Frist Center are not trained to deal with that, but we made sure that we had people in those sessions to help with that. And it was extremely heartwarming to get the response and know that people responded and were appreciative. And also that they felt that it was worthy of a repeat, which we will do again this fall when we present a beautiful exhibition on American Art of World War I and sort of expanding that. It is an exhibition that has outreach into our military community. Jo Reed: I know you’ve done a tremendous amount of outreach to military personnel in your area, Susan. But I wonder if the national reach of the Blue Star program has been helpful to you at all in expanding this. Susan Edwards: Having the national focus on Blue Star helps us further, because we couldn't possibly pay for all the advertising and awareness that comes out of a national program like that. So that program communicates with those veterans and active military through other channels that we may not have access to. Jo Reed: I’d like to backtrack for a moment. Tell me about the Frist Center. I know it’s a fairly new museum. Susan Edwards: We opened in 2001. It came out of a public and private partnership with the city and the Nashville Agenda to decide what Nashville needed for the 21st century, and a major arts facility was one of the things that the community felt would make it a better place to live. And wow, our creative culture has just blossomed. Jo Reed: Is the Frist owned by the City of Nashville? Susan Edwards: The building is owned by Metro Nashville Housing Agency and we're a non-collecting institution, so in many ways we're very conceptual. And we present changing exhibitions with an encyclopedic mission to show the art of the world, all time periods and all cultures. And so, we show from antiquities to yesterday. Jo Reed: Your website states up front and center, "Unlike any traditional museum you've ever visited." Tell me how this is. Susan Edwards: Well, there's no collection, so every time you come, there'll be something different. The plan is to create for people who live in this part of the world, the mid-South, the opportunity to see the art of the world and to learn from it and experience hands-on interactive learning opportunities, making art, learning about art, broadening one's definition of what that could be in visual culture. And we also are part of the entire creative culture here. So we have live music two nights a week, usually additional concerts in the summer and special concerts for seniors on Mondays. They're performances, so it's a very lively venue. And you could see visitors of all ages. We're open seven days a week and it's always worth the visit. Jo Reed: Now this is completely my ignorance and I'll own it, but when I think of Nashville, I think of country music. I don't think of visual art. Susan Edwards: Well, I think that is true of many people, including many people who live in the community. So I think we've made a big impact since 2001 and I think that's changing because it just was the right place at the right time, a wonderful place to live. A lot of people relocating, but a lot of the music has changed as well. While we've always had all genres because the music that's recorded here, you know, the session players can play just about anything, but we have a fabulous symphony, a great jazz scene. I think we can say that when Jack White moved here it sort of changed a lot of things. A lot more contemporary music is being produced. And of course there's a lot of spiritual and religious music that is here. But the other things that have happened is that there's a lot more design, technology. It's a health care center. Twenty-one institutions of higher learning. So it's a bit more diverse. I mean, there are 120 languages spoken in the public schools. So while the marketing had focused for a long time on that country sound, it's a lot more than that. Jo Reed: Does not having a permanent collection allow you to exhibit local artists often? Susan Edwards: Yes. We present about 15 exhibitions a year and there is always something from the community on view. We have the content Community Gallery, which right now has digital video artists who are doing abstract work and in conjunction with that, how musicians use abstract digital videos. So that's sort of an interesting dialogue between the fine artists and those artists who are known as recording artists and what they've chosen to do on their videos. Interestingly, this summer we have the work of Vadis Turner, who recently moved back from Brooklyn, New York to her hometown of Nashville, so we have an exhibit of her work. And when we're looking at the art of the world, we consider Nashville and Middle Tennessee part of the world. So yes, we make a concerted effort to highlight our own. Jo Reed: It seems that you look to strike a balance between the local and the national, because concurrently with the Vadis Turner, you also have an exhibit called the State of the Art, which is this vast contemporary show that looks at art across the country. Susan Edwards: This is an exhibition that was organized by the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas. It was a product of two curators crisscrossing the United States 140,000 miles, visiting over 1100 artists to refine an exhibition to present something that would be a real cross-section of artists from every walk of life, not just gallery-driven or East Coast or West Coast, but from every state. So we had to cut it down just a little bit. But we still have a major representation of the art of the United States now, what's happening right now. And we just opened the Vadis Turner and State of the Art exhibition from Crystal Bridges last night. So it’s a pretty vibrant summer for us. Jo Reed: Is your focus on the community or on tourists? Or do you try to navigate that? Susan Edwards: Well, I guess we were always hoping that we would someday attract more tourists, but as you point out, most people do not come to Nashville looking for an art museum. But we're conveniently located near the Music City Center, so they just need to walk up the street. And as Downtown Nashville begins to spread and more people are living Downtown, we are getting more tourism. But at the moment, I would say our primary focus is people who live in the region who are already interested in art or something that we're showing that sort of broadens the definition of visual culture and they make the visit to see us. Jo Reed: You make clear on your website that the Frist is a family-oriented museum. How do you achieve that? Susan Edwards: Well, there's several ways. Number one, everyone 18 years old or younger is always free. So that sends a pretty clear message that we are devoted to the younger people in our community and hoping in many ways through art to change the way they see their world. But also, I think we take into consideration that our interpretation is accessible to visitors of all levels of engagement and all means of access and so forth. But we also have one permanent gallery which is the Martin Art Quest, and that's an interactive, intergenerational learning center that is, of course, free to all these young people. But it has different stations that teach in a very fun and engaging way all the elements of design and approaches to art. And of course we have a huge commitment to children in public, private and homeschool and do a lot of outreach. We also have art trunks that reach children in after school programs. And we really feel that the family is a great way to capture visitors of all ages. So grandparents bring their kids. Parents bring their kids. And, you know, kids can walk in by themselves. Jo Reed: You even have your eye on that most difficult population, teenagers, with a program called Art Lab. Susan Edwards: Well, we also think that teens are a group that sometimes can be difficult to reach. And so we organize opportunities for them to meet visual artists when they come to town and work on special projects in response to those exhibitions, sometimes artists from around the world or another culture. And then young people have the opportunity to create projects of their own responding to that art and we exhibit that, or if it's performance. And sometimes we're nurturing kids in non-traditional ways that you might not see, but we see that all these arts intersect and they're interdisciplinary and we just want to have some target programs for youth at all ages. Jo Reed: You are in a city filled with competing cultural interests. How do you reach out to the larger community in the midst of that? Susan Edwards: So it was interesting last night at this opening, we were talking about we do not see one another as competitors in this community. Our other cultural partners include all the performing arts and other aspects of visual arts that occur in the city. But also, we have a lot of outreach and community partners to social services and people with special needs. And I think it's just part of the DNA of this community that everyone is devoted to being sure that everyone has access to the things that will enrich their lives and perhaps touch them with their different interests. Jo Reed: Well, the Frist even has a program called Project Access. Susan Edwards: Yes, Project Access came about with a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. We worked together with the National Public Library system to create a program for people who had moved to this country recently and may not be fluent in English yet and may not even speak it at all yet. But working with people in those immigrant community centers and trying to help people understand all that was available to them in Nashville, generally free or very little cost. For example, coming to the Frist Center, getting a library card, just being able to reach those immigrant populations where they are right now and welcome them in to our community. Jo Reed: You also have workshops offering free art making sessions? Susan Edwards: Well, we kind of find that when we first opened, we thought everyone was interested in digital labs, and so we were quickly sort of outdated on the technology there. But in all our surveys, we found that people love hands-on activities, and those are visitors of all ages. So very often, we will have a free art making opportunity in the Frist Center, especially in the evenings, non-traditional hours which capture those people who work all day and come to our museum in the evenings. The summer, when our Frist Friday concerts will be occurring, we have some of the living artists who will be part of the summer exhibitions. We'll conduct special opportunities for people to participate. Just any way that brings art to life for people is something that's on the table for us. Jo Reed: You know, museums are often seen as sacred spaces, which is both lovely and intimidating. And as a result, it can be challenging to get new visitors into the museum. How do you balance that? Susan Edwards: Well, one, I think we always want to be here for the person who comes to see art because of the transformative experience, and that they may be coming for solace and they may be coming for just an engagement with beauty or, sometimes with something that's provocative. But because there's such a broad outreach initiative through social media and our advertising, we want to reach people who are looking for different things from the museum. So it is sort of a cathedral in many ways in that people come for sometimes a spiritual or a transformative experience, but also sometimes for fellowship. And there are many opportunities to come with a friend, to bring a friend, to make a friend. And that's part of a person's appreciation of art, having someone to share that experience with you is extremely important. And so being a place that has specific programs that are targeted for people who may have a minimal exposure but perhaps they are very interested in something that's non-traditional like automobile design or fashion or something completely different, but it has a, you know, a high level of design as a component to that. The music brings in a lot of people. We partner with dance companies. We have a big exhibition coming up with the visual artist Nick Cave, who will be doing a big community-wide performance to involve dance and music and students from the universities around here. So all of these things reach people where they are. Jo Reed: Let's get a little personal, Susan. How did you get into the museum business? Susan Edwards: Well, I am a bit of a late bloomer. I had been working on Wall Street, actually, and found that I spent every weekend and every waking moment going to art museums in New York City, and I'm so extremely grateful that the admission was low or pay what you wish at the time. And I kind of fell in love and went back to school and took a big risk to study art history and change my whole life sort of mid-stream, and I never regretted it. I have a wonderful life that I find gratifying on all levels every day. Jo Reed: We're used to getting brochures from museums, "This exhibition is coming. This evening is coming." But all of this takes a lot of planning and a lot of vision. How do you decide on the exhibitions? How do you decide what gets put on? Susan Edwards: Because we have a mandate to show the art of the world, we actually have a strategy in selecting art in our own community, as you point out, in the region, in the country and internationally, but also all time periods, all cultures, all mediums. So we have to balance that with the objective of being sure that we're providing for the person who's never going to leave this region the opportunity to see the art of the world from across the spectrum. So we try to balance. We also, I'm sorry to say, you know, we have to balance our budget every year, so some exhibitions require, you know, more resources and more lead time. We take exhibitions that are traveling, but we originate most of our exhibitions, so that takes a lot of staff time. Our curators have different areas that they're interested in working. We also partner with sister institutions around the country and around the world and originate them with the resources that other people bring to the table. So right now we're planning in about three and a half years out on our exhibition schedule, with the hope that we are, as I said, you know, being very comprehensive. Jo Reed: Well, you mentioned having to balance the budget, fundraising is always an issue for arts organizations. Are you still part of a public-private partnership in terms of your fundraising? Susan Edwards: We are. I had a conversation with a legislative aide yesterday about the importance of government funding. It's one of those resources that for us not only gives us financial support, but it also provides the seed money and an imprimatur that when our proposals to one of the government agencies have been vetted, it tells our funders that this is not just a vanity project, but indeed, it's something that has been well thought out and that is worthy of their support. So we're very grateful to the organizations that help us, whether they're local, state or national. And, you know, we have many strategies to engage people at all levels of their philanthropy, because it does begin with individuals. And we have around 11,000-plus thousand members, and we value their support. Their gifts means a lot to us because it also tells other funders that there's a broad commitment to seeing that we succeed. Jo Reed: Do you find that there's a tension at times between an aesthetic you have or a vision you have for the museum and what's popular and what sells? And if so, how you navigate that. Susan Edwards: Well, we do think of, you know, I find that the art world teaches me lessons all the time. Never assume anything. There's an audience for every exhibition. When we're looking at an exhibition that we think will be populist, sometimes we're completely surprised. But we always take a risk. There are things that we think we owe to the audience who's very, very interested in something that may be more esoteric. But then it may turn out to be something that we completely underestimated the popularity of that. And then there'll be exhibitions that we think will have a broad reach and maybe they do and maybe they don't. But yes, we keep that in mind because clearly we want to get in new audiences, so sometimes, you know, when we're looking at people who've never been, we like to find something that will bring them in for the first time. But once they find out that there's something there for them, they'll come back and they increase their knowledge over time and their appreciation. And I actually had a conversation yesterday with someone on our staff who was just so taken with this contemporary art. And she said, you know, over the years working at the Frist Center, she has really increased her appreciation and her willingness to spend time with something and see how it relates to her. So she's our test case. I mean, you know, we hope we'll reach someone in a surprising way. Jo Reed: You articulate a vision and a mission for the museum. And sometimes in day to day, it's so easy to get caught up in tasks, in the work at hand. How do you make sure you're always keeping your eyes on that prize? Susan Edwards: Well, it's that barometer against which we weigh everything. The expenditure of donated money is something that we take very seriously. People are counting on us to be thoughtful about that. So we measure against that and sometimes your own agenda can get in the way, so if you go back to your mission and your vision statement and use those as guiding principles in decision making, I think it's extremely helpful for keeping a broad group of people focused. Jo Reed: And let me ask you finally, why do you think art is important in the everyday lives of people? Susan Edwards: I think that we neglect to acknowledge how much it means in our everyday lives. We make decisions about what we're going to put on every day that was designed by someone. We get in an automobile. We take it for granted. But all of that included. You know, industrial design. We pick up magazines, they're filled with visual information. Today, literacy depends upon understanding how images are used to send messages. I think it's extremely important that we understand what's come before so that we can understand how those work to mold our character and our politics. So I think it has all those obvious to me, you know, maybe hidden but clearly obvious, <laughs> functional uses. But I think it's for the human spirit. I think we find in these transformative experiences ways of touching the soul. And for some people that'll be through music, some it would be through language and poetry or literature, others through performance, but for a segment of the population, it clearly comes through visual culture. And I think it's extremely important for us to be in touch with the things that make us human. And if I can expose people to the greatest accomplishments of humanity, I think we have links to the past and hope for the future. Jo Reed: And I think that's where we'll leave it. Thank you. Susan Edwards: Thank you so much, Josephine, for all you do for us in this country and for giving the Frist Center a chance to speak with you today. Jo Reed: Well, thank you for what you do as well. <music up> Jo Reed: That’s Susan Edwards. She’s Executive Director of the Frist Center. You can find more about the museum at fristcenter.org. And for more information about Blue Stars Museums or to find a museum near you—go to arts.gov. You've been listening to Art Works produced at the National Endowment for the Arts. To find out how art works in communities across the country, keep checking the Art Works blog, or follow us @NEAARTS on Twitter. For the National Endowment for the Arts, I'm Josephine Reed. Thanks for listening. <music up> Transcript available shortly.