In 2011, Metro Parks asked us to create a series of 12 posters that would celebrate various public parks in the Nashville area. We liked the idea so much, we offered to create the art for FREE as a way of giving back to our community. (As you can tell by our Spirit of Nashville Collection, we believe that as artists and citizens of our community, it is important to use our talents and time to promote and celebrate Music City!)
We want our art to raise awareness of the things that make Nashville a great place to live and work. Public parks need constant care and upkeep. A lot of the funds needed for on-going improvements come from Friends Groups—community groups that volunteer manpower and grass-roots fundrasing to keep our public spaces beautiful and safe for everyone to enjoy. We created the art at our own expense, and Metro Parks committed to purchasing some copies of the prints to re-sell as fundraising tools and give away to promote the parks and raise public awareness. We have enjoyed creating the art, and we are hearing that our fellow citizens enjoy decorating with the prints!
We introduced the first set of 3 prints several months ago. It included McCabe Golf Course, Two Rivers Mansion, and Shelby Park. We have recently completed 3 more sets of prints. They include Fort Negley, Hadley Park and Centennial Park.
Fort Negley is on a hill that overlooks downtown Nashville. All that remain are the stone foundations. It was the largest of a group of forts built by the Union, and the
largest inland masonry fort built during the Civil War. It was 600 feet
long, 300 feet wide, and covered four acres of land. The workers lived
in a contraband camp on the northeast side of the worksite, and were
both free blacks and slaves who had been conscripted by the Union to
serve as laborers. Between 600 and 800 died during the construction, and
only 310 ever received pay. This print was created by ADG artist Andy Gregg.
Hadley Park was one of our nation’s first African-American public parks. It features a library, community center, and open spaces for play and relaxation. Nashville Mayor Hilary Howse opened the park on July 4, 1912. The land Hadley Park occupies, along with the property Tennessee State University
is situated on, was originally part of the John L. Hadley plantation.
Even though a former slave owner, in 1873 John Hadley invited the great
African American abolitionist and civil rights reformer Frederick
Douglas to Nashville to his home to speak to the former slave population and help them adjust to their new lives as free people. Like Hadley Park Community
Center, the Hadley Park Branch Library was built to serve the
African-American community. This print was created by ADG artist Edward Patton.
Centennial Park is Nashville’s premier park. Located on West End and
25th Avenue North, the 132-acre features: the iconic Parthenon, a
one-mile walking trail, Lake Watauga, the Centennial Art Center, historical monuments, an arts activity center, a beautiful sunken garden, a band shell, an events shelter, sand volleyball courts, two dog parks, and an exercise trail. Thousands of people visit the park each year to visit the museum, see exhibits, attend festivals, and just enjoy the beauty of the park. This print was created by ADG artist Ligia Teodosiu.
The remaining 6 Metro Parks Prints prints will be unveiled before the end of this year. They will include:
Fannie Mae Park
Bells Bend
Cumberland Park
Public Square
Greenways
Warner Parks
We were also approached by the Army Corps or Engineers and asked to create a series of prints to commemorate water projects that have become an important part of our region’s outdoor recreation, water management, and power generating. The first print in this series features Center Hill Dam
All of these lovely prints are available for purchase at
www.SpiritOfNashville.com. Each year, Anderson Design Group donates 10% of all Spirit of Nashville proceeds to Nashville Community causes.
