On
November 11, 2001, J.D. Wilkes, Leslie Paterson-Marx and I
opened The Plowhaus Artists’ Cooperative in a 700 square foot
storefront in Historic Lockeland Springs,
East Nashville . We were three artists trying
to find a way to help our community heal after the devastating
events of 9-11. Our
goal was to provide a venue for local artists to show their
work together in an open environment and to counteract the
pervading feeling of helplessness.
We wanted the Plowhaus to be a place where every artist
could declare ownership in a true, grass-roots venture.
The
Plowhaus is the first art gallery to open in the area, the
first co-op in Nashville and
now holds the distinction of being
Nashville ’s longest lasting co-op.
The gallery is nestled in an up-and-coming residential
neighborhood that has recently seen a wave of renovation and
restoration in response to extensive tornado damage suffered
in 1998. The renewal
taking place in East Nashville
appeals to creative types-musicians and artists alike- and
has become a center of art and culture in its own right.
Even so, East Nashville and the Plowhaus remain somewhat
of a mystery to most traditional Nashvillians who have never
ventured through downtown and across the Cumberland River .
Apparently, mystery only adds to the allure of the
Plowhaus as we are beginning our 5th year of operation
stronger than ever.
The name “Plowhaus”
sets the tone for this southern coop with international roots
by combining the idea of the Bauhaus (also was a successful
artists’ co-op), and
J.D.’s cartoon character “The Urban Plow Boy”.
The hard work implied in the word “Plow” is performed
by the 50 or so members who run and maintain the gallery in
turn for a place to display their art at a low cost and high
sales profit. Thematic
group shows with 25-30 artists, small group shows, solo shows,
fundraisers, benefits and outreach shows fill up the Plowhaus
calendar. Some
memorable titles include MySpace @ the Plowhaus, Naughty or
Nice Christmas show, Pie in the Sky, Impromptu, Funambulesque
and the annual Value Menu show that advertises “Haute Cuisine
at Fast Food Prices”.
In keeping with East Nashville
and its unwritten standards of individualism, most of our
shows have a loose theme but artists are never required to
conform to the given theme.
One of the most
important aspects of the Plowhaus is our commitment to modeling
citizenship and building community through outreach.
In our unique partnership with local elementary schools,
children are mentored by our artists for one month in preparation
for a gallery show. They
exhibit at the Plowhaus alongside their mentors and their
pieces are hung at child’s eye-level to bring into focus their
unique perspective. Hopefully
this unique experience will inspire the children to support
the arts or even become artists themselves in the future.
As for the future of the Plowhaus, we have since upgraded
to a 2000 square foot space next to the old storefront, grown
exponentially in membership and gained our non-profit 501©3
last year. Our
executive board is working hard to obtain big-company sponsorship
so we can continue to serve the community through outreach
and eventually establish a finishing school for professional
artists in our new space- I can dream too…
Thanks for listening,
Franne Lee
| Plowhaus
was selected as the winner of the May/June 2006 beautification
award from the East Area Business Council. Thank
you to everybody from the artists to local businesses
to community members who have helped in the beautification
of our gallery! |
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