Nsider: April 2023

FASHION

Gus Mayer Trunk Shows

It’s not too early to start thinking about Steeplechase style. Christine A. Moore will be showcasing her hat designs at Gus Mayer, April 13–15. Established in 1994, Christine has been designing hats for race day as well as weddings, resort wear and a men’s line called the Blake Collection. This begs the question: Which came first — your hat or your dress?

Red carpet darling — and Symphony Fashion Show featured designer — Brandon Maxwell returns to Gus Mayer for two days after the aforementioned show, April 26–27. Maxwell is known for dressing celebrities for everything from awards shows to everyday life, and this season’s collection is a stunning array of muted pastels and bold florals with pops of sparkly sequins.

DINING

Marsh House

For their first wine dinner of the year, the Gulch mainstay Marsh House will be hosting a four-course dinner with seven pairings from Demeine Estates. Only 16 seats are available at this exclusive dinner. April 4, Tickets $140 per person (tax and gratuity included). Marsh House, 401 11th Ave. S, 615-262-6001, marshhouserestaurant.com

PERFORMING ARTS

Joan Baez in Conversation With Emmylou Harris

Like a long, funny letter from an old friend, discover an album of drawings by the legendary singer-songwriter, Joan Baez. In collaboration with Parnassus Books, OZ Arts will host a conversation between Emmylou Harris and Joan about her new book. Am I Pretty When I Fly? collects lovingly loose and charming sketches — Baez regards them as exercises in freedom — on themes such as politics, relationships, women, animals and family. April 8, Tickets $60. OZ Arts, 6172 Cockrill Bend Circle, 615-350-7200, ozartsnashville.org

Timbuktu Within: The Yeli Ensemble, Windship Boyd & Christophe Konkobo

Griots are lively storytellers and the keepers of West African tradition, and Timbuktu Within showcases talented local and international artists. Through multilayered harmonies and stunning movement, the Yeli Ensemble shares traditional and contemporary African culture, tells personal stories, and connects with our local community. April 14–15, Tickets $20–$25. OZ Arts, 6172 Cockrill Bend Circle, 615-350-7200, ozartsnashville.org

The Jonah People: A Legacy of Struggle and Triumph

Hannibal Lokumbe’s world premiere reckons with the past and envisions a redemptive future. Audiences journey alongside the cast, moving from captivity and oppression to the struggle of sustaining hope in a way forward, and The Jonah People celebrates ancestors whose perseverance and resilience have produced successive generations of world-changers. April 13–16, Tickets $29–$157. Schermerhorn Symphony Center, One Symphony Place, 615-687-6400, nashvillesymphony.org

New in Nashville

A dazzling and dynamic sampling of dance, this iconic tour de ballet — accompanied live by the Nashville Symphony — will include visionary Cathy Marston’s Snowblind, plus brand-new pieces by Matthew Neenan and Tony Award-winning choreographer Donald Byrd. One weekend only. April 21–23, Tickets $35–$93. TPAC, Andrew Jackson Hall, 505 Deaderick St., 615-782-4040, tpac.org

The Pirates of Penzance

For a humorous and operatic adventure full of pirates, love stories and puns, climb aboard! This wacky Britcom has delivered family fun since the Victorian era. Join the most unlikely band of pirates ever known as they sail through the clever wordplay and infectiously merry music of Gilbert & Sullivan. April 21–23, Tickets $30–$105. TPAC, James K. Polk Theater, 505 Deaderick St., 615-782-4040, tpac.org

VISUAL ARTS

Limited Runs & Soon-to-Close

Great Spring Art Hop 2023

The Great Spring Art Hop is not to be missed! Local artists have painted nine oversized bunnies, and eight of them are hidden scavenger-hunt style throughout the gardens. Hop over to Cheekwood, find the beautifully decorated Easter Bunny and hunt for some eggs! April 7–8, Tickets $14–$27. Cheekwood Estate & Gardens, 1200 Forrest Park Drive, 615-356-8000, cheekwood.org

FLORAL MAPS

In partnership with Red Arrow Gallery, OZ Arts is adorned in a new exhibit: Artists Lauren Gregory and Nuveen Barwari utilize floral fabrics, creating textile narratives and highlighting unique perspectives. Lauren’s stunning quilts and Nuveen’s repurposed artifacts create collage-like maps to both familiar places and new lands entirely. Through April 9, Gratis. OZ Arts, 6172 Cockrill Bend Circle, 615-350-7200, ozartsnashville.org

New This Month

Beatrix Potter: Drawn to Nature

Through letters, photographs, watercolors and more, Drawn to Nature explores how beloved English author Beatrix Potter developed stories and characters. Not only did she imagine an enchanting world of animals and gardens, she actively championed land conservation. This family-friendly exhibition shows Potter’s remarkable life and legacy in vibrant detail. April 7–Sept. 17, Admission $15. Frist Center for Visual Arts — Upper-Level Galleries, 919 Broadway, 615-244-3340, fristartmuseum.org

Tiffany Calvert’s Adversarial Nature

Tiffany Calvert works in the space between the ones and zeros of a preeminent algorithm, generating novel compositions by complicating the shallow, diagrammatic space of historical Dutch floral paintings. These “digital shift” works initially align with history, but — upon closer inspection — aberrances emerge: the uncanny valley of AI attempting to understand human-made art. April 22–June 3, Gratis. Tinney Contemporary, 237 Rep. John Lewis Way, 615-255-7816, tinneycontemporary.com