The Frist Goes Mediterranean

As Nashvillians fret over the influence of tourists on the city’s identity, Venice’s recent safeguards on visitors look all the more appealing. Substitute day-tripper fees for a bachelorette tax and cruise ship bans for pedal tavern laws and we’d really be choosing how we move. But The Frist has offered a less restrictive solution to these Venetian woes. Throughout Summer 2025, Nashville’s most high-profile art hub has brought a taste of the “Dying City” to downtown Nashville with its splashy summer exhibit, Venice and The Ottoman Empire. 

Through September 1, the museum is providing Nashvillians with a window into life near the Mediterranean Sea from 1400-1800. With over 159 artists from The Republic of Venice (697-1797) and the Ottoman Empire (1299-1922), the exhibit traces the influence of cross-culture exchange in a way that calls into question pat characterizations of Western imperialism. 

In bringing to life how these two superpowers flourished, The Frist creates a dialogue through its array of armor, paintings, textiles, pottery, and other pieces. Thanks to a collaboration with seven Venetian museums, visitors can experience a portrait of the two empires’ influence on each other that reverberated through every facet of life from the culinary to the political. 

As the exhibition winds down over the next two weeks, the museum has planned a series of related events that serve as the perfect cap to its central summer offering. Tonight, visitors can attend DJ Amy Darling’s lobby party with a special lute performance of the period’s music from Francis Perry. 

The Frist also offers the last in its series of Art Chats about the exhibit led by its staff and, for families, a scavenger hunt for hidden gems and watercolor portraits  by artist Mandy B. There’s no better place in Nashville to get away from the scorching late-August heat. 

Tickets to the exhibition and a full schedule of events is available at The Frist’s website.