Art Crawls in Franklin and Nashville: Discover Middle Tennessee’s Creative Scene
Franklin and Nashville art crawls offer some of the most engaging ways to experience the visual arts in Middle Tennessee. These events bring together local communities and artists in galleries, studios, and neighborhood venues. Visitors can discover new work, explore public art, and enjoy the atmosphere of historic streets and contemporary districts. Whether in Franklin or Nashville, art crawls highlight regional talent and invite residents and visitors to experience the creativity that defines Middle Tennessee’s cultural scene.
Downtown Franklin Art Crawl: A Local Favorite
The Downtown Franklin Art Crawl features local artists, live music, art tours, complimentary refreshments, and more. Held on the first Friday of each month from 6 to 9 pm, the Franklin Art Crawl spotlights dozens of artists throughout downtown Franklin and The Factory at Franklin. Participating venues include shops, galleries, churches, and restaurants, many of them listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The free monthly event celebrates the work of Williamson County and Middle Tennessee artists, offering both casual visitors and art enthusiasts the chance to experience and purchase a wide range of mediums, from blown glass and mixed media to turned wood, paintings, and photography.
A free trolley helps guests travel between stops, while the Franklin Art Scene app and QR codes on event signage make it easy to navigate the crawl map and see which businesses are hosting artists each month.
For the latest information, including artist lineups and special features, follow the Franklin Art Scene on Facebook and Instagram or visit the Arts Council of Williamson County.
More Art Experiences in Franklin, TN
Franklin and Williamson County’s art scene extends well beyond the monthly crawl. Visitors can explore galleries housed in historic spaces, attend seasonal exhibitions that highlight the area’s natural beauty, or experience festivals where visual arts blend with music, food, and community traditions. Together, these opportunities showcase how creativity is woven into the cultural fabric of the county year-round.
The Factory at Franklin Gallery
Just a short walk from Main Street, The Factory at Franklin hosts the Factory Gallery, a rotating exhibition space that highlights local and regional talent. The Factory also serves as home to music and theater performances, making it a great place to pair visual arts with dinner and entertainment in one visit.
Painting the Parks
Another special event celebrating art in Franklin is Painting the Parks, an annual art show and sale presented by Friends of Franklin Parks and The Chestnut Group, a nonprofit collective of artists dedicated to painting Tennessee’s landscapes and supporting conservation. Held at the historic Hayes House at The Park at Harlinsdale Farm, the exhibition features plein air paintings of the park, created by members of the collective. This year’s event takes place Thursday, November 6th, through Sunday, November 9th, 2025.
Admission is free and open to the public, with a portion of proceeds from art sales benefiting Friends of Franklin Parks and supporting local conservation efforts.
Local Festivals with an Art Focus
Franklin’s seasonal festivals often highlight the arts alongside food and entertainment. The Main Street Festival in spring and PumpkinFest in fall bring artisan vendors downtown, while the Dickens of a Christmas festival showcases handmade crafts alongside its holiday programming. The Kids Art Festival of Tennessee, held each spring at Pinkerton Park, features artwork created by K-12 students, allowing visitors to see the creativity of young artists on display.
Art Crawls in Nashville, TN
Nashville’s art crawls draw both locals and visitors, offering opportunities to explore galleries and studios across the city. These events highlight a variety of art while encouraging people to experience the creative character of different neighborhoods.
Second Saturday Art Crawl
What was once known as the FirstBank First Saturday Art Crawl has now shifted to the second Saturday of each month, running from 6 to 9 pm. Downtown Nashville galleries host special receptions and exhibition openings, creating one of the city’s most popular recurring art events. Admission is free, and many participating spaces offer complimentary wine and refreshments.
Participating galleries and venues include the Browsing Room Gallery within the Downtown Presbyterian Church, Chauvet Arts, Tinney Contemporary, Arcade Arts, The Bankers Alley Hotel, and others. Each location presents diverse collections, ranging from local Nashville artists to internationally recognized talent, with works spanning painting, sculpture, photography, and mixed media.
Visitors can stay updated on participating galleries and featured exhibitions by visiting the Downtown Arts District Alliance.
WeHo Art Crawl (Wedgewood-Houston)
The Wedgewood-Houston Art Crawl, held on the first Saturday of every month from 5 to 9 pm, transforms one of Nashville’s fastest-growing creative neighborhoods into a lively open gallery. Established in 2013 and formerly known as Arts + Music at Wedgewood-Houston, this free event has become a cornerstone of the city’s art calendar.
Each month, more than 20 galleries, studios, and makers’ spaces open their doors, showcasing the work of both established and emerging artists. The crawl is self-guided, allowing visitors to explore Wedgewood-Houston’s eclectic mix of spaces at their own pace. Guests can expect contemporary art exhibitions, live demonstrations, performance art, and local culinary experiences.
Participating galleries rotate, but may include spaces such as David Lusk Gallery and Zeitgeist Gallery on Hagan Street, Julia Martin Gallery on Humphreys Street, Rockwall Gallery and May’s at Soho House Nashville on Houston Street, and at Turnip Green Creative Reuse on 3rd Avenue South.
For updates and participating galleries, follow WeHo Arts Nashville on Instagram.
West Nashville Art Crawl
Unlike the monthly crawls in Franklin and downtown Nashville, the West Nashville Art Crawl is a once-a-year event, held each December. The 2025 crawl takes place on Saturday, December 6th, from 10 am to 5 pm, offering a full day to explore studios, galleries, and other artistic spaces across Sylvan Park, Charlotte Pike, Richland, and West End.
This self-guided tour invites guests into artists’ homes and neighborhood galleries, where they can meet creators, see works in progress, and purchase original pieces. A unique blend of professional and grassroots artistry, the event usually includes more than a dozen stops and showcases a wide variety of media.
Admission is free, and all participating artist locations are listed on the official crawl map. Each stop is marked with signage and red balloons, helping visitors plan their route and find participating studios and galleries.
For updates, participating artist lists, and event details, follow the West Nashville Art Crawl on Instagram.
More Art Experiences in Nashville
Nashville’s creative energy isn’t limited to its art crawls. The city offers year-round ways to experience the arts, from major cultural destinations and neighborhood markets to public art that turns everyday spaces into galleries. These events and venues provide a broader look at the city’s artistic spirit and give visitors even more reasons to connect with local culture.
Frist Art Museum
Located in a landmark Art Deco post office building downtown, the Frist Art Museum is one of Nashville’s premier cultural destinations. The museum features a rotating schedule of exhibitions that range from classical art to contemporary work, along with family programs, talks, and community events. With no permanent collection, every visit to the Frist offers something new to explore.
Artville
Artville is Nashville’s annual three-day arts festival featuring large-scale public art, immersive installations, and gallery collaborations. In 2025, Walk of Fame Park serves as a central hub and the new home of the American Artisan Festival, while additional programming takes place in creative districts like Wedgewood-Houston and Germantown. Most daytime events and installations are free, with select evening presentations requiring registration or passes. The festival also includes artist awards and juried prizes, highlighting both local and national talent.
Cheekwood Estate & Gardens
Cheekwood is a 55-acre historic estate that combines museum galleries with an outdoor sculpture collection. The Cheekwood Collections include decorative arts, paintings, furniture, textiles, silver, books, and archival materials originally gathered by the Cheek family, along with works acquired since the estate opened to the public in 1960. Outdoors, the Ann & Monroe Carell Jr. Family Sculpture Trail features site-specific works set along a wooded path, while additional sculptures are placed throughout the gardens and grounds. Cheekwood also supports artists through its Martin Shallenberger Artist-in-Residence program, inviting them to create new work on site.
Nashville Public Art and Murals
Nashville is also known for its vibrant public art scene. Downtown Nashville Partnership showcases many of the city’s installations and where to find them. Large-scale works such as Ghost Ballet for the East Bank Machineworks along the Cumberland River and Stix at the Korean Veterans Boulevard roundabout have become landmarks. In neighborhoods like 12South, The Nations, and East Nashville, colorful murals draw both art lovers and casual visitors, making public art a defining part of Nashville’s identity.
100 Taylor Arts Market
In the Germantown neighborhood of Nashville, 100 Taylor Arts Market brings together more than 60 local artists and makers each month in a historic converted mill. Typically held on the third Saturday from 4 to 9 pm, the market features paintings, sculpture, handcrafted goods, and live demonstrations, along with food trucks and music. It provides a platform for emerging artists while allowing visitors to experience one of Nashville’s most creative districts. The next market will be held outdoors on Saturday, October 18th, while the building undergoes repairs.
Why Art Crawls in Franklin and Nashville Are Worth Exploring
From the Downtown Franklin Art Crawl to Nashville’s Second Saturday and WeHo Art Crawls, these events highlight the breadth of Middle Tennessee’s creative community. Each crawl offers its own atmosphere, whether it’s Franklin’s historic streets, the industrial studios of Wedgewood-Houston, or neighborhood stops in West Nashville. Together, they showcase local talent, bring neighbors and visitors together, and make Franklin and Nashville art crawls an essential part of the region’s cultural calendar.
More Franklin and Nashville Art Stories
Looking to explore more of the region’s creative side? Check out Franklin Unveils Public Art on Harlinsdale Pedestrian Bridge for a closer look at a new installation in one of Franklin’s most beloved parks. For those interested in Nashville’s emerging districts, Welcome To Wedgewood-Houston: An Artistic Hub In Nashville, TN offers a guide to one of the area’s up-and-coming creative neighborhoods, and Artistic Vision: CASS Contemporary Set To Open In Nashville’s Wedgewood-Houston Neighborhood highlights a major new gallery arrival. You can also dive deeper into local exhibition spaces with Art Galleries in Franklin and Williamson County, TN: An Art Gallery Guide, which showcases places to enjoy art across the county.
