ATHENS OF THE SOUTH: Nashville's Parthenon teaches lessons in history and civic engagement
In 2022, Nashville's Parthenon will celebrate its 125th anniversary. It is a blink of an eye compared to the age of the original Parthenon in Athens, Greece. Nevertheless, the city's iconic landmark has become a symbol of civic pride for residents and a monument of enviable architectural elegance and beauty.
History
The structure is the only full-scale replica of the original temple in Greece. It was erected for the Tennessee Centennial Exposition in 1897 as a temporary art structure. The decision to replicate the Parthenon was not random. Long before the building's scaffolds went up, Nashville had acquired the nickname, the “Athens of the South.” Ancient Greek, Latin, and classical literature were part of the curriculum in many of the city's public and private schools. The star of the 1897 show, the magnificent building has gained so many accolades that it was decided to leave it in place. When Centennial Park opened in 1903, the Parthenon naturally became its focal point. In 1920, the city's park board voted to keep it as a permanent structure. It opened as a museum in 1931 and currently hosts permanent and temporary art exhibitions and various cultural and educational programs. Apart from the country music scene, Centennial Park and the Parthenon arguably draw the largest share of visitors to the city. In 1972, the Parthenon was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Ten years later, the museum's upper level received some impressive aesthetic fortifications: a dazzling 42-foot statue of the Greek goddess Athena and replicas from the original Parthenon's pediment fragments.
Focal Point For Arts And Culture
Nashville has changed tremendously during the existence of its Parthenon and continues its brisk development today. More than 350,000 people visit the Parthenon annually. Some of them think of the structure as a static piece of ancient architecture. They are unaware that Metro Parks and its partner, the Centennial Park Conservancy, maintain a vibrant culture and art schedule for the structure. The thriving art gallery with a permanent collection and rotating exhibitions showcase local, regional, and national artists, like the National Endowment for the Arts-funded “Flood Lines” by Tasha Lewis. It focuses on contemporary narratives about women, while the “Kindred Links” exhibition features two local artists discussing the effects of gentrification in the city’s Black neighborhoods.
Then there are the many educational programs that take place in the building on an ongoing basis. Among the offerings are the weekly “Kidsville” events, the recently introduced Parthenon Create program, ECHO Chamber Music Series, Symposia, and Architecture Tours. Public programming in the humanities is a critical component of the Parthenon's educational mission.
Lauren Bufferd, the Acting Director of the Parthenon, emphasizes that education is an essential aspect of its activities, “We are a public institution. When a new exhibition is in the works, we always ask ourselves what this exhibit can teach our visitors. We have a permanent art collection and rotating exhibitions. Whenever possible, we try to include an exhibit that may teach something about ancient Greece. For example, the current exhibit “The Antikythera Mechanism” tells the story of one of antiquity's most significant technological artifacts.”
Bufferd stresses that when a building serves as a repository for valuable art objects, it is vital to make sure the art collections are appraised and insured.
Centennial Park Conservancy
Centennial Park Conservancy, a Nashville-based non-profit, plays a crucial role in maintaining Centennial Park and the Parthenon by providing funding and guidance for numerous programs that benefit visitors and residents. Metro Parks manages both Centennial Park and the Parthenon. Still, without the crucial support of the conservancy, many of the strategic renovation and culture projects would not have been possible. The conservancy raised $5 million in private funding for the $11-million Great Lawn phase of the Centennial Park Master Plan. The conservancy is also raising another $4 million from private donors for the upcoming Event Pavilion phase. A Centennial Park fund also has been established to support ongoing park maintenance.
At the conclusion of Phase Two improvements, Metro Parks Director Monique Horton Odom acknowledged the conservancy’s vital support: “We know that this highly anticipated and long-awaited transformation will make a meaningful difference for the individual and collective use and enjoyment of this iconic park. The improvements made to Centennial Park are important and will help us maintain this historical greenspace for generations to come. I would be remiss if I did not give a hearty and heartfelt thanks to Centennial Park Conservancy; without them this project would not have been possible. They worked hard, and we all appreciate it.”
The symbiosis between Metro Parks and the conservancy is an example of the benefits of public-private partnerships. Having a partner like Centennial Park Conservancy enables Metro Parks to work more efficiently to serve the community. For example, in the Event Pavilion phase, the private funds are paying for 80 percent of the total expense since Metro capital spending is on hold.
Metro Parks’ Assistant Director for Planning and Facilities Development Tim Netsch says, “On the capital project side, the conservancy launched a campaign several years ago to raise private funds, and they have been a great partner to Metro Parks in the design process. It is a collaborative process. They have an advisory role. It works well because each party brings a different set of strengths, perspectives, and resources to the table. Together we produce an outcome which could not have been achieved if each party was working separately.”
“We help to fill public funding gaps with private money,” says John Tumminello, President of Centennial Park Conservancy. “As an example, Metro Parks funds Centennial Park's operations, maintenance, and staff. This includes the Parthenon, Centennial Art Center, and Centennial Performing Arts Studios. However, they lack the resources to fund additional cultural and educational programming in the park. As the park’s support organization, we fund the Parthenon’s exhibits and educational programs and free community programs in the park, like Musicians Corner, Kidsville, and Nashville Earth Day. We are partnering with Metro Parks to fund the Centennial Park revitalization project, and have completed two phases of improvements, including the recent Great Lawn restoration. The park's ongoing Master Plan improvements are a joint effort, with public money coming through parks and private dollars raised by our organization. It truly demonstrates the value of the public-private partnerships because if it wasn’t in place—the project could not have been completed.”
“Some of the funds raised by our organization,” says Tumminello, “have a specific purpose, like the park's capital campaign, Centennial Park maintenance fund, Parthenon Preservation Fund, or specific programming; others are more general in nature to underwrite our operations and additional projects in the park. Filling Metro budget gaps is becoming more important than ever as the parks system in Nashville continues to expand. Its budget, however, does not expand accordingly.”
Some donors are not aware that publicly provided funds (budgets) are not always sufficient for proper operations. That’s where the public-private partnerships find the fertile soil to flourish.
In addition to Centennial Park and Parthenon-focused programs, the Conservancy started a pilot program by which a “Kidsville” educational program will provide after-school activities in Metro Parks Community Centers. “We recently received a grant from the Tennessee Arts Commission to help underwrite an important funding need for Metro Parks. This is a great example of a current programming initiative that our organization is implementing to help serve all communities in our city,” says Tumminello.
New Lighting System
Recently, Phase Two of improvements to Centennial Park was completed, and as a result, the Parthenon received a new lighting system. Assistant Director Netsch says, “Phase Two captures the heart of Centennial Park around the Great Lawn and connects the work we completed in Phase One at Cockrill Spring and at Lake Watauga. Together, these projects elevate the landscape to a design and experience worthy of Centennial’s iconic status. Tennessee Crab Orchard stone seating, over 100 new and mostly native trees, a doubling of trail mileage in the project zone, de-paving to reclaim space for vegetation, and other interventions have been transformative. In addition to landscape and pedestrian improvements, the Parthenon is now illuminated with a new LED lighting system. The lighting comes alive in a dramatic sequence each evening to highlight the structure’s classical architectural features and sculptural details.”
Preservation For The Future
Lastly, as with any well-loved and aging treasure, the Parthenon must be preserved for the next 125 years. Centennial Park Conservancy started the Parthenon Preservation Fund to support Metro Parks in caring for the historic building. The district is partnering with the Metro Historical Commission to evaluate the preservation needs of the building and other historic concrete structures in the park. It is the public-private Master Plan that is being implemented over several decades to transform the city’s vibrant central park in serving the community.
Nikola Krastev is a Public Information Officer for Metro Parks & Recreation in Nashville, Tenn. Reach him at (615) 862-8400, or nikola.krastev@nashville.gov.
Original Article can be found here.