When the National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) opens its doors to the public in the summer of 2020, the first-of-its-kind institution located in the heart of downtown Nashville will be home to more than 1,500 historical artifacts that reflects the development, influence, and impact of African Americans on more than 50 genres and sub-genres including country, jazz, blues, gospel, R&B and hip hop. With construction of the museum currently underway and the layouts of the five primary galleries completed, the NMAAM curatorial team is now looking at ways to fill some of the additional open spaces in the museum with relevant and engaging original public artwork.
Starting today, NMAAM is issuing a call for submissions to all visual artists to submit original artwork for consideration as permanent installations within the museum. The goal of this request is to include artwork within the 56,000 square-foot facility that will enhance the appearance of three distinct areas within the building that are not occupied by other artifacts. The addition of original artwork will create a visual experience that aligns with the museum’s content and blends well with the overall aesthetic of the accompanying galleries. Submitted artwork will be juried by an internal art selection committee with three selected artists being awarded between $50,000 – $70,000 for the creation and installation of their work.
“The [NMAAM] curatorial team is very excited about the opportunity to review art submissions from all around the world and we encourage artists to send us their best music-inspired work for consideration,” said Dr. Dina Bennett, Curatorial Director at NMAAM.
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