First Saturday Art Crawl Downtown

This is a fun event. You get to see some great art, along with some head-​scratchers. I talked to some of the artists, which filled out the experience. And who knew there were so many art galleries downtown? And who knew that the second floor of the Arcade was inhabited and not haunted?
About the wine … Don’t get your hopes up. The galleries that had wine were out when we got there, and not a speck of food. But I’m not whining (much). I can’t expect people to give me wine just for walking in with no intention of buying anything.

These are perfect for date night! One big draw is definitely the free drinks, which can include wine, beer, a specialty cocktail, and sometimes even a mixed drink!
I’ve been twice and have enjoyed myself. I have no knowledge of art, but I enjoy walking around and looking at the variety in displays — some which I love, some not so much. Makes for great conversation.
Two things that could enhance my experience:
— Having maps that you can pick up showing exactly which galleries are participating. They had a map displayed in one gallery, but it would have been great to have one to carry
— Having appetizers at some galleries

I’m from Cali, and googled some fun things to checkout in Nashville, and so glad I stumpled upon The Art Crawl. I felt right at home and I loved ALL the art that was on display… literally there was art for days! Nice place for a date btw!

This is one of the best events in Nashville. Why?
1)Culture-You get to enjoy many different artists in walking distance (or by use of a free shuttle). This event is different every month! Some of the artists may be displaying the same work, but 90% of it is different.
2)Price-It’s FREE!!! Nuff Said!
3)Booze — Some of the galleries offer free wine or mixed drinks. Tips appreciated. Wine and art=Great Pairing.
This event is worth a venture. Especially in the winter since it is not as crowded. The Feb ’15 event had 60 degree weather! In the summer it is super crowded but doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go, just be warned!

We just came back from a beautiful evening at the First Saturday Art Crawl Downtown! :) It was quite a fun evening out. We have lived in Nashville for over three years and kept hearing about this event. I feel that every single time we heard about it it had just passed or was three weeks away still. This afternoon, as I was working on my laptop, I randomly came across it and realized that we had about thirty minutes to get ready and get our butts to downtown Nashville! I am so glad we did.
We parked at a parking lot about a block away from fourth avenue. Parking can be pretty expensive in this area (it looked like the lot we were in was about $ 15 for 2 hours) but a very kind man was leaving his parking spot and gave his ticket away to us for free. :) We walked over to the Arcade, grabbed a donut and some coffee, and headed upstairs to tour the free art galleries.
I must say I was not impressed by the first two. It reminded me of when we were back in Mexico in a very touristy area and people kept coming by to sell things for us. Aside from that and a couple of overcrowded galleries, we really liked most of the art work we saw! There was a super wide range of work so there’s ought to be something for everyone’s taste. We were also able to snag lots of free wine, bacon-​wrapped peppers, artichoke dip and a whole lot of hummus while touring which kept out bellies full and our hearts happy. We ended the evening with some street food (some vendors are right outside) and headed back home before it got too crazy.
TIP– Go early! It’s super busy and yes, you can go at anytime. That being said, the wine, food and atmosphere is substantially better earlier in the evening. :)

Professional art. Wide variety for all tastes. Definitely a fun night out!

I heart this event so much! I went again on Saturday and was overwhelmed by the lovely and unique art that this city represents. I love it!
From 6:00pm until 9pm the cluster of art galleries downtown open their doors and offer free wine while you browse the galleries. I really love the first block; it feels very «big city» and attending definitely makes you feel elite! The art ranges from pricey to affordable, depending upon what you are looking for. There are also quite a few prints offered, so you can still afford to get a unique piece for your home, even without having an art collector’s wallet!
I have found The Arcade’s galleries to have quite a large range; some of them I love, others leave me quite puzzled. Example: this crawl there was some very interesting pink bunny «art» that was displayed and before I could make a snide comment to my friend I noticed a lady wearing pink bunny ears standing in front of her art… oops. I’m glad I held my tongue! Another big tip; at the Arcade the artists are usually inside the galleries, so um, make sure you wait to make fun of it until you are within safe distance!
I do love going to the Arcade but the air conditioning was definitely lacking and when we’d go inside some of the galleries there wasn’t AC and we were quite misty by the time we left. Also the wine selection is typically gone/​barely drinkable, so get your wine at the galleries across the street.
Definitely stop in if you are an art lover and want a fun and unique evening!

Being a Nashville newcomer, I have been having a very challenging adjustment period to say the least. Nevertheless, this is my home for next few months so I am making a concerted effort to find cool things to do with a happy face. my boyfriend and I ventured out this past Saturday to check out the Art Crawl and we were pleasantly surprised. He actually commented «so this is where the cool people hang out.» I had a moment of feeling like I was in LA other than the FREEZING temperature and lack of long lines winding around the block. we will go again for sure!

The first Saturday of every month, the galleries in and around the Arcade stay open late, so the public can sip free wine and see the exhibits on display at the downtown art galleries.
I had some time to kill before my friend’s set at the Show Room gallery started, so I walked across the street to a large, intimidating-​looking gallery to check out their exhibit. Despite the unnecessarily loud techno music and the distinct feeling that I was underdressed, I enjoyed perusing the eclectic collection of sculptures and paintings by various artists from around the country.
Walking around the balcony of the Arcade to the Show Room, I was surprised by how many people had come out for the Art Crawl, from hipsters to older couples to young families. Other attractions included some kind of audience participation painting experiment and a keyboard player performing eerie songs on the ground floor of the Arcade. The Crawl turned out to be an accessible, laid-​back community event that serves to expose Nashvillians to a range of visual art.