A Photo Guide To X Strike Magazine Nashville: A Creative’s Survival Guide
It can be intimidating to move to a new city. Even when you are going to school and you know you’ll be surrounded by people your own age. It can also be easy to get caught up in your school’s community and not explore much outside of that.
The good news is, if you’re part of Strike Magazine, you’re already involved in some amazingly creative stuff that combines many schools in the area. If you’re not in school or a part of Strike, this is also for you! Welcome to a new creative’s survival guide to Nashville, Tennessee.
This will serve as a quick overview of some of the best places to go for music, fashion, art, photography, and more.
Image Courtesy of Lydia Thomas
Art:
Art Crawls: On the first Saturday of every month, several art galleries in Nashville open their doors to the public for free from 6-9pm. There are usually complimentary refreshments as well. If you are looking to purchase art, meet people, or simply admire what the Nashville art scene has to offer, you cannot miss this. https://www.visitmusiccity.com/things-to-do-in-nashville/attractions/art-scene/art-crawls
Supplies: The best place to get high-quality art supplies in Nashville is Plaza Art Supply. They usually offer classes and workshops as well. https://www.plazaart.com/stores/nashville/
Another place worth a visit is Turnip Green. Here you can drop off the old supplies you no longer need and pick up all kinds of things others have left. The best part is, you pay whatever you want! https://www.turnipgreencreativereuse.org/
The Frist Museum: Nashville’s fine art museum may be small, but it does not disappoint. The exhibits that come through are always incredible. The exhibits are always changing, so if it doesn’t interest you this month, just wait until the next. One of the best parts about the Frist is the interactive art studio on the second floor. Once you are finished visiting the galleries you can take your newfound inspiration into the studio and make your own art. https://fristartmuseum.org/
Fashion:
Thrifting: Let’s be honest, most creative people have great style, and it’s even better when it’s secondhand! If you come from another major city, you may be familiar with Buffalo Exchange. Good news, we have one too! It’s dangerous to go to Buffalo Exchange because you know there is something for everyone’s taste in there, and it’s hard to leave without buying something. However, if you have clothing you no longer wear, you can take it in to sell or trade! https://www.buffaloexchange.com/location/elliston-place-nashville/
Vintage: Nothing says Nashville like Black Shag Vintage. If you’re into biker gangs and band tees, this one’s for you. https://blackshagvintage.com/
Another one of my favorite vintage shops is Pre to Post Modern off of 8th Ave. They have a much more colorful vibe going on, and there is a huge variety of quality vintage clothes. http://nashvilleguru.com/businesses/pre-post-modern
Nashville Fashion Week: Unlike NYC, and some of the other major cities, Nashville Fashion Week is a lot more accessible. They are always looking for volunteers, and it’s a great way to get experience while also getting insight into the fashion scene in the city. https://www.nashvillefashionweek.com/key-facts-sponsorship#history-nfw-glance
Music:
Small Venues: Everyone knows Nashville is music city, but sometimes if you don’t know your way around, it can be easy to assume that it’s all country music and expensive tickets to Bridgestone. There are always smaller shows going on and due to the high concentration of talented musicians here, even the smaller shows are often mind-blowing.
One of the best ways to find out about when these shows are happening is to follow @nashvilleshowtogo on Instagram. They give updates every week on what shows are going on and which have been canceled. They’re doing the Lord’s work honestly. https://www.instagram.com/nashvilleshowtogo/?hl=en
Musician’s Corner: Every summer through September, Centennial Park runs a free concert series open to the public. Some of the best musicians around Nashville come out and perform. It’s a great way to get introduced to the diversity of the music scene here and do something fun and free with friends. https://musicianscornernashville.com/
Other:
Photography: There is a huge photography scene in Nashville, but unfortunately we do not have too many gear stores or film development labs. The best two places are Boutique Film Lab and Safelight Imaging. Lots of us buy gear online, and develop film in other cities. One of the best places to buy gear online is KEH camera. https://www.keh.com/shop/contact-us
In terms of getting involved, there are lots of photo meet ups during the summer. These are usually announced by whoever is doing them on Instagram. For more photography related information keep reading the “A Photo Guide To” blog.
Theatre: Similar to Musician’s Corner, Centennial Park also has Shakespeare in the Park every summer. This is also a free event although donations are accepted. The Nashville Shakespeare Company itself puts on more plays throughout the year. https://www.nashvilleshakes.org/
Dance: One of Nashville’s favorite dance experiences is Plaza Mariachi. They are always hosting a variety of dance events and live music. It is one of the most welcoming and enjoyable environments to be in, even if you just want to observe. https://plazamariachi.com/events/category/dance/
For more commercial style dance Nashville’s Millennium Dance Complex offers classes from beginner to advanced. https://mdcnashville.com/
Lastly, for information on things happening every week from broadway shows to comedy nights follow @rsvpnashville on Instagram.
And of course, look into Strike Magazine if you haven’t yet! @strikemagazinevanderbilt on Instagram.
Strike Out,
Writer: Lydia Thomas
Editor: Alex Brooks
Nashville