By Meghan E. Gattignolo As Oppenheimer continues to be a big box office draw, the threat of nuclear war might seem remote to many moviegoers. The creation of atomic bombs and the threat of worldwide nuclear war feels like the past and has nothing to do with our lives today, or even our personal history. …
News
There’s Something for Everyone at Clarksville’s Museum
By Meghan E. Gattignolo Have you visited the Customs House Museum & Cultural Center yet? If I had a penny for every time someone said to me, “I didn’t know Clarksville had a museum” with shock and surprise when I suggested they visit, I would… Well, I wouldn’t be rich, but I’d have a lot of pennies….
A Celebration of Creativity: 3 Reasons to Go See the Customs House Museum & Cultural Center’s Annual Staff Art Show
By Meghan E. Gattignolo Not everyone gets to express their creativity at work, but at least once a year, staff members here at the Customs House Museum & Cultural Center do! Call it a perk of the job. About 12 years ago, Curator of Exhibits Terri Jordan staged a staff art show on an inspired…
Meet Terri Jordan, Curator of Exhibits
By Meghan E. Gattignolo One of the most important roles within any museum is that of the exhibit curator. They decide which exhibits go up and when, and which pieces of the museum’s collection are accessible to the public at any given time. So, what is it like working as an exhibit curator in one of…
Cave Tours at Dunbar Cave State Park: Everything You Need to Know
By Meghan E. Gattignolo Once upon a time, Dunbar Cave was an exciting party hub on Clarksville’s hot summer nights. Though now past its heyday for dances and concerts, the cave is still a Clarksville gem. In 2005, researchers discovered something special on the cave walls. In the same chamber where people once gathered for parties…
Who is Red Grooms? A Tennessee Treasure & International Sensation
By Meghan E. Gattignolo Red Grooms is one of those artists you’ll never get out of your head once you’ve experienced his work. Just as quirky as his name, Red’s graphic pop art prints, 3-D lithographs, statues and mixed media images are bizarre, funny and wild. He’s been exhibited everywhere from the Cheekwood Botanical Gardens in…
4 Downtown Clarksville Buildings and Their Past Lives
By Meghan E. Gattignolo Local artist David Smith and his wife came back from vacation one day inspired by something they encountered in the town they’d visited: signs posted on buildings with a photograph from a previous time, providing a little window into the past. A member of Clarksville’s Arts and Heritage Council, David…
David Smith: Documenting Tennessee’s Beauty
By Meghan E. Gattignolo Did you know Tennessee boasts 56 state parks, and over 500 waterfalls? Well, David Smith does, and he wants Clarksville and Fort Campbell residents to know how close they are to some of Tennessee’s most beautiful places. A retired veteran and local photographer, David Smith has made a name for himself…
5 Fun Ways to Enjoy the Wade Bourne Nature Center
By Meghan E. Gattignolo Not quite three years old yet, the Wade Bourne Nature Center opened its doors at Rotary Park in October 2020. Dedicated to outdoor enthusiast, writer and Clarksville-native Wade Bourne who passed away in 2016, the center is a wholesome treasure. Managed by Montgomery County Parks and Recreation, the Wade Bourne Nature Center provides…
Collections Spotlight: Antique Books at the Library!
By Meghan E. Gattignolo Everyone loves a good book, especially the really old ones you might find in a forgotten corner of a crowded bookstore, or on the bookshelves inside the study of a dusty mansion. If that’s your cup of tea, the Museum has got you covered with a new spotlight exhibit over…
Jump into Juneteenth: 4 Questions Answered
By Meghan E. Gattignolo Juneteenth hasn’t always been a national holiday. Though June 19 is the oldest celebration date for slavery emancipation in America, it’s the youngest federal holiday. Here are some facts about June 19 that every American ought to know. Why Juneteenth? Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865 – the day the United States…
Saved by Slaves from the Flames of War
By Meghan E. Gattignolo In 1857, a local man named Thomas Yateman Dixon bought his soon-to-be wife Mary Elizabeth Raimey a new piano. He didn’t buy her just any piano, but a square grand piano made by the Haines Brothers of New York. The piano proved to be an exquisite wedding gift. Made in the Rococo…
Dive into Jazz
By Meghan E. Gattignolo Jazz. What sounds do you hear when you read the word “jazz?” What feelings does it stir in you? Is it appealing? Do you hear the dusky vibrations of a Prohibition-era speakeasy, or the chill vibes of modern jazz clubs? Do you hear the ocean, or a bustling city? Jazz has historically…
Kitty Harvill – Painting with Purpose
By Meghan E. Gattignolo Kitty Harvill is a Clarksville treasure. With a grandfather who was a president of Austin Peay State University and an artist mother whose name graces a Museum gallery, Kitty is the latest piece of a hometown family legacy. Much like her beloved mother, Peg Harvill, Kitty expresses herself through a love of…
Why Do You Love Your Museum?
By Meghan E. Gattignolo The Customs House Museum & Cultural Center is so grateful for all the generosity we experienced this past week throughout the I ♥ My Museum Give-A-Thon fundraiser and Courtyard Jam celebration. Members of the community who appreciate their local museum in Clarksville showed their support in a big way. Fundraisers are an important…
Show Your Museum Some Love: 5 Easy Ways to Support the Customs House Museum & Cultural Center
By Meghan Gattignolo For those of us who know and love the Customs House Museum & Cultural Center on the corner of Second and Commerce, we treasure it as an invaluable piece of Clarksville culture and a haven for our history. Growing up in Clarksville, you probably have a memory of a field trip to…
Why Museum Visitors Will Love Historic Collinsville
By Meghan E. Gattignolo Our Museum families are always looking for fun and educational places to enjoy an afternoon with their kids. Personally, I recently made a long-overdue trip over to Historic Collinsville with my own kids to find out how much fun a trip to southern Montgomery County can be. Here are a few things…
Discovering Nature’s Blueprints: Biomimicry in Art and Design
By Meghan E. Gattignolo Just in time for Earth Day, the Customs House Museum & Cultural Center brings you a reminder of what nature can do for humans. Nature can feed us, shelter us and inspire us to build incredible things. Here are three key features of the new exhibit Nature’s Blueprints: Biomimicry in Art…
Activities for Your Family to Enjoy This Earth Day
By Meghan E. Gattignolo Believe it or not, Earth Day turns 53 next Saturday, April 22! Chances are, commemorating Earth Day was a part of your own childhood, whether that was with an art project in school or learning about recycling with your family. Why not pass those experiences on to the next generation by…
Emotion Within Elena Burykina: Brushed Expressions
Written by Meghan E. Gattignolo Often, the works of art we admire hint at a deep ocean of context. We feel a secret universe hidden just beneath the surface of the paint. We long to bring this deep meaning to light, to pull it apart and examine it. Sometimes, though, this deeper meaning evaporates…
The Incredible Origins of April Fool’s Day
Written by Meghan E. Gattignolo Ah, April Fool’s Day! That wonderful time of year when you’re given complete license to prank the people you love, and no one can get mad at you – right? April Fool’s Day has Tudor origins. The first prank was pulled in 1510 when King Henry VIII invited everyone…
Wilma Rudolph: Clarksville’s Champion
Written by Meghan E. Gattignolo If Clarksville had to choose one favorite hometown hero, that person would undoubtedly be Wilma Rudolph. Told she would never walk again after a battle with polio, Wilma learned to run – and run fast. Not only could she run, she became “the fastest woman in the world” and…
Nora Witzel: Trailblazing Photographer and Inspiring Individualist
By Meghan E. Gattignolo Lenora Witzel, or Nora as she was known throughout her life, was a Clarksville native and local photographer who was a remarkable woman of her generation. She was born well before the turn of the century, so Nora witnessed miraculous changes in daily life. She would have seen the Customs House built…
Inside the Holidays: St. Patrick’s Day
Written by Meghan E. Gattignolo You don’t have to be Irish to know about and enjoy St. Patrick’s Day. You don’t have to be religious either. Like a few holidays we have previously discussed in this blog, St. Patrick’s Day is a Catholic saint’s feast day. So, why do so many Americans party gratuitously on…
Brenda Vineyard Runyon: Community Leader Wore Many Hats
Written by Meghan E. Gattignolo March is Women’s History Month, and a great time to shine a light on some of the extraordinary women who have called Clarksville home. Brenda Vineyard Runyon is an excellent example of a woman who aspired to do it all – even at a time when most women were heavily…
The Hatpin: The Anti-Harassment Accessory You Didn’t Know You Needed
Written by Meghan E. Gattignolo The Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 3, 1907Public domain It’s getting dark on a cold February evening in 1910. A woman exits the cinema with her friend. Home is not far, but a walk alone at this hour could be uncomfortable. “I’ll walk with you,” the friend says. “I…
A Closer Look at Extracurriculars: Activities at Burt High School
Written by Meghan E. Gattignolo High school is a crucial time in the life of students, straddling the threshold of childhood and becoming an adult. Extracurriculars, therefore, are indispensable pieces of the high school experience. These activities – sports, debate, math club, newspaper, yearbook, etc. – give students a fun place to practice their passions,…
Glædelig Valentinsdag: Valentine’s Day in Denmark
Written by Meghan E. Gattignolo Love is in the air! February 14 is the feast day of St. Valentine in the Christian tradition, a martyr who allegedly performed secret marriages for soldiers and sent love notes from prison. The feast day was preceded by the Roman fertility festival Lupercalia, celebrated in mid-February during ancient times….
Maria D’Souza: Beauty from Death
“Snake, Rattle & Roll”Maria D’Souza Written by Meghan E. Gattignolo Wander through artist Maria D’Souza’s exhibit From Dreams and be transported into the wonderland of her vision. Maria is an internationally renowned artist whose unique pieces transcend traditional representations of art. So, where did Maria get the inspiration to turn death into art, and what…
Calling All Artisans! Become a Vendor at Seasons: The Museum Store
Written by Meghan E. Gattignolo A trip to the Customs House Museum & Cultural Center is never complete without a stop at Seasons: The Museum Store. Looking for a treasure to take home after a memorable visit is its own satisfying venture. Sometimes you can even find a piece by an artist whose exhibit you came to…