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Italian Car Exhibition at Frist Center

1968 Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada
1968 Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada

An exhibition of Italian automobiles will be displayed at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts in Nashville, Tennessee, from May 27 through October 9, 2016. The display, entitled Bellissima! The Italian Automotive Renaissance, 1945–1975, will be on view in the Center’s Ingram Gallery.

Bellissima! The Italian Automotive Renaissance, 1945–1975 will celebrate the visual dynamism and spirit of innovation characterizing Italian coachbuilt cars, concept cars and motorcycles produced during the post–World War II economic revival.

Returning to the Frist Center after the 2013 presentation of Sensuous Steel: Art Deco Automobiles, guest curator Ken Gross has chosen 18 vehicles and three motorcycles from private collections and museums that are among the finest examples of Italian automotive design. The exhibit will contain vehicles by Alfa Romeo, Bizzarrini, Cisitalia, Ducati, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Lancia and Maserati, among others.

The Frist Center for the Visual Arts said Bellissima! The Italian Automotive Renaissance will illustrate five distinct themes: Berlinettas, Aerodynamics, Advanced Mid-engine Cars, Wedge-Shaped Automobiles and Custom Coachwork Designs for Italian and American Automakers. The exhibition will be accompanied by a fully illustrated scholarly catalogue published by Rizzoli.

The Frist Center for the Visual Arts is supported in part by the Metro Nashville Arts Commission, the Tennessee Arts Commission, and the National Endowment for the Arts.


About the Frist Center
Accredited by the American Association of Museums, the Frist Center for the Visual Arts, at 919 Broadway in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, is an art exhibition center dedicated to presenting the finest visual art from local, regional, U.S. and international sources in a program of changing exhibitions. The Frist Center’s Martin ArtQuest Gallery, open until 5:30 p.m. each day, features interactive stations relating to Frist Center exhibitions. Gallery admission to the Frist Center is free for visitors 18 and younger and to Frist Center members. With possible exception for some specially-ticketed exhibitions, Frist Center admission is $12.00 for adults, $9.00 for seniors and college students with ID and $7.00 for active military. College students are admitted free Thursday and Friday evenings, 5–9 p.m. Discounts are offered for groups of 10 or more with advance reservation by calling (615) 744-3247. The Frist Center is open seven days a week: Mondays through Wednesdays, and Saturdays, 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m.; Thursdays and Fridays, 10 a.m.–9 p.m. and Sundays, 1–5:30 p.m., with the Frist Center Café opening at noon.

For additional information, call (615) 244-3340 or visit www.fristcenter.org.

[Source: Frist Center; photo credit: Peter Harholdt]

[Source: Frist Center]