Hiram Van Gordon Gallery

 

Hours: 

Monday - Thursday     10:00am - 4:00pm 

Location:

TSU Main Campus, 1108 37th Ave N
Elliott Hall, Room 118

 

About the Gallery

The Hiram Van Gordon Gallery offers approximately six exhibitions yearly that highlight the works of Tennessee State University students, faculty and alumni in the visual arts, African American and African artists, social and civic engaged work along with conversations regarding sustainable environmental practices in art.

The gallery is named after former Professor and Chair Hiram Van Gordon (1918-1979). Artist, Military cartographer and longtime chair of Tennessee State University’s Art Department was a graduate of Pearl High School and enrolled at Tennessee A&I in 1940. He enlisting in the Untied Sates Army in 1942, returning to attain his bachelors and Masters Degree in Art. He began his teaching in 1951, while still a student. In 1958 he began his twenty-one tenure of head of the department. 

Fall 2024 Gallery Schedule 

Hiram Van Gordon Gallery Spring 2025

AUG/SEPT 

The Embodiment of Our Manifestations

April 7 to May 3, 2024

Reception: Thursday, Arpil 17, 4-6pm

Ehren Adams, Gracie Gary, Myles Jones, Samaria Jones, Synia Malbrough, Ashley Mintz, Kimya Savage   

The 2025 Senior exhibition at Tennessee State University’s Art and Design Students is titled “The Embodiment of Our Manifestations”, featuring Ehren Adams, Gracie Gary, Myles Jones, Samaria Jones, Synia Malbrough, Ashley Mintz, Kimya Savage. Each student has their own trajectory to get to the end with a diploma. Art (and design) can answer questions, heal us, and solve problems. Our students do all these things in their senior thesis through various mediums: graphic design, paintings, ceramics, paper, book arts, and fabric. 

Seniors 2025

 

Virtual Artist Talks

in Space for New Media (unless noted otherwise)

Our artists' talks and lectures are geared at creating forums for artists and students to talk about their work in a supportive open environment. In the process of creating a line up of artists and speakers that relate back to our exhibit schedule in the Hiram Van Gordon Gallery, Space for New Media, and M-SPAR, connecting what is learned in classroom courses and seminars to real-world applications. We will invite organizations and artists from a variety of perspectives to talk about their work. You can view previous lectures on our YouTube channel TSU Art and Design. 

ART Talk

Spring 2025

Cymone Wilder 

Space For New Media 

January 30, 2025 from 1-2pm

Cymone Wilder is a senior art director and lettering artist based in Nashville. Since 2013 she has collaborated with amazing clients (see Netflix, Nickelodeon, HBO Max, Cosmopolitan, Planned Parenthood and New Belgium) –creating custom lettering artwork for established brands, books, apparel, and much more. She is fiercely passionate about producing meaningful and long-lasting work, drawing inspiration from the black experience. In her spare time she enjoys ~pretending~ she’s super outdoorsy, and laughing with friends around bonfires. She doesn’t enjoy running, but does it a lot anyways. 

Cymone Wilder art talk

 

Intro to Craft Careers    Tennessee Craft sponsored

Danielle McDaniels aka The Clay Lady and Jackie Schlicher

Wednesday, March 26, 2025 from 1-2pm!

Intro to Craft Careers is a pilot program launching in Spring 2023 in the Department of Art + Design at Tennessee State University in Nashville. Professional artists will introduce craft art careers and explore business skills for career success with students. We will also share real-world experiences for students to further engage these speakers (coop, maker spaces, craft fairs, gallery shows, etc.)

Tennessee Craft Intro to Craft Careers

Past Exhibitions

The Classes  Feb - March 2025

As We Speak, Cymone Wilder  Jan- Feb 2025

Space for New Media

new media gallery

The Space for New Media gives students and artists a place to produce and display digital, experimental, and performance-based work, using our state of equipment to bring innovative ideas and images to campus.

McGruder Social Practice Artist Residency, M-SPAR

The McGruder Social Practice Artist Residency, M-SPAR provides artists opportunities to impact the social landscape and engage with McGruder Family Resource Center, local Historic Black College and University’s (HBCU), and the community of North Nashville. Artists engage with community through an artist’s residency. Artists are provided studio space in exchange for community activated work leading to the conception, development, and execution of viable, transformative art projects.  

Art Collection

Over the years the art department has amassed a permanent collection of African and Alumni artwork in a few notable collections: the Art Eubanks Collection, the Ruth Witt Collection, and the Dr. Richard and Sharon Edwards Collection.

Directions

1108 37th Ave N 

Parking Pass

Elliott Hall is locate on the back side of Tennessee State University main campus. From I-40 East, take a Right on 28th Ave/Ed Temple then Left on Walter S Davis. Left on 39th Ave N, Left on John L Driver Ave, past the guard station, Left on 37th Ave N.

From I-40 West, turn left of Jefferson St. take a Right on 28th Ave/Ed Temple then Left on Walter S Davis. Left on 39th Ave N, Left on John L Driver Ave, past the guard station, Left on 37th Ave N.

From Charlotte Ave, take a Right on 28th Ave/Ed Temple then Left on Walter S Davis. Left on 39th Ave N, Left on John L Driver Ave, past the guard station, Left on 37th Ave N. 

Parking is lots K and L. Enter Elliott Hall from front of building and proceed to back right side, enter Hiram Van Gordon Gallery.

map to Elliott Hall on Tennessee State University

Contact Us

Courtney Adair Johnson
Gallery Director
cjohn173@tnstate.edu
615-963-5921

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