The Frist Center for the Visual Arts is used by Hume-Fogg students in many ways. Not only is it a place that they can visit to see art, yet it is a learning tool. I recently spoke with a Frist Art representative who told me that Hume-Fogg and it's students mean a lot to them. She told me that not only did the support of Hume-Fogg's teachers and students help fund the center, yet volunteer help from Hume-Fogg also helps give back to the community. The representative said that the Hume-Fogg volunteers were a "tremendous help. Without them, I don't know what I'd do. Since their is usually only one person to help us with projects in Frist, the students help out a lot". The Frist Center is one of the teaching tools that lets students see creativity through a personal scope, let's students get a closer look at art than looking at books and pictures on paper. The Frist Center is one of the strongest members of the Hume-Fogg Committee. 

The Building- {credit: Frist owner/director}

The Frist Center for the Visual Arts is constructed in what was formerly Nashville's historic main post office, a city landmark that was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. The post office opened in 1934, but as the city grew, so did the need for a larger mail-handling facility. When a new main post office was built in 1986, the Broadway office became a downtown branch, using only part of a single floor in the three-story building.

A community-wide "visioning process" among Nashville's citizens in the early 1990s highlighted the public desire for a major new visual arts facility. A committee determined that the underused post office building would make an ideal home for the new art center.

Dr. Thomas F. Frist, Jr., M.D. and his family, through the charitable Frist Foundation (fristfoundation.org), committed to lead the effort to create a center. The Foundation formed a unique public/private partnership with the U.S. Postal Service, the City of Nashville, and the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency to acquire the historic building and surrounding land as the new home for an art center.

In 1998, the building's ownership transferred to the City of Nashville for the purpose of creating the Frist Center for the Visual Arts. The remaining branch post office relocated to renovated space on the lower level of the building in November 1999.

Originally designed by Marr and Holman Architects, the exterior of the building is a hallmark example of the stripped classic or "Classic Moderne" style that was predominant in public buildings in the early 1930s. A major goal of the building's renovation is to preserve its interior Art Deco ornamental features while updating the facilities to present-day standards for displaying works of art.

The Frist Center, a 125,000-square-foot exhibition facility with more than 24,000 square feet of gallery space, is dedicated to presenting the finest visual art from local, regional, U.S. and international sources. The Center does not intend to collect art but instead will focus its efforts and resources on enriching educational opportunities for all. We believe that art enriches lives, so a major focus of the Center is to nourish an appreciation and understanding of art. The Center is committed to delivering an extensive educational program, both on site and through its community outreach activities. The Center's mission places a special emphasis on young people, which is why visitors age 18 and under are admitted free of charge.
{credit: fristfoundation.org}