Monthaven Art and Cultural Center

Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center
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Media Inquiries:

Cheryl Strichik: [email protected]

(615) 293-3767

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

THIRD ANNUAL ARTOBERFEST RETURNS TO THE MONTHAVEN ARTS AND CULTURAL CENTER IN HENDERSONVILLE, TENN.

HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. (Oct. 10, 2023) – The sights and sounds of Bavaria will be on full display at the Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center (MACC) this October. In celebration of both autumn and the arts, the MACC will present its Third Annual ArtOberfest from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 14.

“ArtOberfest has quickly become one of Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center’s most popular events,” says MACC Executive Director Cheryl Strichik. “We have arts and crafts for the kids, authentic German food and beer for adults, great music, and a wide variety of artists and artisans showcasing their work. There is literally something for everyone at this festival.”

Children take pride of place at the MACC’s ArtOberfest. The Kids Arts and Crafts Pavilion will be filled with such fun activities as pumpkin painting, face painting and more. A storyteller and caricature artist will also lend their talents to the event.

Visitors to this year’s ArtOberfest will surely detect the subtle aroma of the Bavarian countryside. The MACC’s German Food Tent will provide an authentic taste of the Fatherland, with various German sausages, Bavarian kraut, purple cabbage, and warm German potato salad all on sale. Kids meals are also available. Gallatin’s Big Trouble Brewing Company will be on hand to sell their German craft beer. An assortment of vendors will also offer wine, coffee, various sweets and other delectable items.

Any ArtOberfest worthy of its apple strudel will need some bona fide polka music. Back by popular demand from the inaugural fest, the band Polkawagen will perform its unique blend of traditional, old-time, and modern polka music.

People attending this weekend’s ArtOberfest are encouraged to stroll through Monthaven’s galleries to see artist Picasso Ceramics: Master in Clay Part II. The exhibition features a trove drawn from Picasso’s unusual Edition Ceramics. Also on display are some of Picasso’s groundbreaking prints, pochoirs, etchings and linocuts. The exhibit commemorates the 50th anniversary of Picasso’s death (1881-1973). Admission to both the exhibit and the festival are free.

Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center (MACC) is a jewel-box art museum and education facility housed in one of Tennessee’s most spectacular antebellum mansions. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the MACC has staged exhibitions featuring everything from the ceramic art of Pablo Picasso to the evening gowns of Princess Diana. The artwork of local artists and military veterans are also on frequent display. As an art school, the MACC offers classes to more than 600 children and adults each year. The MACC also provides free arts outreach and healing arts to underserved children, families and military veterans. For more information, visit www.monthavenarts.org or call (615) 822-0789.

Kaylin Warden

External Affairs Coordinator

Kaylin Warden joined the Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center staff in 2024 as External Affairs Coordinator. In this post, she organizes special off-site events and manages the organization’s external communications. She also works with the development department by updating the MACC’s customer relations database, and she assists the executive director in setting up exhibitions. Above all else, Kaylin is passionate about the arts. It comes as no surprise, then, that she is now pursuing a master’s degree in art history. When she’s not at the MACC, you can find her reading her favorite books (especially ones dealing with maritime mysteries), cooking, gardening, playing with her cat and two dogs, and cheering for the Nashville Predators.

Ruth Chase

Regional Arts Director
Ruth Chase is the Regional Arts Director of Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center, joining the team in 2023. For Ruth, the job is all about community, bringing people together to uplift and educate artists and art lovers alike. Her role at Monthaven is to strengthen the local artist community and build connections that will enrich Hendersonville and our surrounding communities through art exhibitions, art education, and opportunities for regional artists.
 
Prior to joining Monthaven, Ruth worked in the arts for over 30 years and is a multimedia artist and graduate of the San Francisco Art Institute. Her artistic practice is inquiry-based and engages in community bridge-building. She was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation from the City of Los Angeles, curated and juried exhibitions, and has taught at the Crocker Art Museum.
 
Ruth was awarded an Artist-in-Residence for Artist Activating Communities through a grant from the California Arts Council for three consecutive years. Her film Belonging screened at both the 18th Annual Nevada City Film Festival and Wild & Scenic Film Festival. She has received the Legendary Female Artist of Venice award, and she has exhibited in The Crocker Kingsley, the Museum of Northern California Art, and the Diego Rivera Gallery at the San Francisco Art Institute. Ruth also continues her work as a Curatorial Consultant and Art director for the Californian Indigenous Research Project, where she has worked with the local tribe since 2018.