As one of the nation’s largest antique and horticultural events, the 2020 Antiques & Garden show delivers a lineup unlike any other.
The event, held from January 31 through February 2 at Music City Center, will feature more than 150 antique and horticulture dealers, along with expertly landscaped gardens in celebration of its 30th year. Additionally, the event, chaired by Louise Bryan and Ashley Levi, will showcase world-renowned speakers, and feature once-in-a-lifetime discussions highlighting the show’s theme of “Legacy” from both local and international voices.
“Simply put, legacy is something left to another,” says Bryan. “For many, legacy may mean money or possessions but in the world of art and design, legacy also means the appreciation of beauty—the value of what was designed, built, or collected to be appreciated for its beauty—the aesthetic behind the object is the story of its birth and the ability to endure from one generation to another.”
Ballyfin Demesne
The show’s keynote lecture explores the restoration and legacy and evolution of Ireland’s Ballyfin Demesne: an 1820’s Regency manor house in the Irish Midlands which now operates as a five-star luxury hotel featuring 22 individually designed rooms and suites, lavish interiors decorated with Irish art and antiques, and sprawling private grounds. Moderated by Nina Campbell, this conversation will feature renowned guests, including American businessman and art collector Fred Krehbiel, who purchased Ballyfin in 2002; along with Irish master gardener Jim Reynolds, and English interior designer Colin Orchard.
"As the Antiques and Garden Show enters its third decade, we have created a speaker lineup which represents legacy through restoration, design, entertainment, and home,” says Levi.
“Each speaker brings their individual story of family but also a greater tale of (everlasting) perpetual vision. Be transformed as we travel from Europe to New York and back home to Tennessee and learn about generations of hardworking and talented aesthetes who are making homes, gardens, entertaining, and travel a more complete experience.”
Kreis Beall & Heather Anne Thoma
Blackberry Farm
Featured lectures include Building Architecture Into Landscape: Bold Designs for Natural Beauty by Martin Wirtz, principal of Wirtz International; Born to party, Forced to Work: 21st Century Hospitality by Bronson van Wyck founder of Van Wyck & Van Wyck; and Blackberry Farm: The Legacy of Home by Mary Celeste Beall, proprietor of Blackberry Farm and Blackberry Mountain, and Kreis Beall, co-founder and former proprietor of Blackberry Farm.
The show will also celebrate honorary chair Bunny Williams of Bunny Williams Association. As an accomplished businesswoman, entrepreneur, author, and philanthropist, Williams is recognized as one of the most talented names in design.
With such a prestigious lineup, and so many antique dealers and gardens to look forward to, it’s no wonder the show draws more than 15,000 attendees every year. But what makes this show so special is that it’s also a philanthropic event designed to raise funds for Cheekwood, along with more than 20 charities supported by the Economic Club of Nashville Charities. Since it began in 1990, the Antiques & Garden Show of Nashville show has raised over $8 million for its beneficiaries.
Now that’s a legacy.
For more information and the full schedule visit antiquesandgardenshow.com.