Just when you thought we were done celebrating the Belcourt's 100th anniversary, our favorite arthouse is back with one final event to close out its centennial festivities.
This Saturday at 10 a.m., the theater will unveil a new multipanel exhibit chronicling its history. The permanent exhibit — which was co-designed by Nashville-based 1220 Exhibits, with creative direction by local agency Cage Free Visual — will be on display in the Belcourt's alcove lobby. Many of the items in the collection were accrued through the theater's 100th anniversary projects, like its oral history initiative Belcourt Stories.
The beloved Nashville nonprofit celebrates its 100th birthday this week
“This permanent exhibit anchors the Belcourt’s history in the public space it has occupied for 100 years,” Belcourt public historian and archivist T. Minton, who co-created the exhibit, tells us in a release.
“By telling the story of how the theatre grew, survived and thrived across many eras to become Nashville’s nonprofit film center, we preserve the work of the people who kept it alive — and welcome new reflections, conversations and research in the century ahead."
Saturday will also see the unveiling of Nashville artist Devin Drake's long-gestating miniature Belcourt replica. Drake has also created tiny replicas of local favorites like Dino's and the recently demolished record store The Groove.
“Both the Belcourt and Devin Drake are Nashville treasures, so to be able to bring them together for the creation of this piece is such a special opportunity,” says Claire Sisco King, chair of Cinema and Media Arts at Vanderbilt University. King commissioned and curated the piece.
“By departing from traditional scales, miniature art forms have unique capacities for changing how people see the world and, therefore, how they think about it. They are also important tools for historical preservation, capturing built environments in exacting detail and bringing their textured personalities to life.”
In September, the Belcourt unveiled a historical marker and Metro Council resolution commemorating its centennial.
