NPT and Frist Center Produce New Seasons of 'ArtQuest: Art Is All Around You'; Kick-Off Event Set for Today

Nashville Public Television (NPT) and the Frist Center for the Visual Arts have announced their continued collaboration in producing new seasons of "ArtQuest: Art Is All Around You," a series of short broadcast segments focusing on developing children's creativity and fostering a love for the visual arts through an interdisciplinary approach.

To celebrate the partnership and raise awareness
of the available resources, a kickoff event will be
held today, November 17 as part of the Free
Family Festival Day at the Frist Center. Guests will
have the opportunity to meet the star hosts of
"ArtQuest: Art Is All Around You," Dajiah Platt and
Joseph Lopez, as well as enjoy live music, programs, and take-home art activities.

As the brainchild of Frist Center Chairman Emeritus Dr. Thomas F. Frist, Jr., the series is a direct product of the institution's vision statement "to inspire people through art to look at their world in new ways." The series takes its name from the Frist Center's interactive learning gallery for children of all ages, is geared toward viewers ages 7-9 and airs on NPT between 4-6 p.m. around the popular children's programs "Arthur," "WordGirl," "Wild Kratts" and "The Electric Company." During development of the series, NPT consulted Judy Stoia, a public media veteran who was executive producer for 25 years at WGBH, Boston. Stoia has extensive experience producing award-winning children's programs including the highly-acclaimed PBSKids series, "Between the Lions."

Beth Curley, president and CEO, NPT, stated, "By combining our production and editing expertise with the Frist Center's art education knowledge, we're excited to bring art education to children throughout Middle Tennessee with these spots." The series is produced by Linda Wei and edited by Matt Emigh of NPT, and the educational curriculum is developed by the Frist Center's Educator for Experiential Learning, Samantha Andrews. "We place such a high value on the marvelous relationship we share with Nashville Public Television," said Frist Center Executive Director Dr. Susan H. Edwards. "NPT is one of Nashville's treasures, and here is yet another example."

The first season of 15 segments with topics such as color in nature, lines in architecture and creating public art are now all available on the Frist Center's website at www.fristkids.org. On the site, visitors will find enrichment activities to explore at home, in-depth lesson plans for teachers to use in the classroom, as well as web resources for each segment and topic.

The decision to continue the partnership and produce more seasons was made as a result of a successful and well-received 2012 pilot program, which received more than three million gross impressions on air and positive feedback from focus groups made up of children, parents and teachers. Frist Center Educator for Experiential Learning Samantha Andrews, who manages "ArtQuest: Art Is All Around You," commented, "It's encouraging feedback to have children and parents visit the Martin ArtQuest at the Frist Center and make the connection between the TV segments and our physical space. We're also hearing wonderful anecdotes from visitors about how their children have created art projects on their own free time inspired by the segments."

About Nashville Public Television

Nashville Public Television is available free and over the air to nearly 2.2 million people throughout The Middle Tennessee and southern Kentucky viewing area, and is watched by more than 600,000 households every week. The mission of NPT is to provide, through the power of traditional television and interactive telecommunications, high quality educational, cultural and civic experiences that address issues and concerns of the people of the Nashville region, and which thereby help improve the lives of those we serve. More information is available at www.wnpt.org.

About the Frist Center

Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, the Frist Center for the Visual Arts is a 501(c)3 nonprofit art exhibition center dedicated to presenting and originating high quality exhibitions with related educational programs and community outreach activities. The Frist Center offers the finest visual art from local, regional, national, and international sources in a program of changing exhibitions that inspire people through art to look at their world in new ways. Located at 919 Broadway in downtown Nashville, Tenn., the Frist Center's Martin ArtQuest Gallery (open until 5:30 p.m. each day) features interactive stations relating to Frist Center exhibitions. Gallery admission to the Frist Center is free for visitors 18 and younger and to Frist Center members. Frist Center admission is $10.00 for adults and $7.00 for seniors, military and college students with ID. College students are admitted free Thursday and Friday evenings (with the exception of Frist Fridays), 5-9 p.m. Discounts are offered for groups of 10 or more with advance reservation by calling (615) 744-3247.The Frist Center galleries, Cafe and Gift Shop are open seven days a week: Mondays through Wednesdays, and Saturdays, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Thursdays and Fridays, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. and Sundays, 1-5:30 p.m., with the Frist Center Cafe, opening at noon. Additional information is available by calling (615) 244-3340 or by visiting our website at www.fristcenter.org.

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