Frist Center's VISHNU: HINDUISM'S BLUE-SKINNED SAVIOR Opens, 2/20

Vishnu: Hinduism's Blue-Skinned Savior, the first major museum exhibition to focus on the Hindu deity Vishnu, has been organized by the Frist Center for the Visual Arts and will open with a free community preview day Saturday, Feb. 19, 2011. The exhibition will open to the public as a ticketed exhibition Sunday, Feb. 20, 2011, and remain on view in the Ingram Gallery through May 29, 2011.

This exhibition, guest curated by Joan Cummins, Ph.D., Lisa and Bernard Selz Curator of Asian Art at the Brooklyn Museum, introduces one of Hinduism's primary deities to broad audiences through more than 170 paintings, textiles, prints and sculptures created in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh between the third and twentieth centuries. The exhibition represents a variety of periods, regions and art styles and reveals the many ways that Vishnu has been portrayed and celebrated. The works of art included in the exhibition were chosen for their artistic merit and for the novel or unusual treatments of their subject matter.

Vishnu has been worshipped for more than 2,000 years throughout India, and today, his devotees, known as Vaishnavas, can be found the world over. The god and his avatars have been the inspirations for countless great works of art and literature as well as music, dance and theatrical traditions. The exhibition covers much of the history of art in India and reveals the remarkable intellectual, technical and aesthetic sophistication of ancient Indian tradition. The exhibition introduces non-Hindu audiences to the beauty and cultural meaning contained in works of art relating to the Vaishnava tradition while offering Hindu audiences the opportunity to share and celebrate the traditional expressions of their spiritual beliefs.

Because the narratives associated with Vishnu and his avatars are entertaining and appealing to all ages, the Frist Center will offer an array of special educational programs for families, as well as music and dance performances and film.

"We are honored to organize and present Vishnu: Hinduism's Blue-Skinned Savior, the first major exhibition to explore the Vaishnava tradition in art," said Frist Center Executive Director Susan H. Edwards, Ph.D. "The material is incredibly deep and rich. We hope to reach broad audiences, from armchair travelers, to local and regional South Asian communities, to those who simply enjoy cultural exploration."

As word of the exhibition has spread, the Indian community, worldwide, has been enthusiastic in its support. Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, president of the Universal Society of Hinduism, commented that it is "a laudable step for the Frist Center to provide opportunity to the world to further explore Hinduism and its concepts."

Curator Joan Cummins, Ph.D, notes, "We've worked hard to make this complex subject as approachable and as enlightening as possible for the novice viewer. We recognize that even though the works of art are beautiful, it can be difficult to appreciate them fully without an understanding of the stories they tell and the ideals they reflect. The stories are indeed wonderful: we think it will be a great show for young audiences because Vishnu's avatars take such a wide range of forms. They are involved in all sorts of intrigue, action and romance-and the good guys always win in the end."

The Frist Center convened an advisory panel comprising Hindu leaders, educators and members of Middle Tennessee's Hindu community to assist in planning educational activities, programs and community events during the exhibition.

In conjunction with Vishnu: Hinduism's Blue-Skinned Savior, the Frist Center Education Department has organized Hindu Home Shrines: Creating Space for Personal Contemplation, a companion exhibition that explores the many ways members of the Hindu faith incorporate worship in their lives. With no single authoritative scripture or code, manner of Hindu worship is wholly individual, and reverence for the divine is embraced and demonstrated in many ways. Most Hindu homes include a shrine, which can be simple or quite elaborate. Hindu Home Shrines looks at five shrines from Nashville's Hindu community.

Accredited by the American Association of Museums, the Frist Center for the Visual Arts, located at 919 Broadway in downtown Nashville, Tenn., is an art exhibition center dedicated to presenting the finest visual art from local, regional, U.S. and international sources in a program of changing exhibitions. The Frist Center's Martin ArtQuest Gallery features 21 interactive stations relating to Frist Center exhibitions. Gallery admission to the Frist Center is free for visitors 18 and under and to Frist Center members. Frist Center admission is $10.00 for adults, $7.00 for seniors, military and college students with ID. Thursday and Friday evenings, 5:00 - 9:00 p.m., admission is free for college students with a valid college ID. Discounts are offered for groups of 10 or more with advance reservation by calling (615) 744-3246. The Frist Center is open seven days a week: Mondays through Wednesdays and Saturdays, 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Thursdays and Fridays, 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.; and Sundays, 1:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., with the Café opening at noon. Additional information is available by calling (615) 244-3340 or by visiting our Web site at www.fristcenter.org.

Image: Balamara Diverting the Course of the Yamuna River with his Plough, ca. 1740-1765. Opaque watercolor and gold on paper, 5 1/2 x 9 5/16 in. Brooklyn Museum, A. Augustus Healy Fund and the Frank L. Babbott Fund, 36.250.

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