Tennessee Decorative Arts Symposium

On April 21st and 22nd, Belmont Mansion hosted the annual Tennessee Decorative Arts Symposium. In celebration of Adelicia Acklen's 200th birthday, this year's topic was: "200 Years of Adelicia Acklen." The weekend was dedicated to the art, architecture and lifestyle of Adelicia Acklen and her Belmont estate.

Speakers for the weekend included Jim Hoobler, Senior Curator of Art & Architecture, Tennessee State Museum; Dr. Rachel Stephens, Assistant Professor of American Art, The University of Alabama; Jerry Trescott, Curator of Collections, Belmont Mansion; and Mark Brown, Executive Director, Belmont Mansion.

Approximately 50 guests, many from Tennessee and Alabama, attended this year's Symposium. The event began on Friday evening at the Nashville office of Case Antiques where attendees viewed exquisite silver from the Benjamin Caldwell, Sr. Estate, which will be at auction in Knoxville this August. Guests then made their way to Belmont Mansion for a light supper and an up-close look at the Acklen Collection. On Saturday morning, Jim Hoobler lectured on Nashville's 19th century material culture and while Dr. Rachel Stephens provided a fascinating look at Acklen family portraits. Attendees lunched in Belmont Mansion's Grand Salon after a stroll through the garden and grounds in order to view original statues, gazebos and fountain. Afternoon presentations began with Jerry Trescott who extolled on the exquisite furniture found in the collection while Mark Brown closed the Symposium by presenting many decorative pieces that have been added to the collection throughout his 30 year tenure as Executive Director. Belmont Mansion Association would like to extend a sincere thank you to our generous sponsors who made this Symposium possible: Becky Puckett Antiques; Bonne RED Design; Case Antiques and Auction; and Devonshire Interiors. Proceeds from the Symposium go to the continued educational and public programming efforts of Belmont Mansion Association.