Exhibition showcasing the finest two-dimensional artwork by high school students from across Tennessee, selected from nearly 600 entries.
2026 Young Tennessee Artists is on view at the Frist Art Museum from August 28, 2026, through March 28, 2027. It's the eleventh installment of a biennial series that showcases two-dimensional work by high school students from across Tennessee. This year, 33 artists were selected from nearly 600 entries, and the whole show hangs in the Conte Community Arts Gallery, the museum's main entryway—a space the Frist keeps dedicated to finding and making connections with local artists.
The entries come from Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate studio art programs, where students build and refine their portfolios through ongoing investigation, practice, and reflection. For many, that work can count toward college course credit or other recognition. A panel of university educators, artists, and curators selects up to 35 pieces, and the Frist—a nonprofit that opened in April 2001 and has around 24,000 square feet of gallery space—mats and frames every selected work.
The selection for this edition was handled by jurors Lakesha Calvin, an artist and associate professor at Fisk University, and Lurlynn Franklin, a curator, artist, and professor at the University of Memphis. Their 33 picks represent a cross-section of high school art from across the state, all brought together in one room.
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You'll find the exhibition at the Frist Art Museum, 919 Broadway, in the Conte Community Arts Gallery. It runs from August 28, 2026, through March 28, 2027.
