Image: Frist Art Museum, Nashville
‘International Surrealism from Tate: Fifty Years of Dreams’ is entering its final weeks at the Frist Art Museum in Nashville, where the exhibition will remain on view through August 30, 2026. Presented from the collection of Tate in the United Kingdom, the exhibition examines Surrealism’s long trajectory and broad international reach through a selection of paintings, photographs, sculptures and other art objects, alongside publications and archival material.
The exhibition, on view from May 22, is framed by the Frist as an exploration of Surrealism as a state of mind. Rather than limiting the movement to a single period or geographic center, its stated scope follows the development and international spread of Surrealist ideas across five decades. The museum’s description does not identify individual works or artists in the available exhibition material, but emphasizes the range of media included in the presentation.
The exhibition is one of several major shows currently on view at the Frist. It shares its closing date with ‘Anila Quayyum Agha: Interwoven,’ which surveys two decades of the Pakistani American artist’s practice through immersive installations, works on paper, paintings and sculptures. ‘An Indigenous Present,’ a thematic exhibition spanning 100 years of modern and contemporary Indigenous art, continues through September 27, while the anniversary exhibition ‘A Landmark Repurposed: From Post Office to Art Museum’ closes August 23.
To accompany the Surrealism exhibition, the museum is featuring a video series with Caroline Yates, the Frist Art Museum’s 2025–26 Susan H. Edwards Curatorial Fellow. In the series, Yates discusses stories and figures associated with the Surrealist movement. The museum’s newsletter encourages visitors who have already seen the exhibition, as well as those planning a final visit, to use the videos as an additional way of engaging with its subject.
Yates will also lead the gallery talk ‘Beyond the Muse: The Women of Surrealism’ on Thursday, August 20, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. The event, scheduled for the Ingram Gallery, is described as a reconsideration of Surrealism’s history through the work of its women artists. Admission is free for Frist members; gallery admission is required for visitors who are not members.
The Frist Art Museum is located at 919 Broadway in Nashville. Its listed public hours are Monday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Sunday from 1 to 5:30 p.m.; the museum is closed Tuesday and Wednesday. ‘International Surrealism from Tate: Fifty Years of Dreams’ closes on August 30, 2026.
