Author: Y Kendall

Companion Exhibitions at the Frist

David C. Driskell and Friends; Kindred Spirits: Creativity, Collaboration and Friendship

Most people, including the artists themselves, see visual arts as a solitary profession.  Dancers move in companies or corps, musicians play in bands or orchestras, actors perform in ensembles orRead More

In a return to Tennessee

Martha Graham Dance Company at James K. Polk Theater

In a 2024 article on Jamar Roberts for The Dance Enthusiast, actor/dancer, Toussaint Jeanlouis refers to “perseverance in spite of,” a trait psychologist C. Robert Cloninger considers “foundational in aiding,Read More

Photos and Finery at Cheekwood: Former White House Florister Laura Dowling in Nashville

People often talk about moving from the sublime to the ridiculous, but my visit to Cheekwood worked the other way around. Driving down Page Road toward the great mansion andRead More

The MCR Interview

Laura Dowling on Florestry and Designing for the Holidays at Cheekwood

Ever wonder about the aesthetics of those beautiful decorations at the White House during the holidays? Ever wanted to take a deeper look into the art and artistry behind aRead More

At Oz Arts

Emma Sandall’s “An Ambivalent Woman of 37”

The environment was subtle but remarkably complementary. Outside, in the OzArts hallways was an exhibit of maleness, custom-designed meershaum pipes and handcrafted humidors, all in exotic woods and other materials.Read More

The Cumberland Winds Jazz Project

An Evocative Trip Back to the Forties: Radio Days at the Roxy

Tucked away in various spots throughout Tennessee are delightfully unexpected bits of entertainment. Annually, the Cumberland Winds Jazz Project (JP) in Clarksville, provides a creative re-creation of old-time radio shows.Read More

From Russia to Romania

Balanchine’s Serenade and Vasterling’s Dracula

(Photo: Karyn Photography)
Born with the sound of church bells near his home in Bohemia, Bohuslav Martinů’s music was an effective choice for Paul Vasterling’s Dracula. After all, Martinů was born in centralRead More

Nashville's 2024–2025 Dance Season:

Come Spin, Swerve, Swivel, and Squirm

Wurm's "Big Disobedience" in Nashville
In 2022-2023 I had a “Wait and See” attitude. From 2022–2023: Before I returned home to Middle Tennessee, I binged ballet in New York and Houston, two American cities withRead More

At Oz Arts

DakhaBrakha Redux: The Triumphant Return of the Ukrainian Quartet

In 2023, a year and a day after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, DakhaBrakha performed at OZ Arts here in Nashville. With their fusion of folk, rock, funk, blues, andRead More

From the Nashville Film Festival

We Can Be Heroes: Celebrating Difference

In the mid-60s, my brothers were diagnosed as autistic. It took awhile, because they were beautiful twin babies, perfectly healthy. Unlike Downs Syndrome, there are often no outer indications ofRead More