Statements
Mission
MISSION: Celebrate and preserve Cheekwood as an historical landmark where beauty and excellence in art and horticulture nurture the spirit and serve as inspiration for a diverse and broad audience.
VISION: Cheekwood will be a locally celebrated and nationally recognized destination renowned for its distinctive beauty, historical significance, and excellence in art and horticulture.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES:
Beauty that nurtures the spirit
Preservation for future generations
Education that enriches and inspires
Collaboration that embraces a broad community
Financial Responsibility in stewarding our resources
Background
Cheekwood is a multi-faceted cultural institution, presenting art exhibitions, monumental sculpture, botanical gardens, history, and education programs for approximately 400,000 annual local, national, and international visitors. The story began in 1929, when Mabel and Leslie Cheek of Nashville hired New York architect Bryant Fleming to design the family estate, completed in 1932. Two generations lived in the home before the Cheek family gifted Cheekwood as a public institution in 1960. The 55-acre estate has grown to include: thirteen display gardens; permanent collections of American paintings, works on paper, sculpture, and decorative arts; historic period rooms; a contemporary woodland sculpture trail; robust educational programs serving the community; and Cheekwood is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, nationally accredited as a Level II Arbnet Arboretum, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Impact
In 2024, Cheekwood will continue working toward goals outlined in its strategic plan including the following -
- Ensure continued strong financial position and no debt while providing appropriate maintenance of Cheekwood's historic property
- Continue to offer the community a place of beauty and enjoyment by maintaining the impeccable gardens and enhancing seasonal festivals with new horticulture for Cheekwood in Bloom, additional programming for Summertime, and new features for Harvest and Holiday LIGHTS
-Advance Cheekwood's mission to serve as inspiration for a broad and diverse audience through education and outreach programs. This will be done by expanding Destination Cheekwood, including free school field trips, free family field trips, Cheekwood Grows, and Cheekwood on the Road
- Increase depth and diversity of public programs including musical performances showcasing local talent and cultural celebrations contributing to the vibrancy of Middle Tennessee
- Elevate recognition of Cheekwood as Nashville's fine arts collecting Museum by continuously displaying works in the permanent collection, addressing conservation, organizing exhibitions that celebrate significant works within the collection, and launching new initiatives to build acquisition funds and acquire new works to enhance the collection and period rooms
Cheekwood's 2023 accomplishments include the following -
- Welcoming 392,000 visitors, being named Nashville's third-highest cultural institution
- Maintaining 18,600 member households
- Continuing Cheekwood's IDEA Implementation Plan internally with staff and externally with visitors and members
- Concluding the year in a strong financial position
Needs
Endowment: Since Cheekwood opened to the public in 1960 without an endowment, the institution has lacked adequate funds to maintain the historic property (55 acres of gardens and 90,000 square feet of facilities). Significant restoration of the historic core (mansion and surrounding landscape design) was deferred for years and is being addressed through funds raised through The Cheekwood Campaign (2016-2021). Even with the significant boost to the endowment from the campaign, Cheekwood lacks adequate funds to sustain and care for the estate for years to come. Cheekwood is continuing to build the endowment for the long-term care and preservation of the institution.
Annual Support: Approximately 70% of Cheekwood's operating budget comes from gate revenue, membership, and contributed revenue. Support raised through annual donations from individuals, corporations and foundations are essential to Cheekwood's programs, including presentation of art exhibitions, seasonal festivals and education and outreach.
Capital: Cheekwood seeks to establish infrastructure to improve the visitor experience through expanded parking, admissions processing upgrades, and orientation design.
CEO Statement
Cheekwood is a place of beauty and magnificence that serves the public as a 55-acre botanical garden, arboretum, museum of art and historic estate. The third highest attended cultural institution in Nashville in 2023, Cheekwood last year, welcomed visitors from every state in the country as well as from 26 other countries across the world, and notably from 493 Tennessee zip codes. It is one of Nashville's oldest institutions and one of its most unique, with a history that dates to 1929. Cheekwood offers Nashville an attraction few cities can claim as one of the finest American country place era estates in the nation, with impressive regional and national acclaim. Three-times voted a USA Top Ten Botanical Garden, its picturesque and undulating landscape augments the Cheekwood mansion turned art museum, serving as a canvas for the display of outdoor contemporary art, offering an exhilarating experience that ensures the historic estate's vibrancy and relevance.
Unlike similar institutions across the country, Cheekwood, gifted without an endowment, earns its financial security through gate attendance and related income, with over 60% of its annual operations dependent on these sources. Its renaissance over the last decade has been secured through robust seasonal programming that meets the needs and wants of our community and strong financial stewardship, earning the trust and support of Nashville's philanthropic community.
Cheekwood's commitment to reaching a broad audience that invites diversity of all kinds is embedded in its long-term strategies and its operational practices. With 70 community partners, Cheekwood's goal is to ensure that everyone, including those without the means, can enjoy its incomparable beauty, where every visit serves to nurture and inspire.
As Cheekwood moves forward, its greatest challenge will be a continued focus on addressing the deferred restoration that accumulated during decades of financial challenges as well as investments in capital needs, including parking, to ensure the property is maintained at a level of excellence and that its infrastructure is at a level sufficient to serve as a top three Nashville destination.
Board Chair Statement
Cheekwood is celebrated today as one of the finest examples of an American Country Place Era Estate. The demand for these grand residences and gardens dwindled as the depression persisted throughout the 1930s, and many disappeared altogether, along with the fortunes that helped build them. Others have been swallowed up by urban sprawl and commercial ventures. Cheekwood is rare not only in its survival but is made even more special by intact vistas unmarred by encroaching development. Today, its leaders have articulated a vision and strategy for ensuring that this remarkable landmark will be cherished for generations to come. That vision begins with a commitment to excellence in preserving "Nashville's national treasure" and leads to recognition of Cheekwood as a landmark destination.
Service Categories |
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| Primary Category: | Arts, Culture & Humanities - Museums |
| Secondary Category: | Environment - Botanical Gardens & Arboreta |
| Tertiary Category: | Arts, Culture & Humanities - Visual Arts |
Areas Served
In 2023, Cheekwood served a diverse audience from 482 Tennessee zip codes, 50 states, and 26 countries. Looking ahead, Cheekwood will continue to serve Nashville and Middle Tennessee. Cheekwood also works with local and regional tourism organizations to promote Cheekwood as a destination for guests from across the nation and the world.
| TN - Davidson |
| Statewide |
| National |
| International |
