Public Art with Local Flavor: Turnip Greens and Adanedi at the Nashville Farmers' Market

(Read/listen to the Nashville Public Radio story about Turnip Greens!)

When you think of the Nashville Farmers' Market, you may think of fresh veggies, of North Nashville, and of the community coming together around food. Upcoming public art from Metro Arts, part of the Farmers' Market’s renovation of the Market House, beautifully captures all three.

At their May 2019 meeting, the Metro Arts Board of Commissioners approved artist Seitu Jones’ concept for Turnip Greens, a large, suspended sculpture of an overflowing bushel of turnip greens, serving as a focal point of the market house and complemented by Adanedi, a two-part mural from Norf Art Collective flanking the vestibule of the market’s newly reoriented entrance. Both artworks will be dedicated Saturday, November 2, at the Farmers’ Market’s annual Turnip Green Festival.

From concept to fabrication, Seitu Jones' Turnip Greens takes shape. The sculpture will be suspended from the ceiling of the Nashville Farmers' Market's dining and shopping hall, the Market House.

The Nashville Farmers' Market has undergone major renovations to increase accessibility, capacity and programming, reorienting a main entrance toward the new Tennessee State Museum. With these renovations came the opportunity to incorporate vibrant artworks through Metro Arts’ Percent for Public Art fund.

Seitu Jones grew familiar with the Nashville Farmers' Market and its Turnip Green Festival during his time in Nashville preparing for his project in Metro Arts’ 2018 exhibition, Build Better Tables. Jones’ Build Better Tables project, a community bread oven and “speakeasy” at Brooklyn Heights Community Garden, also acquainted him with the North Nashville community and with Norf Art Collective.

Close-up sneak peeks of Adanedi, a two-part mural from Norf Art Collective that flanks the new vestibule entry of the NFM Market House (photo credit: Matt Wronski).

Jones enlisted Norf to create murals for the Market House’s new entryway vestibule, and the result is Adanedi. Named for the Cherokee word for “gift,” the two murals feature beautiful interpretations of planting, growth and harvesting.

Join Metro Arts and the Nashville Farmers’ Market for the dedication of Turnip Greens and Adanedi:

Saturday, Nov. 2, 10:00 a.m., at the start of the annual Turnip Green Festival

NFM Market House

900 Rosa Parks Blvd

The first 250 guests will receive a free commemorative produce bag featuring Jones’ original line drawing of Turnip Greens. We encourage guests to use public transit, walk or carpool. For directions and parking information, visit the Farmers' Market website.

For the latest information on art at the Farmers Market, and on all public art projects, visit MetroArtsNashville.com, follow @MetroArtsNash on social media, and subscribe to our Arts Alert email newsletter.