Rymer Gallery

Perfect is the word that comes to mind when I think about the experience I had buying Art for my new place. The staff was competent and knowledgeable. Five Stars!

I lived in Nashville six years ago and visited this gallery during one of the very first Saturday Art Crawls (side item: you should definitely check that out if you can). It’s like a lot of chic galleries in large cities: open and minimalist. I like it.
I did recognize a few pieces from six years ago, but most was new. Generally, I think it’s all quite nice.
Even better, everyone I’ve spoken to has been extremely nice and helpful. If you’re in the area, stop by.

Dug the works here, in a pretty large space, a few days before First Saturday Art Crawl.

I really enjoyed visiting the Rymer Gallery. It’s considered one of the largest contemporary galleries in the arts district, off of Fifth Avenue of the Arts. The space is 3,000 square feet, and they showcase a spectrum of contemporary artists that use different media. My favorite pieces include Herb Williams’ ‘Ghost Tree,’ created with crayons, Marcus Durkheim’s ‘This is Not…’ pieces, and Celeste Rapone’s ‘Pink Dress’ & ‘Blue Dress.’ The female employee/​curator that was there was very friendly, and allowed me to peruse the pieces at my own leisure. A great place to check out if you’re in town! :D
+contemporary art gallery: D

After skeet shooting, my compadres were zapped.
But I was in no mood for a nap.
Wandering on Fifth Street
I happened by this treat
and into Nashville’s art scene I tapped.
Rymer boasts selection, but not too many,
and has art in all the nooks and crannies:
down the hall to the bathroom
and in the upstairs saloon.
Staff was attentive but no annoying nanny.
A great space if you’re in this ‘hood.
If you’re into contemporary art, you really should
stop by for a taste
in this beautiful space.
If I’m back in Nashville, I know I would!

I really like this place, there’re some negatives I feel whenever entering it though — I have a running art bingo game going when I visit this place during the art crawls as it’s become predictable.
First and foremost: in the second little room (in the center) is there a sculpture of a crotch in any form visible from the doorway?
Second: Is there an amazing work of art done with crayons on the first floor that makes you think «where did they get all these crayons» and «when is a cute crayon bunny going to appear?»
Third: on the second floor is there a piece that was made using body fluids, done in a comic-​book style, or done with household items?
Fourth: Does one artist dominate the main lobby of the gallery with items that don’t change much from one to the other?
Fifth: is there something in the glass room (rightmost as you enter) that will slice you?
I like this place, I even like several of the pieces there, but the themes don’t run terribly deep — the latest example being «how many ways can we turn a barrel into a kimono» (evidently 7?) — «let’s make something and wrap it in barbed wire» (4?) — «tattoo as many pillow cases as you can».
Not being a gallery operator I can’t say what works and doesn’t, but it seems as if you haven’t seen with one item what your tastes may desire, you’re not going to see it with the next several ones. However, if you love one, you’re going to love a lot in a row.

Easy one of the best collections in downtown Nashville. Stop here on the First Saturday Art Walks.

Very cool gallery, with hoards of space. This is certainly a place for any artist in town to aim for in the showing of their work. With it’s 5^th Avenue location, you’re certainly in a crowd heavy zone.
There was a scupture of a dog made of yellow crayons, and all I could think about after that is how bad I wanted to pick it up and color with it.

The Rymer gallery is the biggest gallery on 5^th Ave, and seems to be going for a cosmopolitan, chic image: the walls and floor are all bright white, loud electronic dance music plays while people look at huge pop art paintings by Kevin T. Kelly and sculptures made of crayons, and electric guitars made of found materials by George Downing. The cool thing about the Rymer is that you can see work by dozens of different artists in one gallery. The diverse collection here ranges from impressionistic resin landscapes to whimsical oil portraits to inticate Buddhism-​influenced paintings by Phurba Namay. The flip side of that is, for me anyways, that all those painting, sculptures, people, and music can be overwhelming, and can distract me from really taking in any single work of art. I guess I just prefer a more unassuming, rustic style of presentation.
I’ll never pass the Rymer by at the art crawl because I usually find something I like there and because it is, according its web site,“the premier contemporary gallery in the heart of Nasvhille’s arts district.” But I do think that a lot of the artists displayed there might be better represented in a smaller, less glamorous and polished gallery.