Immersive Elevator Art Installation at the Frist Art Museum

An art installation representing the fourth iteration of the Frist Art Museum’s Art in the Elevator program opened on May 7 in Nashville, Tennessee. Titled “Here With You: Awake and Dreaming,” the works by Nashville-based artist Dylan Camp explore themes of family, individuality, fashion and dreams.

Vinyl reproductions of eight of Camp’s acrylic paintings are visible to passengers taking the Frist’s Grand Lobby elevator. The layout was designed by design intern Autumn Cruse, a recent graduate of Tennessee State University. Student Curator Sydney Nelson from Fisk University directed the project. The Art in the Elevator program (formerly titled Project Uplift) was created to help students gain exposure to all aspects of exhibition planning in a short period of time.

The Frist Museum notes "the elevator itself, as a vessel, has been transformed into a space to welcome introspection about community as visitors step into the presence of Camp's characters," inviting passengers to ask themselves: "Who do we surround ourselves with? Who are our neighbors, and how do we live with them physically and emotionally?" Camp's work will be on display through May 2027.

About the Artist

Dylan Camp is a Tennessee painter whose works display her experience growing up as a Black American in the South. Her work captures the beauty, spirituality and strength found in lived experiences. She works with acrylic to paint dreamlike works. Her depictions of her characters display pride and self confidence in their individuality.