Celebrate local carvers and artists while honoring the legacy of Williams Edmondson in Music City.
Nashville will come alive with creativity as the William Edmondson Arts & Culture Festival (WE Fest) returns to the historic Edmondson Homesite Park & Gardens, uniting artists, families, and community members in a powerful celebration of heritage, artistry, and resilience. The annual event happening Saturday, October 25, 2025 is free and open to the public to attend at 1450 14th Avenue South, Nashville, TN.
Known as the city that “sings,” Nashville is also a city that carves, paints, builds, and sculpts—and WE Fest is on a mission to shine a spotlight on the visual artists who carry that spirit forward. From the groundbreaking legacy of William Edmondson, the son of formerly enslaved parents who became the first African American artist to receive a solo exhibition at New York’s Museum of Modern Art in 1937, to today’s contemporary creators like Amanda Ewing, violin-maker and Wilson Lee, wood carver, the festival honors the tradition of those who have shaped Nashville’s cultural identity with their hands and their vision.
“I like to go in there boldly in those places with my locks down and like, ‘yes I am a violin maker.’ So they can get used to this face, because I know that there are other individuals of color and Black individuals who are interested in this…so that the people coming up behind me don’t necessarily have to deal with that. They can just be artisans who are Black and who are also part of this community as well,” shares Amanda Ewing, Violin Maker.
The 2025 festival will feature:
- Art & Craft Fair with more than 40 established and emerging artists showcasing original works
- Live Music & Performances, including dancers and spoken word artists inspired by Edmondson’s themes of faith and community
- Artist Demonstrations highlighting the direct connection to Edmondson’s craft
- Legacy Talks & Storytelling from scholars, historians, and community leaders
- Kids Zone with hands-on projects and mural-making to engage the next generation
- Local Food Trucks & Vendors serving Nashville favorites
Acclaimed artist James Threalkill shares, “When you look at the period when Edmondson was practicing his craft, he was setting in motion an appreciation and understanding about how his fortitude was able to manifest itself in all of the work he created. And even though that was way back then, we’re talking about him in this day and time. That’s a tremendous legacy that’s being passed down.
This year’s WE Fest is more than a community cultural and arts festival —it’s a call to action for Nashville to celebrate its visual artists and cultural makers with the same energy given to the music scene. Edmondson carved his first works from discarded limestone in his Nashville yard; today, his legacy inspires a new generation of artists who continue to find beauty, dignity, and storytelling power in their work.
By amplifying the voices and talents of carvers, painters, makers, and sculptors, WE Fest is rebalancing the cultural narrative of Nashville. The festival calls for recognition, resources, and respect for the visual arts community—ensuring that Music City is also known as a city of creators whose heritage is carved as deeply as its songs in our famous music studios around town.
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