A long-running East Tennessee art tradition is getting a fresh dose of downtown energy this year. Artsclamation!, the annual fine-art sale benefiting Peninsula, moved to The Standard on Jackson Avenue for its 2025 event. The sale began yesterday and continues today from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Now in its 24th year, Artsclamation! is part holiday market, part art show and part community fundraiser. Every purchase directly supports behavioral health services at Peninsula Hospital, a division of Covenant Health’s Parkwest Medical Center, and its outpatient programs including therapy, recovery education, peer support and mental-health services for children, teens and adults across our region.
The move to The Standard means room for more than 50 artists working across painting, mixed media, photography, pottery, fiber, jewelry, woodworking, sculpture and more. Many artists will bring smaller, giftable pieces like prints, ornaments, notecards, jewelry and mugs along with original fine art.
The footprint also places the event within walking distance of the downtown’s entire holiday scene, a strategic shift the organizers say is meant to connect the longtime fundraiser with the bustle of downtown.
“Artsclamation! is a beloved community event,” said Artsclamation! co-chair and Covenant Foundation board member Tyler Janow. “But while patrons love coming to the sale year after year, there’s always something new to see and art to discover. Whether you’re selecting original art for your home or office, enjoying seasonal events with your family or shopping for holiday gifts, you don’t want to miss this year’s Artsclamation! sale.”
One of this year’s two featured artists is Nashville native and Emmy Award–winning painter James Threalkill. Threalkill came to Artsclamation! previously on a colleague’s recommendation and immediately felt at home.
“The hospitality was incredible, the artists were amazing — I knew right away I wanted to come back,” he told me. “There’s just a great energy to this show.”
A former Vanderbilt football player (a fact he might do well to keep to himself this week!), Threalkill paints across a wide range of subjects: ballerinas, athletes, children, roosters and farm animals, musicians, still-life pieces, even vintage soda bottles. His colorful jazz musician are a signature subject and his personal favorite. He describes his work as a celebration of everyday life: “a tribute to my appreciation of life and the people and things in my world,” he says. “I try to have a broad appeal for the people who come through.”
Threalkill speaks openly about the therapeutic nature of making art, something that resonates deeply with the mission of Peninsula, the event’s beneficiary.
“For me, the solitude of the studio is healing. I listen to music, I create, it’s therapy,” he said. And he’s repeatedly witnessed how his work becomes meaningful to others. He recalled a couple who approached him after seeing a painting of a dog wearing glasses — it reminded them of a beloved pet they had just lost.
“They were brought to tears,” he said. “Something I made in my studio meant so much to them. That’s the healing power of art.”
Threalkill has painted murals far and wide and believes deeply in the impact public art can have, especially in communal spaces like hospitals, pediatric centers and neighborhood corridors. “Murals bring harmony and unity,” he said. “They can live in a community for 10 or 15 years and keep impacting people.”
Being named a featured artist at Artsclamation! is an honor he doesn’t take lightly. “I’m truly grateful,” he said. “I look forward to sharing the experience with the artist community and the patrons who support this event.”
In addition to professional artists, the sale will include art created by clients in Peninsula’s Recovery Education Center, powerful pieces that reflect the therapeutic work happening every day inside the program.
“Peninsula relies heavily on proceeds from Artsclamation!,” said Paul Smith, vice president of behavioral health for Peninsula. “We are good stewards of every dollar that is spent to provide care and treatment for those that need us. Funds from this event assist Peninsula with therapeutic spaces, activities and support for our patients that would otherwise not be an option.”
If You Go
📍 The Standard – 416 W. Jackson Ave.
📅 Dec. 5–6, 2025
💲 Free admission
🅿️ Free city parking across the street
A full list of participating artists is available at Artsclamation.com.
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