Visit "The Colors of Shelby" Online Art Show!


Couldn't make it to the show? Check out the online show benefitting Friends of Shelby Park and Bottoms.

Online show - coming soon!
Vicki Jett Terry

For a glimpse of what we do, watch this 1 minute video about our longtime partnership with Friends of Radnor Lake.

Celebrating the tradition of outdoor painting since 2001.

The Chestnut Group, a 501(c) (4) nonprofit based in Nashville, Tennessee, is a community of plein air artists passionate about their art form and about the preservation of threatened natural habitats, local landscape and historic properties of Middle Tennessee. The non-juried group welcomes painters of all skill levels in all mediums – oils, acrylics, pastels and watercolors.

Today’s membership is not only rich in plein air painters, but also volunteers and environmental enthusiasts who share the group’s commitment to the core values of conservation, education and community.

The Chestnut Group community is comprised of

  • Plein air artists with varied backgrounds and experiences
  • Coordinators providing training and workshops for all skill levels
  • Supporters of grass roots conservancy
  • Advocates and volunteers committed to preserving nature and history

The Chestnut Group members are active fundraisers and proud to partner with local organizations dedicated to protecting the area’s disappearing natural landscape and historically protected sites. The group’s partners hold semi-annual events, where Chestnut Group artists donate a generous portion of the proceeds from the sale of their work to further the partners’ environmental and preservation efforts.

Upcoming Events/Workshops

Meet our partners

Friends of Franklin Parks
Friends of Shelby Parks & Bottoms
Centennial Park Conservancy
Nashville Tree Conservation Corps
The Frist Center for the Visual Arts
The Harpeth Conservancy
Greenways for Nashville
The Nature Conservancy
Friends of Radnor Lake
Cumberland River Compact
Friends of Warner Parks
The Hermitage: Home of President Andrew Jackson
The Battle of Franklin Trust
The Land Trust for Tennessee