Artober Nashville, the annual month-long celebration of the arts in Nashville and Middle Tennessee by NowPlayingNashville.com and the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, is back with “Purpose.”

Held each October, the Artober celebration highlights the depth and variety of the arts community and its many public offerings while encouraging participation in the arts from residents and tourists alike.

“Purpose,” the name of a painting by Nashville artist Beth Inglish, is this year’s official backdrop for Artober. The art is one in a series of eight pieces of work created in 2017.

“Purpose” by Nashville artist Beth Inglish

“It was important for us to feature a local artist,” said Erin Holcomb, manager of Now Playing Nashville. “We want it to become an annual Artober Nashville tradition to showcase an artist from the Middle Tennessee region.”

Holcomb said the vibrant colors and lines from Inglish’s piece played an integral role in the selection process of the piece.

“This abstract piece is exactly what we envisioned,” she said. “It fit perfectly with the logo, and the name ‘Purpose’ resonated to help tell a beautiful story.”

For a deeper dive into Inglish’s artistic process and the inspiration behind her painting, visit the Now Playing Nashville blog.

Although NowPlayingNashville.com has been an organizer and presenter of Artober Nashville since its creation in 2011, last year marked the online arts and entertainment website’s first year operating the program and the first time the month-long program was open to the entire Middle Tennessee region.

Visitors to ArtoberNashville.com will find hundreds of arts and cultural events – many unique to the month of October – in every discipline, including visual and performing arts, music, festivals, family fun, crafts and film.

Events during Artober Nashville:

October 3 – Cafe Tacuba at War Memorial Auditorium

October 4 – Poverty & the Arts Exhibit at Casa Azafrán Community Center

October 4 – Tennessee State Museum Grand Opening

October 4-6 – Nashville Opera’s La Traviata at TPAC

October 4-7 – International Black Film Festival at Watkins College of Art

October 5 – Emmylou Harris: Songbird’s Flight Exhibit Opening at Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

October 6 – Celebrate Nashville Cultural Festival in Centennial Park

October 6 – First Saturday Art Crawl on 5^th Avenue of the Arts

October 9-14 – The Play That Goes Wrong (Broadway touring production) at TPAC

October 11-14 – Oktoberfest in Germantown

October 11 – November 3 – Nashville Rep’s A Doll’s House, Part 2 at TPAC

October 12-14 – Southern Festival of Books at Legislative Plaza, Nashville Public Library

October 12-14 – Tennessee Fall Craft Fair in Centennial Park

October 12-28 – Boo at the Zoo at Nashville Zoo at Grassmere

October 21 – Family Festival Day at Frist Art Museum

October 24 – November 4 – The Phantom of the Opera (Broadway touring production) at TPAC

October 27 ­– El Dia de los Muertos at Cheekwood Estate & Gardens

October 27 – Free Day of Music at Schermerhorn Symphony Center

Now through Oct. 27 – MixTape at Zeitgeist

October 29 – Belmont Camerata at Belmont Mansion

For more information visit ArtoberNashville.com.

Artober Nashville is funded by Now Playing Nashville of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee and the Tennessee Arts Commission. It was originally established in 2011 by the Metro Nashville Arts Commission and operated by the commission through 2016. NowPlayingNashville.com, an initiative of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, is Middle Tennessee comprehensive event guide for Where to Go and What to Do, with information about music, theater, visual arts, sports, dance, museums, family fun, dining and more, with discount ticket offers. Since its launch in 2007, the website has collaborated with hundreds of community partners, providing comprehensive information to support arts and entertainment organizations and enrich the Middle Tennessee community. For more information, visit NowPlayingNashville.com.

The Community Foundation exists to promote and facilitate giving in the 40 counties of Middle Tennessee and beyond. It does this by accepting gifts of any size from anyone at any time and by empowering individuals, families, companies, nonprofits, and communities to respond to needs and opportunities that matter. The Community Foundation works with people who have great hearts, whether or not they have great wealth, to craft solutions that reflect their intentions and goals. For more information, call 615-321-4939 or visit www.cfmt.org.