The Parthenon, Nashville's full-scale replica of the Athenian monument forms the centerpiece for the city's historic Centennial Park, and also houses an art museum. The jewel in the crown of the collection, a 42-foot tall statue of Athena, one of the largest pieces of indoor sculpture in the nation, is the creation of Nashville artist Alan LeQuire. Other permanent collection holdings include reproductions of the Elgin Marbles (the carved friezes from the original Parthenon that were removed by Lord Elgin and transported to London to be placed in the British Museum), and the Cowan Collection of American Paintings. Artifacts related to the Tennessee Centennial Exposition of 1897, for which the original plaster Parthenon served as the art building, create a fine interpretive exhibit. The Parthenon holds an annual series of public lectures on topics related to Classical antiquity, and the Cowan Collection, which contains works by Benjamin West, Frederick Church, Winslow Homer and other notable American artists, exhibits regularly. The Parthenon also features a yearly schedule of changing exhibits of works by local, regional, and other visiting artists in its lovely lower level galleries.--Susan Knowles
