For nearly five decades, Bennett Galleries has been more than just a place to buy art; it has been a cornerstone of Nashville's creative community, built on the relationships and collaboration that define the city's thriving art scene.
Among the artists they work alongside and proudly highlight is native Tennessean Frank Baggett, who understands the depth of Tennessee's beauty in ways others often overlook, and captures it on canvas with quiet elegance.
“Long before I was aware of Frank Baggett's artwork, I walked the paths and dirt roads he paints,” said Miranda Herrick, curator at Bennett Galleries. “Frank is deeply inspired by growing up in Tennessee. His love of his home state shines through in paintings of rivers, fields, creeks, and paths. When he reached out to us, seeking representation in Nashville, seeing his paintings was like a visit from old friends. I knew immediately that we should add him to our roster of artists. I knew that our clients, who often ask for artwork that ‘feels like home,’ would be delighted with Frank Baggett's paintings.”
Baggett's connection to Tennessee runs deeper than subject matter alone; it is the foundation of his entire artistic philosophy.
"It is not the quality of the brush that determines the outcome of the painting, it is the hand holding the brush,” Frank explained.
A country boy at heart, he spends his days outside, tending his garden, fishing the river, and staying close to the small community he calls home. The same man known to haul in 60-pound catfish is equally at home in his backyard studio, channeling that same patience and grit into paintings that walk a delicate line between traditional and contemporary. Working in oil, he brings landscapes and cityscapes to life with a command of color and light reminiscent of the Impressionist masters, not because he's chasing a style, but because it's simply how he sees the world around him.
“Frank isn't following trends or playing to an audience,” Miranda said. “He is painting what he loves and has a true appreciation for. That shines through in his work and makes it timeless.”
It is exactly that kind of authenticity that has built Bennett Galleries' reputation. That reputation has been built over generations, and the gallery has always had an eye for artists whose work doesn't just decorate a wall but tells a story. Knowing which stories deserve to be told is what sets Bennett apart. Featuring Baggett's work is, in many ways, a natural extension of that legacy. The gallery doesn't simply display his paintings; it champions them, presenting them to a clientele that has come to trust Bennett Galleries as the definitive voice in Nashville's art scene.
"Our relationships with local artists like Frank are very important to us," Scott Kinman, Bennett Galleries' marketing director, says. “The whole art scene is built upon collaboration and mutual support. We need them, and they need us. Additionally, many art collectors, both local and traveling, prize work made by locals of regional scenery, and Frank is one of the best that there is in that niche, so we are grateful that we can offer his work to our customers.”
Beyond the art on its walls, Bennett Galleries also stands as Nashville's premier custom framing destination, offering one of the city's largest selections of high-quality moulding alongside archival, museum-quality materials — ensuring the pieces you love are protected for generations to come.
For a gallery rooted in the belief that great art tells a story, Frank Baggett is exactly the kind of storyteller Bennett Galleries was built to share with the world.
Bennett Galleries is hosting an upcoming exhibition featuring Frank Baggett and Sheryl Hibbs with the opening reception on August 22nd from 6-8 p.m. To learn more about upcoming exhibitions or to see Frank’s art, visit their website.
"It is not the quality of the brush that determines the outcome of the painting, it is the hand holding the brush."