What do you get when you mix a ton of clay, over a hundred jars of underglaze, a determined artist’s dream, and an art community like the one fostered here on The Clay Lady’s Campus? The Nashville Clayscape!

Conceived and created on The Clay Lady’s Campus by clay artist Tamara Gentuso (Tammy G), the work on this whimsical tile map began in May 2017. Three years later, in May 2020, all 192 square-foot handmade tiles were completed and installed. Circling this 8’ x 25’ folk art map is a border of 3-inch tiles made by people from the Nashville community, marking the completion of the Clayscape.

Warping the map grid to squeeze in the more densely populated areas, Tammy G created a separate template for each individual tile. Each building was hand crafted, each landmark sculpted, each home carefully carved and then underglazed with vibrant colors, mirroring Nashville’s colorful character.

With Nashville ever-growing and ever-changing, this public art installation serves as a snapshot, a sliver of time in the life of this beautiful city we have come to know and love…and call home.