The Parthenon

Amber and I took a road trip to Nashville to do some research on Betty Rymer, the namesake of the Betty Rymer gallery at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where Amber received her MFA. We spent three days in the strange and wonderful city, which was made better by the lists we received from friends and acquaintances recommending different local spots.

The craziest thing we saw was the Nashville Parthenon, which is a full scale replica of the Parthenon in Greece. Neither of us knew it, but apparently Nashville is referred to as the Athens of the South (because of all the schools and all the colonnades probably). This Parthenon was built for the world's fair out of plaster and brick, and like most world's fair cities, the whole thing was supposed to come down shortly thereafter. But the city folks fell in love, and the original structure stood until the 1920s, when it was rebuilt in concrete (and covered in those strange pebbles that make it looks super weird). Concrete feels funny for this structure, even though we both know that concrete dates from classical times (yes, roman, but who is counting?). What is even funnier is that it isn't really a replica except on the outside (which really is stunning, flood lights and all). The inside is an art museum.

We wondered, upon leaving Nashville, how many other Athens there are in this country. I know I've heard of Boston referred to as the Athens of America (there are certainly enough universities there). Any more you've heard of?