This season’s Soundwaves Gallery: THE HE(ART) OF NASHVILLE continues to grow with another stunning addition to the Starting XI, a collection of 11 specialty artworks commissioned by Nashville SC and created by local Nashville artists using soccer-related items. Each piece will be unveiled throughout the 2025 season and auctioned off at its conclusion, with proceeds benefiting the Nashville SC Community Fund.
Today, we’re thrilled to introduce work from Nashville-based artist Katherine Frensley.
A Goal Beyond the Game
Katherine Frensley
This 37” x 22” piece was woven on a loom using pieces of a soccer net and thrifted t-shirts from local schools and soccer teams. The act of weaving serves as a powerful metaphor for the interconnectedness of life and the unity of humanity. Weaving not only symbolizes how lives and events are interwoven but also reflects the shared journey of humanity with its twists, turns, knots, and frays. This weaving is more than a beautiful textile—it’s a tapestry of community, connection, and shared passion. While it may lack traditional imagery, its meaning is embedded in the very materials used: pieces gathered from soccer teams across Nashville, representing players and supporters of all ages, races, and backgrounds. United by the common love of the game, each thread contributes to a larger story of unity and belonging. Whether you’re on the field or in the stands, this weaving celebrates how soccer brings people together, reflecting the spirit of Nashville as a city that values connection, joy, and community.
About the Artist
Katherine Frensley is a multidisciplinary artist based in Nashville, TN. Her practice spans traditional fiber and textile techniques, including weaving, quilting, tufting, dyeing, and printmaking. In 2020, she received her BFA in Fibers and Material Studies, with a minor in Art History, from the Tyler School of Art and Architecture at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. Since graduating, Frensley has organized natural dye workshops, collaborated with and assisted established artists, and interned as a Curatorial Intern in the Exhibitions Department at the Frist Art Museum. She recently completed a nine-month artist-in-residency program at The Arcade Arts in Nashville, where she became actively involved in the community through monthly Art Crawls, showcased new and in-progress works, as well as collaborative projects, and curated visiting artists. Frensley continues to create and exhibit her work.
Starting XI
This piece is now on view now as part of the Starting XI at the Soundwaves Gallery in GEODIS Park, displayed alongside THE HE(ART) OF NASHVILLE, a rotating exhibition of 44 works by 44 local artists curated in partnership with the Arts & Business Council in collaboration with a three-person curatorial committee comprised of local arts leaders Michael J. McBride, Artist, Illustrator, Printmaker, Painter, and Instructor of Art at Tennessee State University; Amanda H. Hellman, Director of the Vanderbilt University Museum of Art; and Michael Mitchell (aka mikewindy), Artist and Art Education Coordinator at Tennessee State University.