“Exciting, thought-provoking work that you won’t see anywhere else.”
– Nashville Scene –
Just minutes from downtown, OZ Arts Nashville has transformed a former cigar warehouse into a bold platform for contemporary performance, multimedia exploration, and creative risk-taking. As an internationally respected presenter, OZ is known for showcasing adventurous new work by local, national, and international artists who defy traditional boundaries between disciplines.
With a curatorial vision rooted in experimentation and global perspectives, OZ presents world-class artists working at the intersection of dance, theater, music, film, visual art, and digital media. From immersive projections to genre-blending premieres, OZ offers Nashville audiences rare access to performances seen nowhere else in the region.
More than a performance venue, OZ Arts is a vital hub for creativity and cultural exchange. It has hosted artists and ensembles from over 25 countries, reaching nearly 100,000 people with work that expands perspectives and addresses urgent issues of our time. Hundreds of Nashville-based artists have used OZ’s “Creative Warehouse” as a laboratory to imagine and build groundbreaking new work.
OZ also fuels innovation through education. With the support of generous donors, OZ has created life-changing learning opportunities for more than 10,000 youth across Middle Tennessee through partnerships with schools, cultural groups, and community centers. These programs empower students to explore creativity, performance, and global ideas.
The industrial-chic, converted warehouse also serves as a dynamic resource for Middle Tennessee’s broader creative ecosystem. From literary events and civic programs to benefits and workshops, dozens of organizations use OZ as a gathering place for ideas and inspiration.
In a city celebrated worldwide for its musical heritage, OZ Arts is forging a bold new creative path — one that champions experimentation, innovation, and cross-cultural exchange. As both a community anchor and an incubator for the future of performance, OZ proves that true innovation thrives not only in startups and studios, but in the dynamic connection between artists and audiences.
PHOTOS BY: TIFFANY BESSIRE
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: GARDENING, NOT ARCHITECTURE; MIWA MATREYEK: INFINITELY YOURS AND MYTH & INFRASTRUCTURE; TEATRO CINEMA: PLATA QUEMADA; DAVID FLORES: PRISM; HIROAKI UMEDA: SPLIT FLOW / HOLISTIC STRATA; GOB SQUAD: KITCHEN: YOU’VE NEVER HAD IT SO GOOD; KID KOALA: THE STORYVILLE MOSQUITO; MIWA MAYTREYEK; MELLOTRON VARIATIONS; DAKHABRAKHA: ONE YEAR AFTER THE INVASION; KRONOS QUARTET: A THOUSAND THOUGHTS; THE WOOSTER GROUP: SYMPHONY OF RATS; SHAMEL PITTS | TRIBE: BLACK HOLE – TRILOGY AND TRIATHLON; HIROAKI UMEDA.
