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Fannie Mae Dees Park, Nashville, Tennessee, 1982 November

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Fannie Mae Dees Park, Nashville, Tennessee, 1982 November

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Title	Fannie Mae Dees Park, Nashville, Tennessee, 1982 November
Topical entry	Parks--Tennessee--Nashville Urban parks--Tennessee--Nashville
Geographic entry	Nashville (Tenn.)--History--Sources Nashville and Davidson County (Tenn.)--History--Sources Nashville (Tenn.)--Social life and customs Nashville (Tenn.)--Parks Nashville (Tenn.)--Buildings, structures, etc. Twenty-fourth Avenue (Nashville, Tenn.) Blakemore Avenue (Nashville, Tenn.)
Description	An outdoors scene at Fannie Mae Dees Park, Nashville, Tennessee, circa November 1982. Located at Blakemore Avenue and 24th Avenue South, this urban park has informally been referred to as Cavert-Eakin park because of the location near those two schools. The park was also referred to as Sunset Park after the Sunset playground that once operated near the site. The Park Board purchased the park because of its excellent location near the schools, and at the recommendation of the Eakin Community Council on May 4, 1978, named it to honor Fannie Mae Dees, a local civic leader, for her “deep concern for the welfare and safety of children in the Eakin community.” The park is distinguished by the sea-dragon art sculpture by Pedro Silva, a Chilean-born mosaic artist. With a grant from the Tennessee Arts Commission, Silva was brought to Nashville from New York to design the park’s centerpiece, funded by grants from Vanderbilt University and businesses and by contributed materials and labor. Individual artists undertook the various graphics in the mosaic design adorning the serpent’s coils, and a portrait of Fannie Mae Dees can be seen on the loop nearest its tail, which serves as seating. Tile mosaic designs cover most of the structure, and more than 1,000 people helped create and execute these designs. The sculpture was dedicated on April 25, 1981. Known locally as “Dragon Park,” the park also contains play equipment for use by children with physical disabilities as well as a playground, picnic area and tennis courts. Forms part of Metro Archives Record Group 327, Metro Parks and Recreation Collection. 1 color photograph.
Publisher	Metropolitan Nashville/Davidson County Archives, Nashville Public Library
Date	1982-11
Type	Still Image; Photographs
Format	image/jpeg
Identifier	Parks - Fannie May Dees Park - 003
Relation	RG 327, Metro Parks Collection
Coverage	1980-1989
Rights	U.S. and international copyright laws protect this digital content, which is provided for educational purposes only and may not be downloaded, reproduced, or distributed for any other purpose without written permission. Please contact: Metro Nashville Archives, 615 Church Street, Nashville, Tennessee, 37219. Telephone (615) 862-5880.
Location	Closed Stacks, Metro Archives: RG 327, Metro Parks Collection