The Factory at Franklin will open a new exhibition of Dolly Parton-inspired artwork on Friday, Oct. 2, as part of the monthly Downtown Franklin Art Crawl.
The show, called "Celebrate Dolly," features work submitted by dozens of local artists and will remain on display through the end of the year, according to the Williamson Herald.
Curator ShenShen, a professional artist of 41 years who manages the rotating gallery wall near Liberty Hall at The Factory, pivoted her quarterly exhibit to an all-Dolly tribute after Parton died of cancer Aug. 25 at age 80. ShenShen opened submissions for Dolly-themed art and received 50 entries from other artists, Williamson Scene first reported. Not all will fit on the wall.
"It was just a much bigger loss than I could have anticipated, I think," ShenShen told Williamson Scene.
ShenShen, who started as a teen graffiti artist in California, layers spray paint, acrylics and oil to build detailed portraits over abstract bursts of color. She has curated the Factory gallery wall for two years in partnership with the Arts Council of Williamson County. She also added four new Parton paintings to the exhibition, including one created in collaboration with John Carter Cash, the two-time Grammy-winning producer and son of Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash.
Cash is no stranger to The Factory's gallery. His visual art collection "Dark Hallways" was featured on the same wall in a ShenShen-curated show that ran through September. In August, when that exhibit opened, Cash said he saw "no better place than The Factory at Franklin for a showing of art, whether it be classical, abstract, or musical, for that matter."
The Art Crawl runs from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday along Main Street and inside The Factory, with more than 30 local artists participating. A free shuttle will carry guests between the two locations throughout the evening.
ShenShen said she hopes to eventually travel with an expanded version of the Dolly exhibition. For now, the "Celebrate Dolly" show joins a wave of local tributes. Franklin held a Dolly Parton Day celebration at Bicentennial Park on Sept. 25 with trivia and pink decorations.
The Art Crawl is free and open to the public. The "Celebrate Dolly" exhibition will be on view at The Factory at Franklin, 230 Franklin Road, through the end of 2026.
