What we now know as Watkins College of Art, Design & Film has roots in the generosity and vision of one man: Samuel Watkins (1794-1880), a self-made entrepreneur and philanthropist, orphaned at the age of 4, who lacked any formal education. In his will he left $100,000 and property in the center of Nashville for the establishment of a school that would teach those in need the “business of life.” Watkins Institute began operations in 1885 and immediately became the center for arts in Nashville. One month after the doors were opened, the school, under the auspices of the Nashville Art Association, held the city’s first comprehensive art exhibition and soon after began an art school.
