"This series began as a yearning to create art with as little limitation as possible. As the economy began to slow in 2024, I took to the streets in my car delivering Uber Eats. A hellscape of fast food and hours alone on the road, but it paid for groceries for my kids. Stuck in a vehicle for days at a time, I challenged myself to create. Slowly, I began to see the world around me like a collage artist may see a stack of magazines. Everything around me became accessible to take and twist into something bigger than itself.
Suddenly, the beauty and humor and holiness of the everyday visual world became overwhelmingly evident. With a small shift in perspective, every single thing in my life is now an opportunity to celebrate the present. " -WMH
Noah Saterstrom
INSTAMATIC
a solo exhibition
November 2nd - 30th, 2024
Opening Reception, November 2nd, 6:00 - 9:00 pm
In the NYT article about his Mississippi Museum of Art exhibition earlier this year, Noah Saterstrom delved into more branches of his family history featuring Dr. Smith - please read and explore this incredible exhibition and 120 foot long painting installation - which prompted a deeper dive into mental health within the artist's own life. You may recall Saterstrom's 2017 groundbreaking solo exhibition, Shubuta & Other Stories. The links provided here are invaluable and I hope you will explore them at your convenience.
"In that (MMA) show I talk about an episode of mental disorder I had in my mid-twenties. It was a dissociative disorder called depersonalization, and even though I recovered fully, it changed the course of my life and my painting. Painting played a central role in creating that breakdown and also was the thing that brought me out of it. Instinctively, I painted hundreds of family photographs, rebuilding my memories and confidence in reality while I was staring into them, without knowing that’s what I was doing. It’s all in a way an extension of the Dr. Smith story as this conversation only came to light while I was writing for the catalog for that show." -NS
In this spirit, the paintings for this exhibition will be taken directly from family photo albums from approx. 1980 - 1984. "Ostensibly they are simple paintings from forty year old snapshots, but the subject is entangled with how memory works, dissociation, family, mental health, breaking taboos, art and neuroscience, and the very familiar atmosphere of the early 80s".
April Greene, October 5th - 26th
opening reception: 10/5, 6:00-9:00
As a Nashville-based mixed media fiber artist specializing in quilts, I draw inspiration from my Southern heritage and my lineage as the great-great-great-granddaughter of Frederick Douglass, the renowned abolitionist and author. My art proudly incorporates quilt blocks and techniques passed down by enslaved women, a homage to my roots and a testament to resilience and heritage.
Through my career in fashion, I discovered quilting as my true passion. My creations are distinguished by playful and vibrant colors, especially shades of pink and purple, which convey joy, resilience, and harmony. Hand-embroidered details add unique touches, reflecting the meticulous skill and history embedded in each stitch. Challenging traditional conventions of textile work, I create quilts for the joy of the creator, drawing inspiration from architecture, nature, and Southern heritage to infuse my work with a unique blend of influences.
Coat of Arms by Taylor Walton
October 2024 will also feature a selection of works from Taylor Walton
Growing up as Black male in the American South, I occupied a heavily scrutinized demographic. Introduced to prejudice at an early age, my existence felt used and discarded— the lack of visible representation made it difficult to see myself within the sphere of art-making. The ‘need’ to provide constantly outweighed the ‘want’ to express. I purposefully use mediums and techniques that have previously empowered the disenfranchised to juxtapose this. I create work that encapsulates the surrealism of the Black existence; Representation in this form opens the door for more in-depth conversations about race and class. My aim is to convey the gravity and importance of these interactions. My practice is a reclamation of time and space that was oftentimes ripped from us throughout history. I combine elements of illustration, printmaking, and collage to discuss intersectional themes of class, race, and gender. I work primarily in illustration— utilizing everything from acrylic markers, oil pastels, and color pencils; I use screen printing and risographs to elicit a sense of urgency through use of texture and multiplicity. Printmaking has been a vehicle of expression for various protest movements; printed media also played an integral role in the advancement of African-Americans socially and politically. I employ these techniques as a way to connect to those previous protest movements and community builders. Collage allows me to bring these disparate elements and inspirations into my work— creating new textures, helping to illustrate a visual metaphor of displacement/forced migration; similar of Diasporic cultures prevalent throughout history.
9/7/24 - 9/28/24
Opening Reception Saturday, September 7th, 6:00 - 9:00 p
Art O' Fiscal Intelligence explores the idea that the one way to develop your self-worth is to check the books. The concepts of “worth” and “the books” are deeply tied to both capitalism and identity, two forces at odds in America today. "Worth" refers to financial value, but it also speaks to personal significance. "The books" can mean financial ledgers as well as written historical accounts.
The question at hand is…How does a 53-year-old black man recognize his self-worth in a world that seems designed to devalue it? In recent years, laws and policies have been passed or proposed to undermine and diminish the progress of oppressed groups. This includes resisting fair treatment, accepting false historical narratives, banning diverse stories, controlling bodies, and forcing identity assimilation.
I believe the way to truly establish our value is to take the concept of "time" out of the equation as not to focus solely on the history of enslavement as the start of our existence, but instead see it as a small part of a much larger story. Recognizing our beginning as the origin of humanity, our present as a powerful people, and our future as our dreams and goals allows us to see our value in a broader context. Each part influences the others, reinforcing our worth throughout the broad scope of time.
In this exhibition, I want to make this effort tangible by creating works that combine the past, present and future illustrating the idea that an enslaved person possesses the absolute power of his ancestry and his progeny. He holds dreams of freedom and full existence because his DNA is connected to people who charted the stars, invented science and mathematics, and respected their place in the cosmos. In essence, he converses with his future and past selves. We own and possess that same power, and once we tap into it, we’ll establish our worth by writing a truer account of our existence. In essence… I become the Art O’ Fiscal Intelligence.
JAMES WORSHAM
The 444 Pop Up
featuring the irreverent, cheeky & fabulous
creations of James Worsham
September 1st - September 30th, 2024
Brett Eugene Ralph has hosted a few monochromatic exhibitions in the gallery at Surface Noise - his much beloved record shop and venue in Louisville, KY. The only prerequisite being that each individual work contain some version of the crowned color. I love the simplicity in this curatorial approach. Brett was a dear friend to my friend, David Berman. We spoke in passing a number of times about the possibility of collaborating. Here, five years after David’s passing, it feels only right that the fruition of our first collaboration be colored by our mutual love of David and his last record, Purple Mountains. We chose purple as the chromatic thread to bind this selection of works from a truly phenomenal stable of artists.
Surface Noise & JMG share a similar ethos, so it goes without saying that this collaboration would include live performances from some of our favorite musicians, a few of which are included as visual artists. Join us for this dreamy line up of sound and color uniting Louisville & Nashville across purple plains.
For the month of June, I will be open by *appointment only* as this month brings a long overdue claiming of space and special opportunities for both artists and collectors...
First, meet my easel. It was given to me by my father almost 30 years ago. If you know me at all, you know that I am a poster child for daddy issues. This easel is one of the things he got right - so right, that any attempts to replace it have failed miserably over the years. It struggles to stand up straight, the top brace only functions with a vice grip and the back brace requires magical thinking and a prayer to stay in place. Still, it is my rock in the studio. No other can hold a candle to it. So it is no understatement that its a big deal to have it mildly disassembled and installed into the central room of JMG.
For the last decade, my personal work has lived mostly on the back burner - working in fits and stops, never fully tapping into flow as I hide away my gear during business hours. Its been a trap of my own making that I have struggled for years to see a way out of - and here it is. Moving forward, my work space becomes a regular part of the JMG experience. The main gallery will continue its programming of stellar feature exhibitions, which as you know this Fall is en fuego... and we're ushering in the re-branding of our glass front gallery space, hence forth referred to as The 444 Pop Up.
“The 444 Pop Up” refers to our beautiful front window display space that is visible 24/7. This is me officially inviting you to submit your pitches to be featured in this magical display that has become so loved in the heart of Wedgewood Houston. It deserves more energy and houses the ability to create much untapped opportunity. What would you do with it? The possibilities are absolutely endless and I am wide open and eager to help you launch it, whatever "it" may be. Let's get to work, baby.
To show us how its done, James Worsham will be having his way with it, kicking off September. We also have a little Minton Sparks extravaganza in the works - details TBA. What feasts for the eyes will you create? What creative concepts would you like to test out? Launch a creative start up, throw a dance party, be an exhibitionist for a night. The 444 is your literal, glass encased oyster.
Submit your thoughts, ideas, questions to juliamartingallery@gmail.com and make sure your subject line reads “444 Pop Up submission” to be considered.
And Lastly.... I will be displaying some work from the stacks - work of my own, along with an assortment from a few staple JMG artists at a significant summer discount, but only for the month of June. So if you've been waiting to pounce, this is an excellent opportunity. (includes some wonderful jewelry pieces as well)
Thank you for your patience as we switch gears.
I am so grateful for the privilege to continue collaborating and growing with this community and look forward to what this new chapter brings.
Love,
JM
February 20, 2024
Reception 6:00 - 9:00p, free & open to the public.
Somewhere in the neighborhood of ten years ago, my friend Kim Green introduced me to a tiny Cambodian woman named Chantha Nguon, whose life has been anything but small. In the years since, I’ve had the privilege of listening to her stories, eating her food, and starting my own collection of Mekong Blue silk goods made by the women of Stung Treng - whose stories ignited a deep desire to do more. As talk of a memoir became reality, I fantasized about using JMG’s platform for the very exhibition I announce to you now.
Slow Noodles, a memoir co written by Chantha Nguon & Kim Green is an incredibly "harrowing, wise and fiercely feminist memoir" -Maggie Smith scheduled to be released to the world on February 20th, 2024.
In celebration of this momentous launch, Julia Martin Gallery has invited 21 female artists to explore and pay tribute to the many ways in which Chantha Nguon has changed and uplifted the lives of Cambodian Women, beginning with her own. Each artist is working, some with actual Mekong silks, to bring their own unique perspectives and visual dialogue to these stories.
I am beyond honored to welcome the following:
Elizabeth Williams, Merrilee Challiss, Pam Marlene Taylor, Beizar Aradini, Louisa Glenn, Judith Fox-Fliesser, Brooke Gillon, Delia Seigenthaler, Ash Atterberry, Becca Jane Koehler, Megan Curtin, Brooke Bernard, Alex Blau, Anna McKeown, Virginia Griswold, Lindsy Davis, Julia Martin, Blythe Colvin, Rachel Briggs, Joan Curry
Chantha and her daughter Clara Kim who has been an integral part of so much - including recording the audiobook of her mother’s memoir in London - will both be in attendance. Parnassus Books will join us with fresh copies ready for signing and Chef Molly Martin will be whipping up some Slow Noodles inspired nibbles.
30% of all proceeds will go to the Stung Treng Women’s Center in Cambodia, 30% to the individual artists, and 30% to cover event and exhibition costs
As winter settles in, it feels good to bring in a taste of uplifting flora and grounding nature from Judith Fox-Fliesser.
I began seeing Judith almost everywhere I went a couple of years ago. I made a joke to a friend that maybe she was an angel. Since then I’ve gotten to know Judy and the more I do, the more I appreciate the privilege. Imagine my delight when she began sharing her drawings and sculptures with me. Much like the woman herself, the work is deceptively powerful - there’s a complex rigidity and directness with which she handles the most delicate subject matter, giving it tooth and poetry. I’m happy to release a small collection of her shellac-based ink nature drawings this month.
In compliment, we have two featured ceramicists - our beloved Brooke Gillon has stocked us up with a gorgeous assortment of new work >click here to view< and newcomer Ethan Waddle joins us with a wonderful spin of the 7 Deadly Sins >click here to view<
Opening reception: Saturday January 6th 5:00 - 8:00p
Show Dates: January 6 - February 10, 2024
Chris Uphues + Devin Goebel - Moonlight on a Yellow Ferrari
One of the privileges and goals of JMG is pairing breakout artists with established mid-career magicians to create a rising tide. This show is a perfect pairing in this regard. The completely unplanned monochromatic parallels and playful edgy subject matter feel like a pat on the back from the universe for everyone involved. Do not miss this show!
Opening 11/4/23 and up through 11/25/23
Celebrating Ten Years
Ash Atterberry + Wayne White + Samuel Dunson + Josh Black + Noah Saterstrom + Louisa Glenn + Kevin Guthrie + Jon Langford + Brett Douglas Hunter + Nuveen Barwari + Delia Seigenthaler + Brooke Gillon + Elizabeth Williams + Becca Jane Koehler + John Paul Kesling + R. Ellis Orrall + Benjy Russell + Josh Elrod + Alex Lockwood + Rachel Briggs + Jodi Hays + Beizer Abdi + Harry Underwood + Dan Melchior + Megan Kimber + Emily Holt + Andrew Combs + Julia Martin
It is official… It has been a decade, and we are celebrating with nearly thirty of our favorite artists, bringing you a truly epic anniversary exhibition, including an 8 foot Wayne White puppet show!? I know, I can’t believe it either… much less ten years.
To kick it up even more we’re shutting down the street and invite you to settle in for a little festival of music featuring William Tyler, HR Lexy, Username Password, Styrofoam Winos, BCKHND, Dim Watts… so bring your favorite chair or blanket and settle in. We kick off around 3:00. Our Martin brethren over at Martin’s BBQ are setting us up with the most delicious BBQ and fixins in the world, Bearded Iris Brewing is hooking up the Homestyle, We’re whipping up some extra special custom merch, and I’m sure I’m forgetting something, but you know we’ll have plenty of champagne! All we require is your beautiful presence.
We cannot wait to celebrate with you and show our gratitude for all your support over the last ten years. Thank you, we love you. -JM
Opening Celebration: September 2nd, 3:00 - 9:00pm
Show Dates: September 2nd - October 28th, 2023
Merrilee Challiss
Palimpsest
Born of grief, hope, transition, transformation and the renewal of life, this multi-media installation explores my own changing experience and the feminine archetype as palimpsest. A nod to the liminal, palimpsest can mean “altered but still bearing traces of its earlier form” (Wikipedia). In this case, the idea of that palimpsest functions as a metaphor for the feminine archetype as a continual site of renewal (as in a feedback loop). The feminine archetype of the crone or grotesque, for me, ultimately is a generative force that provides protection and guardianship, such as the Sheela-na-gig, or the Egyptian god Bes, respectively. It is the scarring over of a healing wound that does not heal, a hand that writes a prayer over and over, the mark of time across a surface, the stories and histories (and rights) written and overwritten, and the crone looking back at herself as a maiden, wiser, yet wizened.
The installation is an assemblage of various intuitive media and material explorations in which images have been overlaid and overprinted on top of each other and found objects have been transformed from their original meaning and use. The hand and the eye are central motifs, suggesting presence, protest, objection and protection. Each of the 13 hands represents aspects of a different feminine archetype, such as lover, huntress, healer, etc. Layered images, signs and symbols, some in watercolor and / or gouache, some screen-printed and / or stitched over, allow for open-ended, multi-valent meanings and invite the viewer to draw upon their own associations to complete the work. Ultimately this reliquary of imagined sacred objects, or relics of imaginary “saints” (or wise women who push(ed) society forward) is meant to conjure a spell of protection.
Buchanan Arts Student & Faculty Fundraiser
Buchanan arts is a light in the neighborhood, offering affordable after school and continuing education in the arts across ages and skill levels. In the Young Artists Program, kids are given the chance to experiment with a variety of mediums while thinking critically about concepts and mediums. Through the summer, a variety of artists from around the region come in to work with all ages of students, with skills ranging from 3D printing to traditional pit clay firing. For adults, continuing education courses offer the chance to get your hands in the clay and produce a wide range of styles from wheel throwing to slab building. This show highlights student work and the Buchanan community, giving everyone who takes classes a chance to show their work to the public.
BJ Barbee
Reverence/Relevance
Combining mystical components of a religious cult upbringing with images of legendary musicians, mythical preachers and bewitching bombshells, BJ Barbee taps into a deviant undercurrent that most of humanity sweeps under a rug. Barbee, in turn, pays tribute to it in banner form, inviting viewers to saddle up and join the parade.
Featuring Ceramics by Becca Jane Koehler
Each Becca Jane Glaze is 1 of 1. Each cast work originates from a beloved found object, whose mold was hand carved to perfection.
The Future of Print
In the digital age, what will become of print media? This group show explores the trajectory of printmaking, screenprinting, zines, and other physical media. There is an emphasis on the physical, tactile interaction we get from flipping through a magazine, shopping through newly silkscreened t-shirts, or framing up a new print. As digital platforms become more expensive and popular for spreading ideas, we wonder what will happen to these carefully crafted pieces of an analog age. We will also consider a possible gridless future - if forced back to rudimentary tools and practices, what could that future of print look like? Collaborators will work with elements of printed materials that in some cases are only fully enjoyed in a physical, tactile setting, while others will bring the digital into the physical realm, creating an equally one of a kind “irl” experience.
We welcome the exploratory works of Jon Sewell, Matthew Sharer, Bingham Barnes, Rachel Briggs, Yanira Vissepo, Graeme Morris and Josh Shearon for this exciting exhibition.
Louisa Glenn
The Cracks are How the Light Gets In
Louisa Glenn’s work is rooted in color theory. For her 2023 solo show Glenn brings personal revelations and lessons forth through layering abstract bursts of color - building undulating fields of vibrant epiphany.
JOSHUA BLACK
Shadow Work
Josh Black returns in February 2023 after his sell out show Don’t Forget to Laugh with an array of artworks that deal with social commentary. However, rather than critiquing racism and community issues, Black will now be turning his critical lens on himself. For this new body of work, Black will examine subjects he tends to personally shy away from. Coming from a new technical direction, the show will explore love, infidelity, pride, fear, death, materialism, and other subjects that we can all relate to. Black’s goal is to put a mirror on himself, and to encourage viewers to do the same.
Julia Martin
Bring the Light
Julia Martin celebrates 9 years of JMG this Saturday at the opening of her solo show, BRING THE LIGHT. Martin’s presence in the Nashville art community as a fine artist, gallerist, mentor and muralist has helped foster creativity throughout the city, and the city continues to return the favor in kind - with this new body of work made entirely on-site in the formal gallery, blurring the lines between studio and curatorial space. Color bursts from the canvases, with hints of neon as a new addition to Martin’s palate. Returning to drawings from quarantine, Julia has reflected on and repurposed pieces into her new show, incorporating collage elements from previous works. From the workspace, to the canvas, to the vintage frames she chose with care for each piece, Martin taps into a thoughtfully crafted, more vibrant space for her 2022-23 solo.
New Work for the 2022-23 solo show will be posted on November 30th, stay tuned!
Elise Drake
Utterverse
After obtaining her BFA in sculpture from MICA, Elise Drake has hit the ground running with a number of solo and group exhibitions as well as acting as co-founder of Jawbrkr, building interactive experiences and sculptures. For her first solo show at JMG, Drake has produced a body of work spanning across sculpture, video art, and interactive spectatorship. Drake’s new work is grounded in her personal use of the alphabet, meditating on how we consider the importance of words and phrases. Working in resin, concrete, and other industrial materials, Drake works to make sure nothing is wasted in the way of both materials and what she wants to say to the world through its use. Building memorials out of phrases, each piece acts as a monument of poetic language.
Show Dates - November 5th - 26th
Performances from Camper and HR Lexy November 5th 6-9PM
Ticketed event with Found Movement Group and Ciona Rouse November 19th
Delia Seigenthaler
Trials & Dispositions
Show Dates: October 1st - 29th, 2022
Reception: October 1st, 6:00-9:00p
Artist Statement:
I have always considered myself a maximalist when it comes to materials. I surround myself with a bricolage of things to pick up and try. Paper, magazines, old photographs, a stack of my mother’s mail in art school books, mass produced art, thrift store finds, antique children’s books, doll catalogues, and wallpaper flowers pile up on my table and fall at my feet as I work. With a diversity of elements happening at the same time, I explore themes that are infused with lighthearted arbitrariness that may reveal a hostile world looming underneath or around the corner. My process is mostly intuitive. It allows me to wander between love and tragedy, dreams, all sorts of events, and stories with and without happy endings.
Jon Langford
Only Demons
"Wheels stuck in the pandemic mud it was song writing that saved the lad! And from the songs came new art - worlds connect, words whirl through landscapes, portraits, dreamscapes and disasters as ghostly faces peer back at us from the realm of song." -JL
Opening Reception: September 3rd, 6:00 - 9:00p
Langford performs live, Saturday, September 17th @ 7:00p
Show Dates: September 3rd - 24th, 2022
Dylan Moss & Kevin Dietz Drawn In
Opening August 6th, 6:00 - 9:00p, with roughly 40 collaborative and personal works on paper, Drawn In is an anarchist romp through love, political/social/religious commentary, intuitive mark making, abstraction of the mundane… and so much more. Please join us for the opening reception, Saturday August 6th, 6:00-9:00p.
Show Dates: August 6th - 27th
Ash Atterberry
We Walked Slow Toward the End
This new body of work is born from loss, love, nature and personal growth - peppered with Western influences creating characters that appear as if she breathed life into a cowboy cartoon. Bright vibrant colors are a hallmark of her creations mixed with bold patterns that echo the work of Southwest Native American pottery as well as contemporary works of the Memphis Art Movement. Having graced our corner shelves for two consecutive Wayne White exhibitions, it is a sincere joy to welcome a handful of small scale sculptures of Wayne’s to the shelves in compliment to our first Ash Atterberry solo. Show Dates: June 4-25, Opening Reception: June 4, 2022, 6:00-9:00p
KEAVY MURPHREE + SPRING RETURN + SHOW DATES: MAY 7-28
Keavy Murphree's Spring Return sees a push into otherworldly, botanic vessels, lamps, and large scale ceramic furnishings. Her drive to explore and experiment with form pushes the medium to its limits. Spring Return strives for the positive and optimistic while acknowledging society's collective struggles.
Murphree opened her studio in 2018 after more than a decade working in design and product management. She received her B.F.A. in industrial design from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana and now lives and works in Nashville, TN, with her family.
KEVIN GUTHRIE - A History of Tofu in America
Opening April 2, 2022, 6:00-9:00p
This will be Kevin’s third solo exhibition featuring 30+ works illustrating the fascinating, bizarre and mostly true origins of tofu, tracing right back here to TN. Opening reception performances hosted by our friends at Soft Junk, kicking off around 7:00p
PEGGY SNOW:
What Happened Here
featuring Emily Holt
Opening Reception: March 5th, 6:00 - 9:00, performances by Cherry Blossoms + Ziona Riley
Show Dates: March 5th - 26th
JOSH BLACK:
Don’t Forget to Laugh
Show Dates: February 5th - 26th
Opening Reception February 5th, 2022, 6:00 - 9:00p
Josh Black, an Art brut natural, brings his absurdist social commentary, harsh truths and humor to the visual realm.
ANDY NESS : THE SATELLITE
FEATURING CERAMICS BY KEAVY MURPHREE
January 8 - January 29
Opening Reception January 8th, 6-9p
Please join us in welcoming Andy Ness for his Nashville debut.
Andy earned his BFA in sculpture from Pratt Institute, an MFA from RISD, taught both sculpture and drawing at RISD, has participated in countless residencies - most notably The MacDowell Colony and Provincetown Fine Art Work Center Fellowships - and has shown in both group and solo shows in NYC, England, and Italy.
Andy’s incredibly complex work layers pigment dispersion, polymer acrylic and as he puts it “a kitchen sink’s worth of mixed media” to perfection. The work shimmers with positivity, as does the artist, while revealing in earnest the labor of decades.
JMG Turns 8!
JULIA MARTIN annual solo exhibition
DECEMBER 4th - JANUARY 1st
Opening Reception Saturday December 4th 6-9p, daytime hours starting at noon for our early birds
featuring Bang Candy Co., Grand Palace Silkscreen, Alisa Martin Jewelry, Matthew Sharer & Conner Hastings
Wayne plays an instrument… in public.
That’s right, for the first time, like ever, right here on the porch Wayne and his pals Username Password will play a few ditties following our friends Loney Hutchins & the Nashville Suite. (the new record is aces)
Music starts at 6:30 sharp! Delicious FREE suds provided by Various Artists Brewing for your drinking pleasure.
WAYNE WHITE RADIO MAGIC EIGHTBALL
October 2nd - November 27th
Opening Reception: October 2nd, 6-9p
Wayne White brings an entire solo of his notorious word paintings to Nashville for the first time in a decade.
Ash Atterberry’s folk inspired, hand built ceramics are a perfect compliment. Come visit any Saturday 12-6p or make an appointment anytime.
Dolly Parton, 24” x 24”, process shot
MARK TODD Love Songs
August 7th - September 25th, 2021
opening reception, August 7th, 6:00 - 9:00p
Internationally beloved artist and illustrator, Mark Todd has created a series of ceramic cassette tapes, records, and floral abstracts for his first JMG solo. The opening reception will feature our pal Jemina Pearl spinning records on the porch from 6-9p.
Too Much Not Enough
AI Comfort - Wasnewsky
a solo exhibition
Opening Reception, June 5th 12 - 8p
Show Dates, June 5th - July 21st
*all works created during quarantine, featuring a massive narrative undertaking along with an A - Z cryptozoology alphabet
THE KITCHEN
R. E. Orrall & friends (40+ artists)
Opening Reception: April 3rd, 12-8p
April 3 - May 29, 2021
Kate Csillagi Never Landing
featuring Brooke Gillon ceramics
February 6th - March 27th
featuring ceramics by Sarah Souther
& Holiday Cards by Douglas Archibald Leonard
Paradigm Shift
Beizar Aradini Nuveen Barwari Kate Csillagi
Sam Dunson Marlos Evan Jon Langford
Benji Russell Betty Turbo Savithri Valaga
Show Dates: October 10 - November 28, 2020
“March 2020”, acrylic on found cardboard by Mark Mulroney
MARK MULRONEY
FAMILY VALUES
Featuring sculpture by Elise Drake
Show Dates: August 1st - Sept 26th
40+ Hand Painted T-Shirts by the one and only Marlos E’van are viewable 24/7 in our front window. 50% of all proceeds will go to YEAH!, Youth Empowerment through Arts & Humanities.
To view more of Marlos’ work please visit The Red Arrow Gallery.
Orchestra of Self, mixed media on panel by Harry Underwood
HARRY UNDERWOOD
NEON BELIEVER
Featuring Dan Melchior and Ashley Atterberry ceramics
Show Dates: April 4th - May 30th
IN MEDIAS RES I JULIA MARTIN I featuring large scale collaboration with Levi Christiansen
February 1st - March 28th, 2020 Opening Reception: February 1st, 6-9p
Merrilee Challiss IN THE KEY OF MOON + Kevin Reilly SUPERABUNDANCE featuring ceramic work by Brooke Gillon & jewelry by Ruby Jack, London
December 7th - January 25th
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
October 5th - November 30th 2019
Featuring ceramics by ASHLEY ATTERBERRY
KEVIN GUTHRIE
JUNE 13, 1972
show dates: August 3 - September 28
Artist Statement
When I was eight, I saw my first pro baseball game. Mets at Braves. 16,589 of us were there to watch Seaver, Mays and Aaron do their thing. We were given quite a show with several lead changes and an epic finish. I decided to do a series of drawings commemorating the players involved. They’re all here. Also appearing will be your Democratic presidential candidates, the Watergate crooks, Linda Lovelace, Flip Wilson, Coretta Scott King, and a sad farewell to a rock and roll pioneer.
June 13, 1972. Coming soon. Came already.
**************************************************
Featuring Ceramic Magic by Sarah Souther
& New Works by Julia Martin
BEVY 2019
June 1st - July 27th, 2019
ALEXIS SERIO
BRANDON MORRISON
CASEY CHRISTIANSEN IGNACIO MICHAUD
LEVI CHRISTIANSEN
MARCIA DRAYTON
MATT LORENTZEN
NUVEEN BARWARI
VERONICA LETO
The first of each year we open for submissions and select 9 artists to feature for our annual summer group exhibition, BEVY. Each year the crop of talent surprises me and this year is no exception. We are pleased to welcome an incredibly diverse group of artists this year.
PLAY
February 2nd - March 30th,2019
J. TODD GREENE
RACHEL GROWDEN
BRADY HASTON
JENNIFER HASTON
ALEX LOCKWOOD
TANYA POOLE
ALEXANDRA SARGENT
Including work by artists who value play and the role of playfulness in Art. Paintings, drawings, sculptures, sketchbooks, a quilt, costumes, pillows, and miniature food.
OPENING RECEPTION:
Saturday, February 2nd / 6-9p
THE POWER OF 3
December 1st - January 29th,2018
JULIA MARTIN
NOAH SATERSTROM
DAN MELCHIOR
Including new ceramic works by Ashley Atterberry, custom jewelry by Ruby Jack and a CBD Rainbow Sparkle Bark collaboration with our pals over at Bang Candy.
OPENING RECEPTION:
Saturday, December 1st/ 6-9p
with a special live performance by Dan Melchior, Hamish Kilgour and Paloma Dare at 7:00p.
JOSH ELROD 2018
Mixed Episodes I, acrylic and mica on canvas, 16" x 20", 2018
MIXED EPISODES
October 5 - November 24, 2018
OPENING RECEPTION:
Friday, October 5th / 6-9p
Josh Elrod is a Nashville-based artist. His process is anchored by experimentation and daily practice, which has resulted in a diverse body of work ranging from large-scale paintings to intimate drawings. Through repetition and the physicality of painting and drawing his work becomes a meditative practice, unleashing and reiterating imagery and themes from his subconscious. Several of Josh’s paintings take on a performative quality: a single contemplative gestural line executed with the artist’s non-dominant hand. His recent body of work has varied from these single-stroke large-scale paintings to densely layered surfaces grappling with themes of chaos, sexuality, cartoon vernacular, cash machines, UFO sightings, orifices, creatures and masks: “a grotesque carnival of people, energy, machines and colors.” Josh, who studied at the Art Institute of Chicago, has exhibited work in New York, Los Angeles and Nashville.
Josh relocated to Nashville from New York City after living there for nearly 20 years. The move prompted a resurgence in his creative output and the ability to work in a larger scale than ever before. Josh is an accomplished musician and performed in numerous dub, noise and pop groups; he also spent 10 years performing as a Blue Man in the critically acclaimed Blue Man Group. Josh and his wife Ivy are the founders and creative directors of Nashville’s conceptual design showroom, Wilder.
Artist Statement:
Painting for me is disembodying, I aspire to become a conduit for some kind of hidden expression. I hope to transmit something of the spiritual experience I have of making the painting: a record of the act, its transitory existence. I’m drawn to the mystery of the cosmos, my inner life, the idea that there might be parallel and possibly overlapping realities and the comical vessels we inhabit. If I understood it at all, I probably wouldn’t make art, I’d just go fishing.
WHAT IS LOVE?
August 4 - September 29, 2018
BECCA JANE KOEHLER
MEGAN KIMBER
COURTNEY ADAIR JOHNSON
BIG FELLA
MERRILEE CHALLISS
JULIA MARTIN
HARRY KAGAN
LOUISA GLENN
MARLOS E'VAN
NOAH SATERSTROM
LORNE QUARLES
RACHEL BRIGGS
KATHY WARINER
HARRY UNDERWOOD
OPENING RECEPTION:
SATURDAY, AUGUST 4 / 6-9p
"What is Love?" is a diverse and thorough examination of the inexplicable thing that makes us all tick.
BEVY 2018
ANDREW WEIR
BEIZAR ARADINI
BILL MILLER
R. ELLIS ORRALL
JOHN PAUL KESLING
KEAVY MURPHREE
MEGAN WATKINS
RACHEL WAYNE
SHARAN RANSHI
TARA WALTERS
June 02 - July 28, 2018
OPENING RECEPTION:
SATURDAY, JUNE 02 / 6-9P
ABOUT THE SHOW:
This year's BEVY is a dizzying cocktail of emerging and mid-career artists with subject matters ranging from the gut-wrenching plight of Native Americans to the Prada man purse - the work is as diverse as the origins of the creators. Please join us for an opening reception on June 2nd from 6-9p.
Ornament will be gracing us with a porch concert for your listening pleasure. You can check them out on Spotify or your preferred platform.
ARTIST TALK
OLIVIA LEIGH MARTIN & NOAH SATERSTROM
ARTIFACTS OF RETURN
OLIVIA LEIGH MARTIN
April 7 - May 26, 2018
OPENING RECEPTION:
SATURDAY, APRIL 7, 2018 / 6-9 P
ABOUT THE SHOW:
With this lush body of new work, Olivia Leigh Martin returns to her one true love: the landscape. Rich, dancing textures reveal the artist’s inner nomad. Rambling from the bayous of her native Louisiana to the beaches of New England, and the mountains of New Mexico to the misty glades of Scotland - these paintings interweave connections between the visual and the tactile, landing somewhere between memory and desire.
Through Artifacts of Return, Martin argues for a species of landscape painting that offers viewers a portal into the sensorial experience of the land itself. Thin runnels of translucent color, dry pigments scraped over pocked surfaces, and thatches of topographical paint allude to the physical conditions of the landscapes in which she works. More than that, these works examine the ways in which a landscape painting may also serve as a kind of talisman for a place, one in which the remembered sense of a place may become reality.
ARTIST STATEMENT:
I have a deep hunger to reach out and touch the land, and not let go. This is probably a neurosis rooted in the fact that my home state, Louisiana, loses about a football field of land per hour to coastal erosion. I was in college, working on a summer coastal painting project, when I realized that the places I was painting may not exist in the future. Some of them no longer do. It was through these experiences that the fervent desire to hold onto a place through my paintings took hold of me.
Of course, this is total hubris. The landscape, being infinitely vast, is also by consequence infinitely ungraspable. A painting, on the other hand, is. Observations, whether from the color of the sky to the weight of the air, from the sandy feeling of the cracked earth to the rough whip of the wind against my face, can all be set into the DNA of the painting through material and mark. It is therefore through the portal of the painting that I invite others to enter the landscape.
I am a return painter. What this means is that I return to the same places over and over again, like a moon orbiting a planet. Each time I return to the bayou estuaries of my childhood, or the gorge in New Mexico overlooking the Rio Grande, my understanding of that place is compounded. I like to return, reach out, and make the attempt to touch the land again.
“Bench” is an inadequate term considering the immediate centered and grounded sensation I received from simply having a seat on this inexplicable design. Tony Baker has put heart and soul into what I now consider the ultimate perch for viewing art. I invite you to come experience STAY for yourself. These hand crafted, customizable gems will also be on display through the end of May.
CHEERS
BRETT DOUGLAS HUNTER
February 2 - March 31, 2018
OPENING RECEPTION:
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2018 / 6-9 P
ABOUT THE SHOW:
In the last year Brett Douglas Hunter has relocated to Nashville, completely transformed his studio practice and taken this city’s art scene by storm.
His newest series, CHEERS - titled after his grandmother’s pronunciation of the word chairs - explores functional sculpture with a focus on furniture. You guessed it, there will be chairs among a plethora of magical inventions. It is our sincere pleasure to bring you CHEERS!
ARTIST TALK:
MARCH 8, 2018 / 6:30-8:30 P
Performance art meets artist talk as Cat Acree sits down to interview the many sides of Brett Douglas Hunter. Acree lead readers through Hunter's bizarro world of folk art in the latest cover feature of NATIVE. Join us in the gallery at 6:30p on Thursday, March 8, for this one of a kind talk. We'll save you a "cheer".
HYPNAGOGIC
JULIA MARTIN
December 1, 2017 - January 27, 2018
OPENING RECEPTION:
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2017 / 6-9 P
ABOUT THE SHOW:
Julia Martin’s anticipated solo exhibition Hypnagogic, marks a turning point for the artist. Titled after the moments before sleep where hallucinations and inexplicable events are sensed, this show illuminates the subconscious voice, inviting viewers into conversation. Martin visually allows herself to break past reservations and ask important questions. Her style, freer and more animated than in past works, explores the concept of achieving clarity through relinquishing control.
As a hypnagogic event provides a glimpse into the subconscious, this exhibition introduces a refreshingly unrestrained portrayal of an artist seeking truth.
OPENING NIGHT:
Multi-instrumentalist, producer, and composer Larissa Maestro has composed a piece of original chamber music to accompany the first thirty minutes of our opening reception for Hypnagogic.
The performance will take place promptly at 6:15p. Players will circulate among viewers for a truly unique audio-visual experience. Attendees are asked to arrive at 6:00p sharp, silence their phones, grab a glass of champagne and immerse themselves into what is sure to be a magical and memorable evening. Post performance, opening reception continues until 9:00p with refreshments provided.
ARTIST TALK:
DECEMBER 14, 2017 / 6:30-8:30 P
Join us at 6:30p on Thursday, December 14th for an Artist Talk with Julia Martin on her latest exhibition Hypnagogic led by arts writer Cat Acree. Acree's acute grasp of this work and artistic chemistry with Martin, reflected in the featured article of NATIVE's November/December Issue, are sure to create an evening you won't want to miss.
ARTIST TALK:
JANUARY 18, 2018 / 6:30-8:30 P
Join us at 6:30p on Thursday, January 18th for an Artist Talk with Julia Martin on her latest exhibition Hypnagogic led by artist/writer/professor Noah Saterstrom. Noah shared his insights on Hypnagogic in the first 2018 issue of Nashville Arts Magazine. You won't want to miss this discussion between two of our favorite artists.
YARD SALE
Devin Goebel
October 6 - November 11, 2017
OPENING RECEPTION:
OCTOBER 6, 2017 / 6-9 P
ABOUT THE SHOW:
Devin Goebel is a Dadaist at heart with his playful spirit evident in everything he creates. The sophistication with which he consistently turns logic on its head is something to behold. Goebel's work turns the most mundane of cast-aside objects into comically oversized, elegantly simplified, works of genius.
Yard Sale, his first solo exhibition at JMG, unites viewers in an absurd and wonderful dream, reminiscent of a classic thrifty hunt. The kind filled with all too familiar cast-offs: the old “Mr. Coffee” coffee maker seen seeking refuge on the bottom shelf of virtually every thrift store in America, that vase you've encountered at so many yard sales, or an old brass lamp so commonplace it has become invisible.
Goebel's re-imagination of these routine baubles and signs will make you feel a little like Alice stepping through a thrift-ed looking glass.
CLICK HERE to see work from the show.
ARTIST TALK:
OCTOBER 13, 2017 / 6:30-8:30 P
Join us on Friday, October 13th for an Artist Talk with our featured artist, Devin Goebel, led by artist/writer/professor Noah Saterstrom. Noah wrote a feature story on Devin Goebel's Yard Sale for the upcoming issue of Nashville Arts Magazine. He also kicked off our 2017 programming with one of our city's most important shows to date, Shubuta & Other Stories. You won't want to miss this discussion between two of our favorite artists.
CONNECTING THROUGH CLAY
DURING A TIME OF CULTURAL DIVIDES, CAN YOU BRIDGE THE GAP?
BUY A VASE, PASS IT ON, START A CONVERSATION.
Audry Deal-McEver
Caroline Cercone
David Taylor
Eric Botbyl
Jenn Cole
John Sellberg
Jon Donovan
Julia Whitney Brown
Meghan Borland
Melodie Grace
Quentin Owens
Sara Wiggins
October 7 - November 11, 2017
OPENING RECEPTION:
OCTOBER 7, 2017 / 6-9 P
ABOUT THE SHOW:
Twelve regional artists have created handmade vases to help bring people together through this interactive art experience. Connecting Through Clay will run October 7th through November 27th at Julia Martin Gallery, opening as part of American Craft Week, Tennessee Craft Week, and the Wedgewood/Houston Art Crawl.
Participants are encouraged to purchase a vase and in 30 days give it away. The person receiving it should be someone you would not normally give a gift to - a long lost friend or relative; someone with opposing religious beliefs or political views; someone from a different socioeconomic group, racial background, or sexual orientation, etc... The recipient will enjoy the vase for another 30 days, then give it away again to a third person who keeps the vase forever and hopefully shares the story. Each owner is encouraged to do so and start conversations to help bring people together.
CLICK HERE to see work from the show.
EN JOINTE
Ola Mai
Black by Maria Silver
Any Old Iron
Gypsy Cliff Creations
Opium
September 2 - 23, 2017
OPENING RECEPTION:
SEPTEMBER 2, 2017 / 6-9 P
CLOSING RECEPTION:
SEPTEMBER 23, 2017 / 12-6 P
SEPTEMBER GALLERY HOURS:
WED - SAT / 12-6 P
This month we hand over our space to these five incredible local fashion designers and makers. September 2nd, coinciding with the Wedgewood Houston Artcrawl, will kick off a month long Designer Pop-Up for you to come spruce up your Fall wardrobe. Opening night will feature the DJ stylings of DJ DOUG. A multi-sensory experience involving music, video, fashion illustration, scented goodies and a limited edition "Mixer Elixer" by Bang Candy Co. make this an event not to be missed.
FEATURING:
Ola Mai
OM Website
Designed by Leslie Stephens, Ola Mai is produced in Nashville, Tennessee. Exuding elegance and flow the Ola Mai line inspires every woman to express herself freely and with great joie de vivre.
Black by Maria Silver
BBMS Website
Ethically and locally produced in Nashville, with her carbon foot print in mind, Dominican-American designer Maria "Poni" Silver started BBMS in 2011. Black by Maria Silver specializes in contemporary women's streetwear that combines urban nonchalance with easy glamour. Designed for the modern voyager, BBMS uses mostly recycled and overstock fabric providing a travel-ready wardrobe for the woman with effortless magnetism and attitude.
Any Old Iron
AOI Website
Any Old Iron is a music inspired Rock n Roll clothing line designed by Andrew Clancey out of East Nashville. Focusing on men and women's tailoring with a twist, Clancey's collections aim to bring out that inner rock star.
Gypsy Cliff Creations
GCC Website
Lovingly embellished up-cycled denim jackets designed by Nashville’s very own Sandra Costa.
Opium
Opium Website
Designed by Laura Citron, Opium is a Nashville based clothing brand for all the Disco Dolls!
Shelby Rodeffer is a Chicago-based painter and commercial artist who will contribute her gorgeous "Honesty" banner (available for purchase). Raised in Nashville, Tennessee, she embraces the human hand in both her personal and professional work. Inspired by folk art and traditional sign making as a means of communication, Rodeffer combines the two creating a practical form of artistic expression. Look for her magical touch in numerous public art projects.
Kat Ryals's Holographic & three dimensional Disco Orbs will be a dreamy visual element this month, along with a spectacular video installation based on her otherworldly body suits.
And last but not least, video artist and improvisational dancer, Laura Cavaliere will grace us with a few of her spontaneous dance pieces along with a beautiful video installation opening night.
BEVY 2017
Brett Douglas Hunter
Clint Colburn
Georganna Greene
John Paul Kesling
Kelly Ahrens
Kevin Reilly
Olivia Leigh Martin
Rebecca Blevins
JULY 1 - AUGUST 26, 2017
BEVY is Julia Martin Gallery's annual summer group exhibition, showcasing some of the best up-and-coming local and regional artists.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS & THEIR WORK:
The central piece to Brett Douglas Hunter’s work for this show is a truly bizarre and wonderful self portrait based on a painting his mother made of him in 1984. Brett comes from a long line of artists that have instilled a deep love of creativity and freedom in him. These recent works pull directly from those family ties.
Clint Colburn works in a variety of mediums ranging from painting and sculpture to photography and collage, sandwiching just about everything in between. His work is visceral and non-formulaic. He describes it as the harnessing, channelling and release of energy.
Georganna Greene, seeking visual and historical balance on a personal level, has created an achingly beautiful body of abstract paintings that explore energy, renewal, memory and familiarity.
John Paul Kesling works intuitively. His paintings house luscious textures built up over many chaotic layers of rich, free wheeling brush strokes. Somehow the finished product is always a cohesive wonder of otherworldly magic.
Kelly Ahrens’s drawings illustrate an alternate universe ruled by her alter ego, das Feuergod. Each drawing has been screen printed to create a graphic quality, making each piece feel like a bulletin from another dimension. “Feuergod is an inhabitant of OZIII, a world that lives on the other side of ours. Like most works that come out of OZIII, Tears Of Fire celebrates the grotesque and the negative. Where You see black, they see white.”
Kevin Reilly’s new work explores the imprints left on his psyche by a Roman-Catholic upbringing and the belief systems attached to the saints that still influence the mind of a non-practicing Catholic and self-proclaimed non-believer. As part of a larger effort to understand these ties, Reilly has created a few of his own saints.
Olivia Leigh Martin works in oil on stainless steel to explore the intersections where memory meets fantasy. Referencing old knick-knacks, family photos and the lush Louisiana landscape of her upbringing Martin’s paintings are a whirlwind of abstraction, gently tethered to reality by these talismans.
Rebecca Blevins’s ceramic sculpture work began as purely functional; cups, bowls and everyday objects. Her newest body of work is an exploration in assemblage and elevated objects. Each piece is all at once sleek, playful and elegant.
JESSI ZAZU &
KATHY WARINER
UNDEFEATED
JUNE 17 - 28, 2017
ABOUT THE SHOW:
Jessi Zazu has been a staple of Nashville's music scene, a social justice advocate and an across-the-board creative force for many years. If you're not familiar with her story, you will be very soon. Look for features in the upcoming issues of Nashville Arts Magazine, The Nashville Scene, Native and The Tennessean.
Jessi and her mother, Kathy, have long looked to creativity and the visual arts in times of struggle. This past year brought with it an intense battle for Jessi against an aggressive form of cancer. The battle continues and through it, in tandem, these women have created two powerful bodies of work.
We've chosen Mother's Day to announce this special, pop-up exhibition. The proceeds will go towards mounting medical bills and hopefully inspire any and all who have faced similar battles, or battles yet to come.
*** We would like to request that attendees forego any perfumes, scents or colognes *** Ongoing treatments have made Jessi extremely sensitive to smells and we want her to enjoy herself as much as possible.
JESSI ZAZU'S STATEMENT: When my radiation oncologist asked me to create artwork for the room where I had received brachytherapy radiation, I was honored, but I also felt a great responsibility. I thought about the challenges I had faced before ever reaching the room, and how every woman who ends up there has already survived a long and sometimes painful journey. I remember the anxiety that ran through my mind during the first session. My eyes darted around the room, looking for something to help me gain mental footing to get through. All I could find were a few security cameras, beige wallpaper and outdated paintings. The session only lasted eight minutes, but I felt isolated. I was alone in a lead-lined room, hooked up to a powerful machine with lots of lights and noises. I brought my sketchbook in with me a few times, and even though I was partially immobile during the radiation, I laid back and drew everything I could see. Making art helped me get through that experience, and I created these pieces to give hope to anyone who spends time in the room after me.
A wise woman once asked me, "Do you know what self-efficacy is?" I didn’t, but when I learned that it meant believing in one’s ability to succeed, I realized I needed to nurture it in myself. In that moment, I chose to see beyond my personal series of unfortunate events and connect to the human condition. Life happens to all of us, we all face challenges and setbacks. It is how we react that defines us. We have a lot more power than we think we do. We also have a lot less power than we think we do. Fighting cancer has been an education in knowing when to push back and when to surrender. By choosing positivity and love at every corner, I decided to triumph, even in my own defeats.
KATHY WARINER'S STATEMENT: We found out a year ago that Jessi was sick, quite a shock. I decided from the start that I had two choices, to be positive or to be negative. We spent the whole year trying to stay up and keep distracted. Jessi had a studio at one end of the house and I had mine at the other end. The experience [of Jessi’s illness] was getting so intense that I started painting in every spare moment I had. It wasn’t long before my nightmares and sleepless nights went away. My attitude was better and I could breathe. My art became about healing and not feeling hopeless, and about celebrating life.
CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL PIECES IN THE SHOW.
UNDEFEATED is made possible by the generosity of Midtown Printing, Woodcuts Framing Gallery and Kangaroo Press.
CHRISTINA RENFER VOGEL
TO GO UNNOTICED
MAY 6 - JUNE 10, 2017
OPENING RECEPTION:
MAY 6, 2017 / 6-9P
ARTIST TALK & CLOSING RECEPTION:
JUNE 9, 2017 / 6:30 - 8:30P
moderated by Sarah Lee Burd
ARTIST STATEMENT:
Standing on the edge, I observe interactions. I seek to identify quiet moments from within larger, more complex situations, focusing on chance meetings in groupings and gatherings, and searching for interaction or disconnection.
These placeless figures are suspended in fields of color that serve as psychological spaces. It takes on a presence that is unsettling or cloying or comforting. It presses against them and threatens to swallow them.
There is a directness to this work, and yet, the fragmentary nature and moments left intentionally unresolved suggest a state of uncertainty and flux, inviting you to question the ambiguity of each exchange.
I aim to describe familiar situations that smolder with an underlying tension. These ordinary encounters describe the yearning, discomfort, and uncertainty that feel all too familiar. I hope to draw you in, but keep you at arm’s length.
To Go Unnoticed is brought to you in partnership with Red Arrow Gallery. More images available here.
ARTIST STATEMENT:
“The Void and the Eye” represents my desire to make conscious the awareness that everything is connected. The void represents the unconscious and the eye represents conscious awareness. I feel, acutely, the pain of being separated from my ancestors and the spirit world, the pain of separation from nature, etc., and I am trying to heal that wound in myself through my work. My inner world is a visionary world, and draws from many traditions, archetypes and symbols.
Shadow work, the collective unconscious, facing our own darkness, protection, the power of love, finding balance, and WATER are themes for many of the mixed media works. What we are seeing in our own lives and on the world stage is this struggle of “dark versus light” made manifest. This “wetiko” energy threatens to subsume us, but it also is what is waking us up. We must use our creative potential – our imagination is our greatest human asset – to consciously evolve and envision a better world.
ABOUT THE EYES:
The protective eye, evil eye, or nazdar has many roots in ancient cultures and traditions from around the world. The eye is a symbol of conscious awareness. The eye looks out and says “I see you” while at the same time the seeing eye is being “seen.” This observer / observed dynamic generates a reciprocal energetic relationship of viewer to the eye, creating a feedback loop- in this case one of positive energy. Energy follows thought. All of our thoughts matter. Thoughts become our reality. Everything is connected in cosmic conscious awareness – we are one family. Or as Einstein puts it: “Field before particle.”
These eyes are meticulously constructed with mostly sequins, and as most of the sequins are placed one at a time by hand, the work itself becomes a form of meditation. Each eye has it’s own inner eye – a mirror in the center – to extend the idea that these are pieces intended for meditation and reflection.
I chose to work with sequins because they reflect light and are fairly easy to control. Each small, dazzling dot becomes something more, something substantive, when it aggregates into a bigger whole. Just as a lone individual may feel powerless in their actions, many people aligned to a specific purpose, can collectively accomplish anything.
A portion of the proceeds of the sale of each eye will be donated to the Southern Poverty Law Center.
NOAH SATERSTROM
WITH WORKS FROM SAM DUNSON
SHUBUTA AND OTHER STORIES
JANUARY 6 - FEBRUARY 15, 2017
OPENING RECEPTION
JANUARY 6TH, 2017/ 6 - 9 P
Painter Noah Saterstrom relocated with his family to Nashville in the last year or so. His newest body of work bravely explores the well-documented history of a prominent slave owning family that inhabits a branch of his family tree. I hesitate to summarize Noah's statement (see attachment) regarding this show. I will say that my heart rate spiked when I laid eyes on his work for the first time. He is by far one of the most prolific, dedicated and inspiring painters I have had the pleasure to work with.
"In Times of War" by Noah Saterstrom
Dunson is a prominent figure in Nashville's art community and a true painter's painter. Each artist handles material - both studio and ethological - in a way that speaks to the other. In this case, quite literally. This exhibition brings these two accomplished mid-career painters together to participate in groundbreaking visual dialogue. Samuel's piece, a direct response to Noah's "In Times of War", will be revealed on opening night along with a number of collaborative works on paper.
SEE ALL WORKS HERE
DAVID KENTON KRING
BREAKDOWN
DECEMBER 3 - 31, 2016
OPENING RECEPTION
DECEMBER 3, 2016 / 6 - 9 P
Kring's newest body of work experiments with surface texture as metaphor. Kring's masterful techniques nod to the tradition of Face Vessels and Toby Jugs. His use of contemporary themes with overt references to madness and danger make John Waters' late great Goddess, Divine, the perfect subject. You can almost smell the perspiration as each figure, so weathered and life-like, conceals a sea of neurosis just beneath the surface as though it may explode through their pores at any second.
David Kenton Kring is a full-time sculptor and ceramicist, living and working in Lexington KY whose work is collected nation wide. His body of work also includes functional art in the form of hand thrown vessels and dishes that will also be available throughout the month of December.
REBECCA GREEN
ILLUMINE
NOVEMBER 5 - 30, 2016
OPENING RECEPTION
NOVEMBER 5, 2016 / 6 - 9 P
ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Rebecca Green's illustrations act as lanterns, shining glints upon everyday stories otherwise clouded by shadow: the shadow of the mundane. This exhibition, ILLUMINE, will feature work created to celebrate and illuminate the hidden but magical stories shrouded in the mask of the ordinary. Though each piece sprouts from an actual account, Green takes the stories into enchanted realms, where everyday occurrences blend with imaginative possibilities.
SEE ALL WORKS HERE
EXTERNAL BALLISTICS
OPENING RECEPTION
OCTOBER 1, 2016 / 6 - 9 P
FEATURING:
Alex Lockwood, Rob Matthews, Julia Martin, Samuel Dunson, Alex Warbel, Brett Douglas Hunter, Devin Goebel, Elizabeth Williams, Jeff Stamper, Jodi Hays, Joseph Love, Josh Elrod, Merrilee Challiss, Megan Kimber, Michael McBride, Noah Saterstrom, Olivia Hill, Trevor Mikula, Seth Prestwood and Will Morgan Holland.
Click here to see all works from the show.
Read more about the show here:
The Nashville Scene
Nashville Arts Magazine
EMILY HOLT &
DELIA SEIGENTHALER
OIL & MUD
AUGUST 6 - 31, 2016
OPENING RECEPTION
SATURDAY, AUGUST 6 / 6 - 9p
HOLT ARTIST STATEMENT
Each crusty layer of paint contains a composition that will never be seen. Intentionally covered up by either frustration or a flurry of gestural marks, these sheets of colors, patterns and shapes are embedded in the wood grain waiting to be revealed. A flathead screwdriver and an etching needle scribe replace the soft brushes for the excavation. While using these tools to dig channels into the pigment, flakes of paint gather on each side of the line. Scrapping, scratching and sanding the surface fuse the coats of paint into unpredictable designs and textures. It is within this blurry atmosphere that an imaginary world begins to take form. The environment and characters fade in and out as the images come into focus. This vignette tells an open-ended story with clues buried and tucked within the thick oily residue. I am inspired the most by nature. I love looking at trees, rocks, dirt and the creepy, crawly creatures that inhabit these lands.
SEIGENTHALER ARTIST STATEMENT
Having spent the past year building large scale processional puppets and participating in the Nashville International Puppet Festival, there is no doubt that the “puppet” has entered my psyche. After a long hiatus of working primarily in mixed media, my return to ceramics has found me staring back at clay heads resembling the puppet. I wonder why? It is hard to let them go. Puppets, material objects, contain and express things of mind and spirit, often controlling those who seem to control them. My newly expanded understanding of the puppet leads me to believe in the spirit that emerges during its construction. Imagining the puppet serves as a metaphor and a tangible expression of what it means to be human.
FEATURED ARTISTS:
William Buffett
Michelle Farro
Brett Douglas Hunter
Devin Goebel
Louisa Glen
Jodi Hays
Seth Prestwood
Olivia Leigh Martin
Alex Warble
OPENING RECEPTION
SATURDAY, JUNE 4/ 6 - 9p
LISA WEISS
MAPS
MAY 6 - 31, 2016
OPENING RECEPTION
FRIDAY, MAY 6 / 6:30 - 8:30p
Lisa Weiss returns this May with a fresh, diverse new body of work. Maps explores the relationship between structure and looseness, concreteness and impermanence. Architecture, sky views, maps and symbols all inform these rich, textured, mixed media compositions. Weiss' work continues to evoke a powerful sense of peace and balance.
OPENING RECEPTION
April 1, 2016 / 6:30 - 8:30p
ARTIST STATEMENT
Dedicated to the 20 year career of boxing legend Muhammad Ali, Kevin Guthrie continues to use his preferred medium of crayon and pencil on repurposed beer boxes to render portraits of all 61 of Ali's opponents. Each of these gentlemen have a unique story and they often get overlooked in the pantheon of boxing lore.
Click here to see images of the show.
ERIN MURPHY &
VICTORIA REYNOLDS
BRAVE NEW WORLDS
March 4 - 26, 2016
OPENING RECEPTION
March 5, 2016/ 6 - 9p
EXHIBITION DETAILS
Exploring the realms of painterly abstraction, Reynolds and Murphy both create complex, visual narratives. Murphy's sculptural prints and multimedia works use texture and illusion to create immersive environments, while Reynolds' paintings are organic mathematical reflections of personal mythologies and responses to both natural and man-made experiences.
CLICK HERE FOR ERIN MURPHY'S WORK / CLICK HERE FOR VICTORIA REYNOLDS WORK
OPENING RECEPTION
February 6, 2016 / 6 - 9p
ARTIST STATEMENT
This new body of work explores the shifting internal strata of self, and how that shifting creates a distorted view of the world. The distortion results in a search for ground or hope for a higher entity -- earthly or celestial.
2016 PREVIEW EXHIBITION
January 9 - January 31, 2016
OPENING RECEPTION
January 9, 2016 / 6-9p
EXHIBITION DETAILS
The new year kicks off with a phenomenal group show previewing what's to come in 2016 at Julia Martin Gallery. Its going to be an exciting year with loads of new talent and solos from some of our region's top makers. Join us for our opening reception of the Group Show Preview this Saturday, January 9th, 6-9p.
CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL WORKS
JULIA MARTIN
KNOW THEM BY HEART...
December 5 - 31, 2015
OPENING RECEPTION
December 5, 2015 / 6-9p
ARTIST STATEMENT
In the ghost town that was Lower Broad 25 years ago, my mother had me in tow as we stepped into a room packed with liquidation furniture, roughly a city block wide. My teenaged apathy shattered the minute I laid eyes on what I now know was a replica of Matisse' Spanish Woman with a Tambourine. After much pleading, it took the place of both that year's birthday and Christmas presents.
I could go into detail about my education - the year I spent at the now defunct School of Visual Arts in Savannah, GA (a saga unto itself) or the listless year I tooled around Middle Tennessee State University - but the truth is that "Matisse" painting brought me online. I was given a solid foundation by some incredible professors and I know I am a stronger artist for it, but when it comes to being an artist, once you've been shown how the tools work the rest is up to you.
My life's work is dedicated to creating honest, pure, elevated work that delights and engages it's viewers just like that Matisse knock-off did, which still hangs prominently in my home all these years later.
MERRILEE CHALLISS
SOURCE ENERGY
November 7 - 30, 2015
"Southern Gothic-Psychedelic-Pennsylvania Dutch"...
OPENING RECEPTION
November 7th, 2015 / 6 - 9p
ARTIST STATEMENT
I don't really feel like I am a painter, but more an illustrator of inner realms. These works represent subject matter and themes that have either entranced me (cave art, plants and animals, "journeying", fractals, psychedelic states), vexed me (witches, my own darkness), or both.
Thoughts such as: "How can I represent my belief that everything is connected in an image?" and "What will the monuments that we build to Nature and her creatures, after we have destroyed it all, look like?" and "How can I address the subject of Animal Consciousness in my work?" are rattling around in my brain as I paint.
All of the works are, of course (in some measure), failures on my part to communicate these ideas. The images merely document my attempts to essentially paint ENERGY, the spirit, or source energy of these attractant forces. It is only obliquely that I am able to realize anything objectively approaching authenticity. Because I use gouache, a medium more suited for illustration than painting, and because of my Alabama roots and reverence for subject matter that ranges from shamanism to EO Wilson, to the philosophy of Timothy Morton, I am, at best, effecting a kind of Southern Gothic-Psychedelic-Pennsylvania Dutch aesthetic. As I work, I aim to extend the connection with source energy by entering a state of flow or trance state, by turns anchoring and transcending (by obliteration) the image with strokes applied in rhythmic staccato.
RACHEL BRIGGS
LONESOME MOUNTAIN
October 3 - 31, 2015
“There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is a rapture on the lonely shore,
There is society, where none intrudes,
By the deep sea, and music in its roar:
I love not man the less, but Nature more,
From these our interviews, in which I steal
From all I may be, or have been before,
To mingle with the Universe, and feel
What I can ne’er express, yet cannot all conceal.”
– Lord Byron
ARTIST STATEMENT
I am drawn to the mysteries of nature- from the dark corners of lonesome mountains to the bellowing call of stormy skies, there is an all-encompassing presence, an unspeakable force that is found in wilderness. At its essence, nature is paradoxical- it can be in one moment, a healing shroud and in another an unforgiving fury. I am there, often at that crossroads, drawn to the shift and to the greater pulse of the hidden world that surrounds.
In my work, I find myself exploring the relationship between darkness and light, both in the physical construct of each piece and as a ruling theme and metaphor. From sketch to fully conceived, Lonesome Mountain is a collection of work that passes through various approaches and mediums, ever seeking these themes. In all, with a nod to the power of fable and folklore, I strive to stir the fantastical elements of the hinterlands alive.
EXHIBITION DETAILS
Paintings, illustrations and animations invite the viewer into the expansive unknown where humanity responds imaginatively to the spirit of the natural world. A limited edition of small press books and prints are also be available.
LISA WEISS
HAP.PEN.STANCE
September 5 - October 2, 2015
OPENING RECPTION
Septmeber 5, 2015 / 6 - 9p
ARTIST STATEMENT
hap.pen.stance is essentially about meditation through mark making and the balance between working with expressive forms while maintaining simplicity. Retaining vibrancy while remaining peaceful is necessary to me in painting and in life.
Movements that inform gesture, repetition and pattern bring me into the moment, exploring random coincidences and diversity of form to create a unified whole. Worn and weathered marks, recalling the passage of time, evoke mystery and speak to an overall sense of awareness.
My hope is for this body of work to spark the viewer awake, provoking heavy thought with a bit of levity for the grist mill.
A NOTE
Lisa Weiss’ work draws you in with a Zen-like magnetism. I was fortunate to include her in JMG’s first group show last summer.Her work was so well received, it shocked me to learn that this will be her first solo exhibition in Nashville. I am honored to host this seasoned, sage of an artist in her first Nashville solo.
MICHAEL McCONNELL
DOMESTICITY
August - September 1, 2015
OPENING RECEPTION
August 3, 2015 / 6-9p
ARTIST STATEMENT
Domesticity is an exploration of relationships and home life through the depiction of animals and household objects. Where previously my work referenced the past and my attempts to control it, these pieces embrace the shifting boundaries around contemporary home life and the acceptance of my own domestic relationships filled with it’s constraints, freedoms and of course dishes. The work explores normative gender roles by combining animals with ordinary household objects, reshaping the way animals are traditionally domesticated.
A NOTE
I am very pleased to host Michael McConnell's first exhibition in Nashville since the days of our beloved and long lost TAG Art Gallery. He has always been a favorite of mine and the two pieces I own are among my prize possessions. I hope you will join us on August 1st in celebrating this wonderful artist while he is in from San Francisco, CA.
NASHVILLE 9
GROUP SHOW
June - July , 2015
OPENING RECEPTION
June 6, 2015 / 6 - 9p
ARTISTS
Buddy Jackson
Sheila Bartlett
Lesley Patterson-Marx
Harry Underwood
Delia Seigenthaler
Tim Hooper
Emily Holt
Seth Conley
Julia Martin
EXHIBITION DETAILS
PAPERWORK
GROUP SHOW
March 7 - April 30, 2015
ARTISTS
Merrilee Challiss
Megan Kimber
Rachel Briggs
Julia Martin
OPENING RECEPTION
March 7, 2015 / 6-9p
EXHIBITION DETAILS
"Paperwork" features mixed media works by four artists: Megan Kimber (Birmingham), Merilee Chalis (Birmingham), Rachel Briggs (Nashville) and Julia Martin (Nashville). Many pieces in the show bring together the human and animal instinct, juxtaposing figures and avian elements with a dark twist.
HARRY UNDERWOOD
A SPASM OF ACCOMIDATION
January 3 - 31, 2015
OPENING RECEPTION
JANUARY 3, 2015 / 6-9p
