My apologizes for being so far behind on blogs. Although I have a few workshops to catch you up on, I won't be doing that today because there is some good news to share. I'm pleased to say that I'll be showing some work in two local exhibits with other artists, first, in the Brentwood Library, in Brentwood, TN, a suburb of Nashville, for the month of July. The exhibit will also include works with a fabric artist, Roberta Bell, and a potter, Kaitlin Savage, all part of a Tennessee Craft Art of Craft Exhibit. If you haven't seen the Brentwood Library itself, it's truly worth a trip. It's quite new and is truly one of the most gorgeous city libraries I've ever seen.
At the Brentwood Library until July 31st
Then, in celebration of it's 50th anniversary and its longstanding relationship with Tennessee Craft, Centennial Art Center in Nashville and Tennessee Craft Midstate will present a larger art exhibit from August 8th through September 20th, where artists from across the state will be featured. There will be an Open Reception on Saturday, September 10, from 6:00 - 9:00 P.M. The reception is being held in conjunction with Starry Night, a fundraiser for Centennial's non-profit friend's group, Creative Parks Nashville. There will be live music, food, cocktails, and a silent auction for you to enjoy. A local Plein aire group of painters will display some paintings outside in the pavilion the night of the reception only. *
This image was taken from the Instagram site of Centennial Arts Center and represented the celebration of their 50th year. The official Metro Parks and Centennial Art Center staff will compile the announcement of the upcoming Centennial Art Center and TN Craft 50th year anniversary Open House for the official press release.
So, in celebration of my 5th year of sculpting, I have a number of people to thank for helping me through this five year journey. Most recently, I want to thank to Kamilah Sanders and Bonnie Matthews of TN Craft and Amy Sterling at the Brentwood Library for helping to curate the exhibit there and for inviting me. Thanks also to the Centennial Art Center's Gallery Manager, Donelle McCollum, and to Centennial's Gallery Director, Josh Wagner, for your hard work and for giving me the opportunity to exhibit my work at such a special time of celebration of the 50 year anniversary with TN Craft and Centennial Art Center. I am truly honored and am still pinching myself.
In looking back on my journey, I want to thank the first sculptor I knew personally, Matt Lewis, for inspiring me in ways in which I was not aware 25 years ago. I found your work to be absolutely mesmerizing and only knew that I was drawn to it with a magnetic force. Never in a million years did I ever imagine that I would ever even try to sculpt. Thanks to my daughter for helping out at one of Alan LeQuire's summer camps. That is what ultimately lead the way for me to receive a random e-mail from Alan LeQuire, talking about his Open Studio that for some odd reason, I dared to attend. Thanks to Mark Schleiker for organizing models and finding so many of us a studio to use when Alan took time away. Mark also taught me one sculpting lesson before the Pandemic hit and we stopped. Fortunately at the time, there were incredible on-line opportunities that kept me learning to sculpt in spite of the Covid threat. Amelia Rowcroft, who sculpts for Madame Tassauds' Wax Museum in London, teaches sculpting videos of anatomy, portrait, and figurative sculpture and New Masters Academy has a thorough art program on-line that has top instructors (as in trained and taught at Florence Academy of Art, etc.) The program is very reasonably priced and I would encourage anyone who wants to learn more about art to try it. Thanks to Jeanie Smith at Studio 521 for providing so many Nashville artists a place to draw, paint, sculpt, and attend workshops, Thanks to the Clay Lady's Campus for giving so many Nashville creatives a place to do their thing. Daniel McDaniel, the Clay Lady there, is truly one of the most inspiring women I have ever met. Her positive attitude and creativity are contagious and have kept us going, even through the Pandemic. Her staff is second to none and the campus has been a great place to have a studio. My clay friends there have been sooo helpful and gracious in sharing their talents and tips in working with clay, especially Cheryl, Tammy, Jackie, and Keevie. Thanks to Nan Jacobson for being my first official teacher there, and to TN Craft for everything from providing me a scholarship to a workshop last year, to craft fairs, and to exhibits. Thanks to Sarah Louise Davies and the Appalachian Craft Center for Sarah's portrait workshop last summer where I sculpted "Pandemic Sadness", to Brian Booth Craig for his generosity and teaching of a week long workshop last summer where I sculpted, "Summers at the Lake'", to David Simon for his workshop in January at Townsend Atlier in Chattanooga, where I sculpted, "Erika", to Andrew Cawrse for his Anatomy Tools workshop this past March, where I sculpted my first Encorche, which was definitely the most difficult piece I have ever done. Had I not attended, I would probably never have made it to the Grand Canyon. Thanks to Andrea Ponzio for teaching a torso workshop in April at Studio 521, and thanks to the seasoned sculptor, Mario Chiaro, for his constant Instagram encouragement and support. Lastly, thanks to Jenn Beresford for making awesome molds which were clearly above my abilities. One day I hope to have a good enough piece to use your mold to actually have it cast in bronze. One day.
The Encorche will be added to the exhibit at Centennial Art Center which can be seen from August 8th through September 20th.
If you're not able to see either of the two exhibits, I hope to see you at the Centennial Art Center's Open Reception on Saturday, September 20th from 6:00 to 9:00 P.M.
*The second paragraph of the newsletter describing the Centennial Art Center and TN Craft anniversary reception was paraphrased from a CAC letter received by me prior to the exhibit.