HIGHLIGHTING TENNESSEE ARTISTS

BY BECKY WOOD, MANAGING EDITOR

Making art is often a solitary process, but artist associations across the globe offer creative community, opportunity and outreach for their members. Two such organizations, the Nashville Artist Guild and the Tennessee Watercolor Society, have long histories of supporting the creative journeys of artists throughout Middle Tennessee and beyond.

In 1950, two art teachers from Vanderbilt University brought together students and local professional artists to create a new and unique organization. Beginning with those original 30 artists, the Nashville Artist Guild has grown to serve hundreds of artists over the last seven decades.

The Guild is a nonprofit, juried organization of professional artists, irrespective of any particular school, style or movement. Beyond providing their members with venues for exhibiting and selling their work, the organization works to promote art as an integral part of Nashville life and to provide educational programs for the public.

Their newest exhibit at the Customs House Museum & Cultural Center will showcase over 50 works of art juried by Terri Jordan, Curator of Exhibits. Patsy Sharpe, local Clarksville artist and former president of the Guild, says Museum visitors can expect a show from a diverse collection of artists and mediums. “There is such a wide variety of kinds of art that you’ll see,” said Sharpe. “We have an encaustic painter, several watercolorists, oil painters, pastel artists... it makes for some really interesting contrast throughout the show.”

Art of the Nashville Artist Guild is on view in the Kimbrough Gallery from October 4 to November 27.

nashvilleartistguild.org @nashvilleartistguild

Active since 1971, the Tennessee Watercolor Society (TnWS) is a membership organization dedicated to elevating the stature of watercolor painting and educating the public about the significance of the art form.

Celebrating 50 years, the 2022 Juried Biennial Exhibition was held this past spring at the Association for Visual Arts in Chattanooga, complete with 60 original watermedia paintings selected from 200 entries. Paintings by three Clarksville-area watercolor artists were selected for inclusion in the show: Frank Lott’s Big Oak at Grace Chapel, Yuson Yi’s Sweet Landing and Pat Patrick’s Shooting Stars.

“The Watercolor Society offers the opportunity to share technical information and build community,” said Patrick. “It also shares publicity for other exhibitions and activities that various artists and members are doing.”

A traveling exhibit of 30 paintings chosen by the juror, renowned international artist Stan Miller, has journeyed through different galleries across the state and will culminate in Clarksville at the Customs House Museum & Cultural Center. The traveling show is made possible by its sponsor, the Lyndhurst Foundation in Chattanooga.

TnWS has over 250 members centered around the principal cities of Memphis, Nashville, Chattanooga, Knoxville, Tri-Cities and Clarksville. “The organization is actively working with the art community in their regions,” said Yi, who currently serves as the vice president of TnWS. “As a member, you get to see many artists who have excellent talent and a lifetime of experience in pursuing art... you learn a lot. It is very encouraging and motivating to have these opportunities to grow and expand as an artist.”

The Tennessee Watercolor Society’s Biennial Exhibition makes its way to Clarksville on December 1 and will remain on view in the Kimbrough Gallery until January 29, 2023.

tnws.org