Dustin Hedrick (Nashville,TN)

Face Recognition, 2019

Medium: Site-specific installation using black tape

Dimensions: variable

Richard Echols (Cordova, TN)

Embrace, 2017

Medium: Oil paint on canvas

Dimensions: 54x42 inches

Bonjour, 2018

Medium: Oil paint on canvas

Dimensions: 48x56 inches

“This series of works originate from pictures of old family photos, in order to invoke feeling and create a sense of normalcy to the black figure being present in paintings. In addition, these paintings also serve as counteractive measure; to construct dialogue around the idea of black figures only being portrayed in paintings in order to present a political agenda.” – Jerrell Gibbs

Kyle Owens (Memphis, TN)

Home, 2018

Medium: Oil paint on canvas

Dimensions: 12x16 inches

Khadija Nia Adell (Baltimore, MD)

Emergence (One), 2018-2019

Medium: Digital collage, glass beads, wood, woven wallpaper, and mirrors on canvas

Dimensions: 44x34x4 inches

“Emergence One & Emergence Two are sister pieces. They are composed of the same mother and sister prints from the series ‘Distant Histories’ and a collection of graphite collages. These pieces are representative of the continuous cycle and style of my work. The source images were made four years ago after a journey abroad, but the multiplicity of collage (digital and analog) allows for these works to be born again and again.

The mixture of materials is close to home, as my creative practice and technique have emerged from the vocabulary of mark making I have been adding to for the last decade. They are a part of my larger body of abstract works that utilize visual distance, digital manipulation, and handcrafted details, to explore the complexity and texture of the African Diaspora-past, present, and future”. – Khadija Nia Adell

Khadija Nia Adell (Baltimore, MD)

Emergence (Two), 2018-2019

Medium: Digital collage, glass beads, wood, woven wallpaper, and mirrors on canvas.

Dimensions: 44x34x4 inches

“Emergence One & Emergence Two are sister pieces. They are composed of the same mother and sister prints from the series ‘Distant Histories’ and a collection of graphite collages. These pieces are representative of the continuous cycle and style of my work. The source images were made four years ago after a journey abroad, but the multiplicity of collage (digital and analog) allows for these works to be born again and again.

The mixture of materials is close to home, as my creative practice and technique have emerged from the vocabulary of mark making I have been adding to for the last decade. They are a part of my larger body of abstract works that utilize visual distance, digital manipulation, and handcrafted details, to explore the complexity and texture of the African Diaspora-past, present, and future”. – Khadija Nia Adell

Melissa Wilkinson (West Memphis, AR)

Reach, 2017

Medium: Ink wash on paper

Dimensions: 30x24 inches

“This amalgam of two figures dancing on a disco floor is part of a series entitled ‘Flashe Cocotte’ or ‘fast tart’ in French. Each work is an appropriated and dismantled painting showcasing the unabashed freedom found in the festive theatre of a dance club.” – Melissa Wilkinson

Melissa Wilkinson (West Memphis, AR)

She wore slacks, 2017

Medium: Ink wash on paper

Dimensions: 30x24 inches

“This painting is a quasi-photorealist mash of a young Brooke Shields on the dance floor of Studio 54. The awkward and pubescent youth embodies both influential beauty and influence while gyrating with the strange movements of a teenager in a public theatre of debauchery.” – Melissa Wilkinson

Austin Stern (Seattle, WA)

Red Fatty, 2017

Medium: Blown and sculpted glass

Dimensions: 17x14x11 inches

“Red Fatty is a piece from my ‘Little Monster’ series, where cartoon-like creatures interact with physical manifestations of their thoughts and feelings. This piece was made as a playful comment on greed, and the inclination to chase after that which is just out of reach.” – Austin Stern

Austin Stern (Seattle, WA)

Daydreamer, 2017

Medium: Blown and sculpted glass

Dimensions: 23x14x9 inches

“Daydreamer is a piece from my ‘Little Monster’ series, where cartoon-like creatures interact with physical manifestations of their thoughts and feelings. This piece was made during my featured artist residency at the Tacoma Museum of Glass in 2017, and captures the overwhelming feeling of joy and possibility that characterized the residency.” – Austin Stern

Adama Delphine Fawundu (Brooklyn, NY)

Vernacular #1, Body Language Series, 2017

Medium: Archival pigment and screen print on paper (Limited Edition 2/3 + 1AP)

Dimensions: 16x22 inches

Adama Delphine Fawundu (Brooklyn, NY)

Vernacular #4, Body Language Series, 2017

Medium: Archival pigment and screen print on paper (Limited Edition 1/3 + 1AP)

Dimensions: 16x20 inches

Adama Delphine Fawundu (Brooklyn, NY)

Vernacular #2, Body Language Series, 2017

Medium: Archival pigment and screen print on paper (Limited Edition 1/3 + 1AP)

Dimensions: 16x22 inches

“Body Language explores themes of identity and the African Diaspora, using paper as a material to distort the identity of fabrics. [My work often incorporates] hand-dyed fabric inspired by [my] paternal grandmother, Adama, and aunt of Sierra Leone in West Africa.”

– Adama Delphine Fawundu

Jess Tinsley (Germantown, TN)

Rolling Seas, 2019

Medium: Mixed media

Dimensions: 36x48 inches

“This piece is about the majesty and beauty of the world around us - in the hopes that it will inspire people to pay attention to the intricacies & majesty of the world we often take for granted. I hope it inspires thought, questions, & imagination. Each piece begins with a first layer acrylic wash, followed by a layer of heavy body acrylic paint, which adds texture and depth, and a layer of organic lines in ink. Finally, a layer of resin is added for a beautiful reflective quality.” – Jess Tinsley

Chambers Austelle (Charleston, SC)

Charlie, 2019

Medium: Mixed media

Dimensions: 20x24 inches

Chambers Austelle (Charleston, SC)

Penelope, 2019

Medium:Mixed media

Dimensions: 20x24 inches

“[In Charlie and Penelope] I am exploring the complex way in which our society views women and their relation to beauty. Inspired by fashion photography and the evolution of the roles of women, I place idealized women in isolated settings saturated with bright colors, challenging the viewer to confront the dichotomy between the perception of liberation and that of confinement.” – Chambers Austelle

Tracy Treadwell (Memphis, TN)

An Avenue, 2018

Medium: Steel strap and Lucite shelves

Dimensions: 60x 68x12 inches

“Tracy Treadwell’s work bridges the familiar and the suggestive through assemblage of found and fabricated objects and through her exploration of memory as it fades and evolves over time. In an attempt to decipher and acknowledge her own history, Treadwell taps into the pathways that determine a variety of relationships: how object mass relates to body mass, how materials extend themselves to the human anatomy, and how color, object, and space trigger memory.”

(Artist Statement)

Tracy Treadwell (Memphis, TN)

It's a Dream in Here, 2018

Medium: Chrome bumpers and LED Lights

Dimensions: 66x58x5 inches each

Jonathan Adams (New Brunswick, NJ)

Who Let The Kat Out The Bag?, 2018-2019

Medium: Ink, gouache, crayon, pain, empty apologies, puns, bullshitting, and "Why did she say those things to me?" on paper

Dimensions: 22x15 inches

“I began to think of the power of words as weapons. How could a set of words embody a feeling, how can they take physical manifestations through written words, physicality of representations; but most of all, how could the communication of the phrase within the piece change the dynamic meaning of the work itself.”

– Jonathan Adams

Jonathan Adams (New Brunswick, NJ)

The Arrival / Pale Blitz, 2018

Medium: Ink, gouache, decorative paper, acrylic, and "...a storm is looming" on paper

Dimensions: 22x30 inches

“An introduction piece into the collected body of work "Sonnet in Thunder". The collection foretells the colonization of thunderbirds on a lower civilization. The body of work explores the facets of colonization, race, equity and power dynamics.” – Jonathan Adams

Paige Ellens (Memphis, TN)

Octagonal Prism, 2019

Medium: Acrylic and ink on canvas

Dimensions: 56x56x3.5 inches

“In the last year or two, I have become obsessed with line work and using repetitive patterns. I also love experimenting with colors that work to make some sort of optical illusion. In this piece, I worked with a zoomed in photograph of an iridescent bag as a reference for my background. Overlaid, I have line work that mimics the octagonal shape. It can be seen from afar because of its size, yet up close even more can be discovered.”

– Paige Ellens

LaToya M. Hobbs

Kelli R., 2012

Medium: Woodcut on paper

Dimensions: 50x34 inches

“Kelli R. is from my ‘Beautiful Uprising Series’, which investigates the intersection of race, beauty, and identity among women of the African Diaspora in an attempt to counter negative misconceptions and stereotypes based in Eurocentric ideals.” – LaToya M. Hobbs

Natalie Eddings (Memphis, TN)

Bend, 2019

Medium: Digital collage on Photo Rag paper

Dimensions: 24x24 inches

“The woman asks herself, ‘Am I selfish for being small or small for being selfish?’ This piece addresses the way in which women are socialized to be smaller in every aspect than men.” – Natalie Eddings

Sold

Anna Bearman (Memphis, TN)

Skin Shifts, 2018

Medium: Digital painting on paper

Dimensions: 20x20 inches

“This piece reflects on the emotional quality of our skin and how colors reflect certain feelings.”

– Anna Bearman

Lacy Mitcham Veteto (Memphis, TN)

Soft Skeleton (Diptych), 2018

Medium: Cheesecloth and wax

Dimensions: 63x30 inches each

“Soft Skeleton was made through a process of casting and carving wax to expose the internal structure of undulating fabric suspended in the wax. I started using wax because of its flexibility and the way it layers, which I associate with the layering that make up the body.”

– Lacy Mitcham Veteto

Jess Tinsley (Germantown, TN)

Rolling Seas, 2019

Medium: Mixed media

Dimensions: 36x48 inches

LaToya M. Hobbs

Inner Glow, 2012

Medium: Woodcut on paper

Dimensions: 50x34 inches

Raymond Padron (Chattanooga, TN)

Ball Glove, 2018

Medium: Oxidized white oak relief carving

Dimensions: 36x24x2 inches

“Ball Glove is from a series of relief wood carvings I began in 2017. Each of these works is enlarged in scale, yet collapsed against the wall. Referencing the body and its absence, each work is tied to a person whom I've considered a mentor.” – Raymond Padron

Raymond Padron (Chattanooga, TN)

The Watchman, 2018

Medium: Oxidized white oak relief carving

Dimensions: 31x21x2 inches

“The Watchman is from a series of relief wood carvings I began in 2017. Each of these works is enlarged in scale, yet collapsed against the wall. Referencing the body and its absence, each work is tied to a person whom I've considered a mentor.” – Raymond Padron

Richard Echols (Cordova, TN)

Gaze, 2018

Medium: Oil paint on canvas

Dimensions: 36x24 inches

Courtney Khail (Atlanta, GA)

Dreams In Color: Indigo, 2018

Medium: Watercolor and ink on paper

Dimensions: 15x11 inches

“Flowers are not a new subject matter in art—from Dutch still-life painters to Warhol—artists throughout history have utilized them in their works. And while undoubtedly aesthetically pleasing, to me the true beauty of flowers lies in their metaphorical talents. Whether referencing life or death, happiness or sorrow, flowers have an uncanny ability to capture and portray the full gamut of human emotions. By altering something as simple as the composition of its petals, or as intricate as my line work, I am able to utilize that gift and tell a story through my art. Most recently I've been experimenting with using flowers to express vulnerability and self-discovery (specifically in relation to social expectations and conventions.) By combining traditional subject matter with contemporary compositions, vibrant colors, and dynamic line work, I create paintings that are delicate yet brazen- mirroring the dualities and contradictions in each of us.” – Courtney Khail

Courtney Khail (Atlanta, GA)

Dreams In Color: Orange, 2018

Medium: Watercolor and ink on paper

Dimensions: 14x11 inches

“Specifically with Dreams in Color, I wanted to explore the idea of finding and becoming your true self. The person you have always believed yourself to be/wanted to be, even if (or particularly if) you felt held back by expectations from society, friends, or family.

My work is about being vulnerable, but not weak; strong, but not cold; empowered, yet cautious. It’s about breaking free from societal restraints and having the courage to be yourself, even if (or especially if) it’s difficult—and then celebrating that person.”

– Courtney Khail

Clay Palmer (Rutherford, TN)

Shining as Illuminators in a Court of Injustice, 2018

Medium: Oil on Canvas

Dimensions: 20x20 inches

The 13th, 2017

Medium: Oil paints, acrylic, and graphite on canvas

Dimensions: 72x48 inches

Nuveen Barwari (Nashville, TN)

House Wife, 2018

Medium: Fabric, acrylic paint, glass, and yarn on wood

Dimensions: 58x83 inches

“This piece was inspired by the Kurdish women presiding in my life. For years, I have watched members of my family create traditional pieces with fabrics such as Kurdish dresses and tassels attached to tapestries inside of houses. Through this piece my aim was to protect and honor their craft, ideology and identity. In most Kurdish homes you will find an ’evil eye’ as a symbol of protection.” – Nuveen Barwari

Nuveen Barwari (Nashville, TN)

The Voiceless Kurd, 2018

Medium: Ink, paper, fabric, on wood

Dimensions: 8x9 inches

“This is a Kurdish man wearing the traditional headdress. It is screen-printed on a photocopy of a Kurdish rug and it symbolizes the genocides, hardships and oppressions that Kurds have gone through. The rest of the world is not hearing their voices and cries because they are a stateless nation. The traditional Kurdish rug depicted in the piece is symbolic because a carpet is quieter to walk on than a hard surface floor and it absorbs sound from the footsteps.” – Nuveen Barwari

Erick Antonio Benitez (Baltimore, MD)

Half the Gradient Hugs the Wall, 2018

Medium: Oil, acrylic, and embroidery on stretched camouflage fabric

Dimensions: 24x17 inches

Erick Antonio Benitez (Baltimore, MD)

Sun Flowers after Van Gogh No.3, 2018

Medium: Mounted camouflage strap and acrylic on stretched camouflage fabric

Dimensions: 42x16 inches

“[Sun Flowers after Van Gogh No.3 & Half the Gradient Hugs the Wall are each] part of a new series of paintings inspired by the use of camouflage fabric, textile references, and materiality in relation to the human body and its figurative connection with nature and surrounding landscapes.” – Erick Antonio Benitez

Natalie Eddings (Memphis, TN)

Global Warming, 2019

Medium: Photography and digital collage on Photo Rag paper

Dimensions: 24x24 inches

Brittney Boyd Bullock (Memphis,TN)

aren't flowers pretty, never black, 2019

Medium: Digital and mixed media

Dimensions: 18x24 inches; 11x17inches

“[These are from] a series of works that explore the underlying effects of mass media and the pervasiveness of fear and anxiety.” – Brittney Boyd Bullock

Brittney Boyd Bullock (Memphis,TN)

aren't flowers pretty, never black, 2019

Medium: Digital and mixed media

Dimensions: 18x24 inches; 11x17inches

“[These are from] a series of works that explore the underlying effects of mass media and the pervasiveness of fear and anxiety.” – Brittney Boyd Bullock

Clay Palmer (Rutherford, TN)

Aftermath of Gobitis, 2016

Medium: Oil paint on canvas

Dimensions: 36x48 inches

“This work is a historical painting about the persecution that affected Jehovah's Witnesses in America during the 1940's following the Minersville School District v. Gobitis Supreme Court case.” – Clay Palmer

Andrew Gray (Baltimore, MD)

I AM A MAN

Medium: Oil pastels and acrylic on canvas

Dimensions: 72x60 inches

Marcus Manganni (Brooklyn, NY)

A Kyte to Caesar, 2019

Medium: Refurbished plywood, laminate, and acrylic

Dimensions: 16x9x2 feet

“A viewing point that breaks its environment into double imagery and color. A pause.” – Marcus Manganni

Lacy Mitcham Veteto (Memphis, TN)

Striations, 2017

Medium: Wax, ceramic, steel, and wood

Dimensions: 56x72 inches each

“Striations is part of a layering process of hard and soft material. The ceramics encased in the wax is like the relationship between the hard and soft that makes up the body. The wax and ceramic supported by the oak and steel at about chest height, like the skeletal structure supporting the human heart.”

– Lacy Mitcham Veteto