Past Archives - Page 2 of 5 - Cheekwood

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2023 Martin Shallenberger Artist-in-Residence Sarah Nguyen

Mixed media artist Sarah Nguyen is Cheekwood’s 2023 Artist-in-Residence. Working primarily with paper, Nguyen carves both recognizable and abstract forms out of paper fiber panels which evoke memory, play, and ritual. Her technique is reminiscent of Jewish paper cutting, a sacred tradition that Nguyen participated in as a child. Nguyen’s intricate designs often incorporate flora and fauna, bringing together new stories as well as those reminiscent of the past. The residency will culminate with an exhibition within the museum’s temporary exhibition space on view from November 18, 2023, through January 7, 2024.

It is not unusual for paper to act as a steward for information. We utilize paper in our everyday lives to jot down notes or write letters. Nguyen re-examines the function of paper by emphasizing the three-dimensional qualities of the material itself as opposed to its typical, more passive function of text vessel. Nguyen’s artworks retain a storytelling trait through visual motifs and symbolism. It is easy to become fully immersed in her elegant cut fiber panels, just as one might be wholly consumed with the narrative of a good story.

About the artist
Sarah Nguyen is a mixed media artist based in Columbia, MO, where she has worked as an art instructor at the University of Central Missouri for over ten years. She earned her BFA in Illustration from Rhode Island School of Design and her MFA in Painting from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Nguyen has exhibited her work internationally from Missouri to Japan. In addition to teaching and exhibiting, Nguyen works as the Book Designer for Pleiades Press and Magazine and as Freelance Illustrator where you can find her work on book covers and children’s books. She is also the Art Installations Curator for the True/False Film Fest.

Featured Image: Sarah Nguyen. Install of Devorah Bee and Deborah- Songs of Judgement 76” H x 49” W Hand-cut Tyvek and wooden rod, spray painted paper. Photo courtesy of Sarah Nguyen.

Image Right: Sarah Nguyen. Deborah- Songs of Judgement 78” H x 25” W (3 scrolls), Hand-cut Tyvek, spray paint, and plastic rod. Photo courtesy of the Artist.

Sarah Nguyen. Devorah- Songs of Judgement 78” H x 25” W (3 scrolls), Hand-cut Tyvek, spray paint, and plastic rod. Photo courtesy of the Artist.

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2021 Middle Tennessee Scholastic Art Awards

The Alliance for Young Artists and Writers, a national nonprofit organization, was established in 1994 to provide guidance and support for the next generation. The Alliance fosters the creative development of youth across the country through The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, the most prestigious recognition initiative for creative teens, and the largest source of scholarships for young artists. Alumni of the Scholastic Art Awards include artists Andy Warhol, Philip Pearlstein, Cy Twombly, Robert Indiana, Kay WalkingStick, Mozelle Thompson, Hughie Lee-Smith, and John Baldessari.

For the 30^th year, Cheekwood is proud to present the The Middle Tennessee Scholastic Art Awards. The exhibition displays the Gold Key and Silver Key award recipient pieces, honoring the artistic talent and innovation of area students.

VIEW 2021 SCHOLASTIC AWARD WINNERS

Presented by

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Women to Watch: Celebrating the Centennial of Women’s Suffrage

In light of the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage in the United States, Women to Watch: Celebrating the Centennial of Women’s Suffrage presents works from Cheekwood’s works on paper collection by female artists. With objects by Ruth Chaney, Helen Frankenthaler, Laura Grosch, Lee Krasner, Clare Leighton, Liliane Lijn, Barbara Morgan, and Beverly Pepper, the exhibition allows the viewer to recognize the strength in the points of view of the female artist, seeing where those voices resonate, and their impact on the canon of art history. Many of the artists in the show were often viewed as secondary to their more famous male counterparts, whether that was their husbands, or their contemporaries. This show allows the work to be seen on its own, without that relational identity. The artists in this show, much like the suffragists, were fighting to have their voices be heard. This exhibition invites the viewer to consider and embrace a different focus within art’s history, to see the unseen and value the undervalued.

Clare Leighton (American, b. England, 1898-1989). Firewood in Georgia, 1936. Wood engraving on paper. Anonymous gift. 1982.6.11.

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MINIMALISM

One of the most important and influential art styles of the 1960s, Minimalism identifies works of art most often comprised of geometric shapes in simple arrangements and lacking any decorative or dynamic flourishes. This style represented the culmination of modern art’s progression toward the most simplified form of abstract art. Featuring the work of Frank Stella, Donald Judd, Ellsworth Kelly, and others, MINIMALISM welcomes visitors to explore how the artists from in 1960s America learned how to paint in the wake of Abstract Expressionism.

Larry Poons (American, b. 1937), Untitled, from X + X (Ten Works by Ten Painters), 1964. Screenprint. Anonymous Gift. 1965.3.7.

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Art Bark

Cheekwood will feature four canine sculptures made entirely out of crayons by Nashville artist Herb Williams. Williams has spent his career creating sculptures from crayons. His sculptures have been placed in children’s hospitals, corporations, airports, museums and the White House. A Standard Poodle, Weimaraner, English Pointer and Labrador Retriever made exclusively using Crayola Crayons will be on view in the Frist Learning Center throughout August.

Photo courtesy of John Brown Photography.

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Sean Kenney’s Nature POP! Made with LEGO® Bricks

From acclaimed artist Sean Kenney and produced by Imagine Exhibitions, this exhibition features 38 sculptures made from more than 800,000 LEGO® Bricks. Inspired by the Pop art movement, Kenney’s work blurs the boundaries between austere and the everyday, drawing from a belief that everything is interconnected. Sean Kenney’s Nature POP! Made with LEGO® Bricks explores the beauty of nature through highly stylized, colorful displays that stand in striking contrast with their surroundings. Presenting a playful spin on traditional sculptural art, this exhibition is an accessible experience for all ages designed to inspire visitors to create something wonderful themselves.

2021 Martin Shallenberger Artist-in-Residence Michael McMath

Michael D. McMath works in Venetian plaster and encaustics, also known as the technique of painting with hot wax. These two ancient practices have repeatedly found waves of resurgences throughout the course of art history. Mike enjoys the freedom and untamable nature of creating with these mediums. These methods take some of the control out of the artist’s hands and create many unforeseen and pleasant results. “While great detail can be obtained with this medium, I find the joy of working with encaustic is in the beautiful accidents,” he states. Mike has completed countless mural, faux finish, gold leaf and trompe l’oeil projects across the United States.

Hero image courtesy of Michael D. McMath.

Michael D. McMath (American, born 1966). Serenity, 2021. Venetian plaster.