Admiring One by Pam Jolly Haile of Nashville: Regional Fine Art Exhibition

Dropping in on First Friday activities in downtown Knoxville has become a habit for us.  But First Friday during Dogwood Arts Festival brings on even more quality art to see and artists to meet.  On April 3rd, The Regional Fine Art Exhibition opened to a packed house at The Emporium Center for the Arts at 100 South Gay Street.  And the art, juried by Mark Scala, founding chief curator for the Frist Center in Nashville, did not disappoint!

Upstairs, patrons were taken with such such pieces as this almost floor-to-ceiling study in black and white by Caitlyn Wilson of Clarksville.

Admiring the art of Caitlyn Wilson upstairs at the Emporium

Others leaned in to the small three-dimensional compositions like this watermedia on paper entitled Backyard Food Chain by Elizabeth Sanford of Nashville.

Three-dimensional art: Backyard Food Chain by Elizabeth Sanford

Downstairs, guests mingled around the table of desserts in the great room, studied the art on the walls, and then chatted with artists in their studios.

Crowd at the Emporium on opening night of the Regional Fine Arts Exhibition, April 3, 2015

New (at least to us) artist Angel Blanco, premiered his collection of abstract art and painted clothing. Models (Bert really liked this part!) moved throughout the room and posed for pictures in dresses reminiscent of Jackson Pollock paint-slung canvases.

Angel Blanco (left) talks with a guest at his art opening at the Emporium

Modeling dresses by artist Angel Blanco at the Dogwood Arts Regional Fine Art Exhibition

You could hear patrons commenting on the spacious size and interesting decor of Connie Gaertner’s studio . . .

The Emporium studio of Connie Gaertner

And talking with Diana Kilburn about her nearly 25 years of painting watercolors.

Diana Kilburn, watercolor artist

Favorites of the show?  Well, if we had to pick, here are ours.

Reflections, Icefields Parkway, Banff National Park

Photograph

Steve Zigler, Knoxville

Photograph by Steve Ziglar: Reflections, Icefields Parkway, Banff National Park

Thank God for the Bananas

Watercolor

Kate McCullough, Knoxville

Watercolor by Kate McCullough: Thank God For The Bananas

One

3059 Original Thumbprints, 12 Varieties of Archival Paper

Pam Jolly Haile, Nashville

Center shot of One by Pam Jolly Haile

See what we mean when we say quality? And variety!

If you’re in the area, check out the Regional Fine Art Exhibition open April 3 – 25.

And if you’ve been to the show, tell us which pieces are your favorite.

For more information:

Times and location of Regional Fine Art Exhibition: http://www.dogwoodarts.com/regional-fine-art-exhibition/

Dogwood Arts Festival 2015: www.dogwoodarts.org

For more posts on Dogwood Arts Festival 2015, click here.