The Creative Arts Guild has secured an exceptional exhibit in honor of Black History Month.
From Feb. 2-23 the Guild will host “Origins, Destinations and Points in Between,” a showcase of 50 works by leading Black artists ranging from the Harlem Renaissance to today. The exhibit is free to the public, and a First Friday reception will be at the Guild on Feb. 2 at 5:30 p.m. The exhibit was made possible through the generous support of Builtwell Bank.
“Builtwell Bank is proud to celebrate Black History Month locally through this wonderful exhibit,” said Jennifer Johnson, Builtwell’s vice president and director of marketing. “As the largest locally-owned, multi-market community bank in Southeast Tennessee and Northwest Georgia, we have been community focused since the beginning. We are proud of the many opportunities we have to support the improved quality of life in our region.”
The exhibit explores works from the past 100 years, including paintings, sculpture, photography, watercolors, collage, mixed media, drawings, pastels and various forms of limited-edition prints. These pieces are from the local collection of Robert Webb and represent his commitment to showcasing art that mirrors America.
“I have enjoyed exhibits at the Guild since my childhood, and the ones that were most meaningful to me were those that introduced me to new artists whose work was engaging and inspiring,” said Webb, the show’s curator. “The works I’ve selected for this show focus on the geographic experiences of these artists, many of whom relocated, traveled internationally or researched the lands of their ancestors. The variety of media and subject matter in the exhibit highlights the evolution of artistic expression over generations. I am also pleased to include multiple works by some artists to better highlight the variety of their creativity.”
Among highlights in the exhibit are:
• Ten pieces by Sam Middleton created from 1961 to 1999, tracing his evolution as an artist in mixed media and various printing techniques.
• A suite of four large format Polaroid portraits by MacArthur “genius” grant recipient Dawoud Bey not exhibited publicly since their debut in New York more than 25 years ago.
• An Artis Lane pastel portrait of Academy Award-winning actor Charlton Heston from the actor’s estate (Lane’s sculpture of Rosa Parks is displayed in the White House Oval Office, and her sculpture of Sojourner Truth resides in the U.S. Capitol building).
• Three early watercolors by Dean Mitchell, hailed by Forbes magazine in 2021 as “America’s Most Underappreciated Painter.”
• Two late 1960s paintings by Bernie Casey, who achieved fame on the professional football field and in cinema and television in addition to his work as an artist.
• A rare still life painting by Laura Wheeler Waring, who was one of the leading artists of the Harlem Renaissance and whose work hangs in the Smithsonian, the National Portrait Gallery and major museums across the country.
“Our previous Black History Month exhibits have attracted large, appreciative audiences,” said Amanda Brown, executive director of the Guild. “This exhibit is a great opportunity for field trips and student visits. All of the works have extensive gallery notes to provide artist biographies and insights into the work. To see a show of this caliber would typically require a visit to a museum in a large city, so we are delighted to make it available locally as part of our mission to provide education through enriching events, exhibits and performances.”
The Guild’s galleries are open Monday–Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday by appointment. For more information about the exhibit or to confirm availability for visits or field trips, please contact the Guild at (706) 278-0168.
