Recent Works by the Emporium Center’s Tenant Artists
November 6-24, 2020
Recent Works by the Emporium Center’s Tenant Artists
Opening reception: Friday, November 6, 5:00-8:00 PM
Gallery hours: Monday-Friday 9 AM – 5 PM
Please note, the Emporium will be closed Wed-Fri Nov 25-27 for the holidays.
The fifteen artists of the Emporium Center are proud to present an exhibition of recent works in a variety of media such as collage, fiber works, mixed media, painting, and photography. These artists include: Sheila Chesanow, Derrick Freeman, Connie Gaertner, Judi Gaston, Tobertha Jackson, Diana Kilburn, Katie Kinney, Fritz Massaquoi, Wokie Massaquoi-Wicks, Pam Radford, Chris Rohwer, Robin Rohwer, Gayla Seale, W. James Taylor, and Sandy White. See artist bios below.
The Emporium Center is Knoxville’s first true arts center, which re-opened following renovations in 2004. Built in 1898 as the original home of a prestigious furniture company, the Emporium housed a wholesale goods distributor and later became a textile manufacturing facility that fulfilled military contracts. The two adjacent buildings and the vacant lot were the location of the “Parthenon of Country Music,” which served as the home of the WNOX Mid-Day Merry-Go-Round. The 28,000 square feet of flexible use space houses multiple art galleries showcasing local and regional artists with exhibitions that change each month. The Emporium also houses the administrative offices of non-profits Arts & Culture Alliance, Circle Modern Dance, HoLa Hora Latina, Knoxville Gay Men’s Chorus, Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, and Tennessee Stage Company as well as studios for fifteen individual artists.
The Emporium is available for private rentals for receptions, fundraisers, dinners, parties, and more and is open to the public Monday-Friday 9 AM – 5 PM with monthly First Friday receptions.
Artist bios/statements
Sheila Chesanow
As a photographer my goal for the observer of my photography is to See Beyond what the Observer would normally see. I have won numerous awards and love sharing my vision of the world with others.
Contact phone is 423-745-9999 or 916-806-3576.
Derrick Freeman
Derrick Freeman is a self-taught artist diagnosed with Autism, a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired verbal and non-verbal communication.
By age two, he was completely non-verbal and was unable to learn and use language like most children his age. By age three, art became his only form of communication. He learned to express his perceptions of life and everyday living through his drawings and artwork. Each piece of art tells the story of his journey with Autism.
Derrick continues to break down the barriers of Autism through sharing his unique artistic talents with the community. He has exhibited his artwork throughout Tennessee including: the Tennessee Governor’s Mansion, Vanderbilt University, Lipscomb University, the Tennessee Disability Mega Conference and the Knoxville Museum of Art. In addition, he has been the recipient of several awards for his community advocacy work for the Autism community including: the Arc of the Mid-South’s Outstanding Artist and Performer Award and the Future Horizons Inc’s Dr. Temple Grandin Award for Outstanding Success. His artwork is currently on exhibit at the Ernie Els Center for Autism in Jupiter, Florida.
For additional information about Eyes of Faith by Derrick Freeman, visit his art website: www.derrickfreemansart.com and visit his Eyes of Faith Art Studio located at the Emporium Center.
Connie Gaertner
Covid19 has become the unexpected time to take a break and reset. The solitude of an Artist just became more solitude. And for me, diving into a painting became that quiet peaceful place to retreat. www.conniegaertner.com
Judi Gaston
The lure of travel is often reflected in my handwoven clothing designs. I love to see the handwork of various cultures and realize the contributions that they make to the art of clothing. The pieces I chose for this show are handwoven jackets, embellished with vintage buttons and beads along with beautiful vintage Molas sewn by women of the San Blas Islands of Panama with the most incredible, tiniest of stitches. These pieces have additional importance to me in the present troubled time – a wish for people coming together.
Tobertha Jackson and Wokie Massaquoi-Wicks
African-Inspired Apparel and Accessories
Sisters Tobertha and Wokie grew up in Liberia, West Africa and draw artistic inspiration from their homeland and its distinctive and colorful traditions. They create well-constructed one-of-a-kind gowns, dresses, shirts, and jewelry blending centuries-old traditional patterns and color schemes with contemporary accents and influences.
Diana Kilburn
For the first three months of the Covid lockdown, I could not paint. Talking to other artists, many suffered the same problem. When I finally came back to my studio, where I have painted for 6 years, I felt a need to paint in a more free and whimsical manner. Usually my watercolors start with controlled drawings and masking of some details. Then I do a lot of spattering and detailed brushwork to achieve a representational style. But I have been making up the current paintings as I go along but using many of the same techniques that I have used in the past but in a different way. Everyone has had to find ways to adjust to the conflicts presented to them during this difficult time. I find painting for me is a joyous experience and it lifts my spirits. Until we go back to some semblance of a normalcy, painting will take me to a peaceful place.
Kathleen Anne Kinney
Kathleen Anne Kinney is currently the Director of Recreational Activities for Renaissance Terrace (a division of SCHAS) in Knoxville. She has been with Senior Citizens Home Health Services for over a decade. She started out on their Board of Directors. Kathleen is also a Veteran of the United States Navy. She has a degree in business, and is certified in Electronics and Risk Management. Kathleen was an Artist in Residence at Broadway Studios and Gallery before coming to the Emporium. She has won numerous awards for her paintings, mixed media and photography. She has also been judging Art Competitions for over 12 years in East Tennessee. Kathleen’s latest adventure is as reigning Ms. Tennessee Valley Senior 2019/20, and she is getting ready to compete for the Miss Tennessee Senior America 2021. To contact Kathleen: 3chairsstudio@live.com or text 865-356-4361.
For me building a platform of understanding and knowledge about art and sharing it with my community is important. I want to be inspired. I want to inspire. I want to create an experience that will educate as well as fascinate. Take inspiration from our histories, our experiences, our very souls and create art using this inspiration. The neat thing about art is there is no end to it. I want to still be doing this when I am 92. I can keep painting. I want to keep painting. I want to be like Edgar Degas who said – on his deathbed… “Damn, and just when I was starting to get it!” I want to have the conversation about our world, our lives, our thoughts, my art and I want to hear you.
Fritz Massaquoi is a self-taught painter and textile artist who works in batik, tie-dye, weaving, painting, printmaking, and handmade papers. His works have been collected and exhibited internationally. His colorful paintings, prints, and weavings capture vivid recollections of idyllic West African landscapes, and daily life. The places, people, and events depicted often feature bold silhouettes and imagery portrayed as if through the filter of distant memory. Other works take the form of lyrical, atmospheric abstractions inspired by Massaquoi’s extensive experience as a modern dancer. He builds each composition intuitively, and often adds other materials to his acrylic pigments to enhance surface textures.
Chris S. Rohwer
Photography is one more excuse for me to be outside. Whether in the mountains of Nepal or in my own back yard, I look to capture interesting subjects with light, lines or action to give the viewer a sense of what I see and feel. Owning a camera dates to my college days but photography only became a serious effort within the last few years. Through practice, classes, workshops and encouragement I have begun to develop my artistic craft. I hope you enjoy my work.
www.ChristopherRobinArts.com
ChristopherRobinArts@gmail.com
Instagram: ChristopherRobinArts
Facebook: Christopher Robin Arts
Member: Camera Club of Oak Ridge, Southern Appalachian Nature Photographers, LeConte Photographic Society, Arts and Culture Alliance
Robin Moore Rohwer
Always a work in progress, I paint for me. The image speaks to me and needs to be painted. For me, painting is capturing a moment or a feeling in time and place. Preferring to paint on location, in a style known as Plein Air, it is my hope to transport the viewer to my spot, to feel the wind, the smells, and the light that drew me to stop and contemplate painting. Anything may be my subject, no matter how obscure and should convey the energy and mood of the moment. Strong shapes, subtle shifts, light and shadows chorus in my head and my heart to evoke feeling with the viewer – a memory, a love, a need, a calm or a question. When one sees my finished work, it’s a piece of me and a peace in me. I am blessed.
Robin and Chris have been a part of the Emporium family since Sept 2018. When not out on another adventure, painting or photographing, Robin likes to create in their studio space. Robin is a member of Oil Painters of America, American Impressionism Society, Arts and Culture Alliance, Fountain City Art Center, Tuesday Painters
www.ChristopherRobinArts.com
ChristopherRobinArts@gmail.com
Instagram: @ChristopherRobinArts
Facebook: Christopher Robin Arts
Gayla D. Seale
I am a watercolor artist with a subject matter emphasis on cityscapes and architectural forms. The paintings for the November exhibit focus on abstracted cityscapes with repeated patterns found in nature, fabric and architectural designs. I have been a part-time working artist for many years, but only recently transitioned to a full time career as an artist.
Website: gayladsealeartist.com
Instagram gayla_d_seale
Facebook Gayla D Seale
