The Association For Visual Arts will unveil two new exhibits at their North Shore gallery with an opening reception on Friday, September 15th.
In the Main Gallery they will present Skyward: Celestial Ruminations by Jonathan Bidwell, while in the Landis Education Gallery Extraordinary: A Juried Exhibition of AIM Center Artists will be showcased.
Each year, as part of the award for the “Best in Show” in their annual Juried Member Show, AVA hosts one solo exhibit featuring work from the recipient of that award the previous year. In 2022, that award went to painter and muralist, Jonathan Bidwell. His exhibit, “Skyward: Celestial Ruminations” will feature a selection of paintings of various sky-scapes in a variety of paint media.
“The Sky. Ever present. Ever changing. Sustaining our lives and filling our lungs. Affecting our moods, our clothing, our plans and lifestyles. An ancient symbol for the divine, for hope, for aspirations, and dreams. A symbol of the eternal: The Heavens,” Bidwell explains in his artist statement.
AVA is also thrilled to host Extraordinary: A Juried Exhibition of AIM Center Artists exhibit with their partner organization as part of the AIM Center’s "Creating Place: Recovery Through the Arts" symposium programming.
Since 1989, the AIM Center has been helping people in Chattanooga lead fulfilling and productive lives, while successfully managing their mental health. One such program offered there is the AIM Center Studio, under the leadership of Judith Mogul, where AIM Center members can come to create, to express, and to communicate through their artwork.
The exhibit was juried by renowned New York based artist, Roger Ricco, who is also the keynote speaker for the symposium, and will feature nearly fifty works in a variety of media from several AIM Center artists, as well as an installation display recreating the AIM Center Studio in their storefront window.
There will be a joint public opening reception for both exhibits on Friday, September 15th from 6-9 PM at AVA’s gallery location on the North Shore of Chattanooga. Light refreshments will be provided. The exhibit will run from September 15th-October 27th, their next to last exhibit for 2023.
For more information about the AVA and their Exhibition Schedule, visit the main AVA website – www.avarts.org – or contact Tim Goldsmith, Curator and Education Director at AVA, at tim@avarts.org, or contact the AVA main office at (423) 265-4282.