AUGUST 16 - SEPTEMBER 28, 2024
Art of the South 2024 Juror’s Statement:
In my last year and a half as a new resident of the South, I have observed and documented the themes, eccentricities, histories, and visual languages that set this region apart. While exploring the southeast, I’ve met artists who have shared their work and their studio practice, exposing me to the rich artistic history embedded in my new home of Tennessee and beyond. In my experience, by sharing and discussing artwork, we develop an understanding of a place thanks to the artists who weave identity into their work. It is through these shared stories that our compassion for humanity expands.
Submissions for Art of the South 2024 spanned a wide range of cultural and personal expressions. They were heartbreaking and hilarious, touching, boisterous, bold, and eye-opening. I was excited to see the influence of folk art patterns and quilted textiles, which span across regions and cultures, alongside richly textured paintings, skilled draftsmanship, and mixed-media explorations. The photographers and videographers’ contributions depicted complex urban and rural landscapes, inviting us to question our place in this society. I was struck by the courage with which the artists exposed their identities to the viewer and the compelling stories they had to share about their communities. The variety of pieces chosen for this exhibition is a powerful reminder that a work of art doesn’t always have to be about a place on the surface to be rooted in that place. Thank you to all of the artists for sharing their work and for deepening my appreciation for this new home.
–Lauren Nye, Associate Curator at Hunter Museum
Number: INC was started in 1987 in Memphis, Tennessee with the goal of developing an arts journal that dealt with contemporary issues of Memphis artists. In the 35 years since its initial publication, Number is still run by a small group of dedicated volunteers that bring the vital voice of the arts to the public free of charge. Many are artists or art professionals working in other capacities to keep the arts alive in the region. What has changed since Number's first issue is the scope: once a publication with a visual arts focus has expanded to explore the nexus with performing, literary, and conceptual arts. Number continues to provide regional coverage of the arts throughout the South and celebrates the cultural contributions of the region with its annual Art of the South Exhibition.
Learn More about Number:INC
https://numberinc.org/