Arts Alumni Exhibitin on display through Oct. 19

SPECIAL TO THE STATE GAZETTE

MARTIN, Tenn. – The 2024 Visual and Theatre Arts Alumni Invitational Exhibition will be on display through Saturday, Oct. 19. The exhibition is open to view in the gallery in the Fine Arts Building on the main campus of the University of Tennessee at Martin from 3 to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 1 to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday.

The exhibition is held every three years to highlight a small number of UT Martin alumni and their work.

This year's alumni artist roster includes Summer Appleby, Patrick Andrew Green, Isaiah Kennedy, Rachel Leeds, Delilah Prince, Dylan Schaefer and Jason Woolery.

Appleby (UTM Class of 2016) works as an art therapist in Middle Tennessee with youth and adolescents struggling with their mental health journey. She also serves as a social media representative for the Tennessee Art Therapy Association and conducts introductory art therapy workshops at Middle Tennessee State University. She believes that art can save lives, and hopes to spread the word about the power of art therapy through exhibitions, presentations, and social connections.

Green (UTM Class of 2004) is a ceramic artist and sculptor based in Middle Tennessee. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy from UT Martin and a Master of Fine Arts degree in ceramics from Eastern Michigan University. He serves as a faculty member in the Division of Humanities and Fine Arts at Vol State Community College.

Kennedy (UTM Class of 2022) is a maker who was born and raised in rural West Tennessee. He earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in studio art from UT Martin and is a current Master of Fine Arts degree candidate in painting at the University of Memphis. His work focuses on how Southern narratives interact with themes of masculinity, racial injustice, conflict and the nature of influence through the mediums of acrylic paintings, ink illustrations and collages.

Leeds (UTM Class of 2018) is a graphic designer and artist based in Champaign, Illinois. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in graphic design from UT Martin in 2018 and graduated from the University of Illinois with a Master of Fine Arts degree in 2020. She works as a multimedia designer for World Relief, a Christian humanitarian organization focused on response to global crises in partnership with the church.

Prince (UTM Class of 2020) is a mixed-media artist from Camden. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in art education from UT Martin in 2020. She is a Master of Fine Arts degree candidate in painting at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois.

Schaefer (UTM Class of 2022) is the graphic designer for Discovery Park of America in Union City. He graduated from UT Martin in December 2022 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in graphic design.

Woolery (UTM Class of 2007) is based in Martin and serves as assistant professor of ceramics and sculpture at UT Martin. With a passion for community-based art programming and teaching, he has had opportunities to work with art centers, craft schools and municipalities across the Midwest. He is the coordinator for the Martin Empty Bowls Project.

The exhibition is hosted by the UT Martin Department of Visual and Theatre Arts.

For more information, contact Clay Palmer, gallery coordinator, at 731-881-7417 or email Palmer at jpalme36@utm.edu.