Participating Artists are listed in alphabetical order.
Aaliyah Dempsey
Untitled – Mixed Media
Aaliyah is a multi-genre dancer and interdisciplinary visual artist. Afrossurealism synthesizes imaginary worlds of Afroasiatic, Afrolatin and Indigenous faith and knowlege; interventions of lineage seek to narrate our present forms. Focusing on myths and spirituals of the diaspora of Afro-Latin American culture, her work conveys performance narratives of gender and age, religion, and migration in present bodies.
Alexis Jones
Princess Nokia – Digital Print
Canyon Head – Acrylic paint, plexiglass, and plywood
Alexis Jones is a multi-disciplinary artist born in Jackson, Mississippi and based in Tennessee, currently working as a graphic designer. Her background is in digital art, and she has recently shifted towards more 3D work that incorporates laser cut salvage plywood and acrylic.
Aniyah Gibbs
Peace Be Still – Photography
Lighting is very important when making photographs. As a photographer, the thing I remember the most about a place is the light. It serves as my source of inspiration. It has a way of bringing peace to and environment. A small illumination can add a deep meaning to a lovely story.
Aubany Simpson
Underwater – Acrylic
Jellyfish symbolize entanglement, Reiki, and energetic flow. Reiki means miraculous sign and mysterious atmosphere. These creatures flow through the currents and trust what’s going on around them. The girl in the photo is starting to accept life around her but she has not come to terms. The jellyfish around her represent her thinking shown by the colors some are bright and more vibrant while some have dull and dark colors because she still needs time to go with the flow. She is surrounded by currents of every color not knowing which way to go. The artist made this to contrast the bright and dark colors against the girl in blue and green and how warm she is compared to the coolness that surrounds her.
Barbara Hodges
Together We Rise – Mixed Media
Artist Barbara Hodges often refers to herself as an “Artistic Storyteller”. She is a self-taught artist and paints about life and the colors of life. Subsequently, it was not a surprise that as an artist, Hodges love to weave a story around her art. Artist Hodges works with papers, textiles, paint, found and repurposed items telling stories through imagery with strong and intelligent conceptual solutions. Barbara feels that Art has always been a key to unlocking conversation, thoughts, and ideas that lead to revelation, reflection, and change. Hodges’ artistic style is described as bold, textural, gestural, expressive, thought provoking, and imaginative with a colorful and vibrant palette. Her artistic style ranges from memory /folk art paintings, abstraction, wood block printing, sculpture, watercolor, and 2D & 3D mixed media, and drip style paintings. Her art is meant to enlighten, inspire, elevate, empower, and educate the viewer and uplift the community. For Hodges, art is life.
Barbara Womack
Bottled Soul – Mixed Media
House Painters – Acrylic on canvas
By the Sea– Acrylic on canvas
Not Just a Rose – Acrylic on canvas
Brittany Goodson
Joy – Acrylic on Canvas
Individual Worship – Acrylic on Canvas
Soak Up the Son – Acrylic on Canvas
Brittany Goodson is an artist who wants to share the love of Jesus Christ through her art. She uses bold colors and primarily paints people to demonstrate the relationships they have with each other and God. Brittany uses acrylic paints on canvas and hopes to inspire others to want to know more about Christ.
Carol Saffell
Tennessee Whiskey – Acrylic
Carol is a self-taught and blessed by God to have this special gift of creativity. Carol’s artwork is intended to appear raw and unfinished because we are, to her as people, raw and unfinished, always striving to become a masterpiece. The vibrancy in Carol’s art is intentional, she consciously selects certain tones that jump off the canvas and demands your attention.
Tribute to Nathan “Nearest” Green.
Nathan “Nearest” Green became Jack Daniel’s Master Distiller making him the first black Master Distiller on record in the United States. Nearest Green taught Jack Daniels the sugar maple charcoal filtering method also called the Lincoln County Process. This process was signed into TN law in 2013 stating that it is not a whiskey if the Lincoln County Process is not used.
The Uncle Nearest Green legacy lives on because of Keith and Fawn Weaver. They are the founders of the Nearest Green Distillery located in Shelbyville, TN with the world’s longest bar where the great great granddaughter of Nearest Green is the Master Distiller.
Danielle Wilson
“The Wishmaster” – Acrylic and fabric on canvas
“The Wishmaster” delves into the internal struggle between good and evil, reflecting the constraints on Black identities. In a social atmosphere where survival overshadows truly living and time is scarce, this piece critiques the futility of such black-and-white categorizations. It highlights how Black people often adopt the label of being “one of the good ones” as a survival tactic instead of living freely as “one of the bad ones.” The artwork underscores the irony of the illusion of choice due to the rigid idea of self. “The Wishmaster” aims to shed light on these themes and provoke thoughts on identity and freedom.
DaShawn Lewis
Untitled (GOALS) – Photography
SON RISE – Photography
Untitled 1 – Photography
Untitled 2 – Photography
DaShawn Lewis, a self-taught photographer, focuses his work on preserving memories and promoting youth arts. Born and raised in Nashville, TN, his passion for photography traces back to his childhood. When making images, he prioritizes building community and fostering connections. Lewis uses the term “Life Photography,” which aims to authentically document real-life events, people, and environments. His primary objective is to highlight the significance of everyday life and everyday people. In recent years, Lewis, alongside his creative peers, has collaborated on workshops and exhibitions with the Edgehill Brighter Days Program in South Nashville, under the leadership of Nancy Crutcher.
Destiney Powell
Amari of Command – Acrylic and oil paint
Wild Flower – Acrylic paint
Destiney Powell is the CEO and founder of Poetically Illustrated Studios. Her work specializes in crafting vibrant, narrative paintings that weave together ancestral wisdom, contemporary experiences, and visionary futures. Each artwork is a testament to the power of storytelling through color and form, capturing the essence of diverse narratives and transforming them into beautiful, evocative masterpieces. Destiney’s work is a celebration of cultural heritage, a reflection on the present moment, and a daring exploration of what lies ahead. Through art, Destiney aims to inspire connection, provoke thought, and ignite the imagination, inviting viewers to embark on a journey of discovery and reflection.
Erihii Nyamor
Yas x Yen – Digital Illustration
I’ve been a freelance illustrator for over 10 years. I have designed illustrations for children’s books, album covers, caricatures, comic strips, corporate projects, and much more. I’m inspired by anime and comic book culture. I love doing fan art and funny illustrations of my favorite characters. I have displayed my art at various festivals that include Tomato Fest, Sevier Park Fest, African Street Fest, Nashville Black Market, Comic Cons, The Nashville Farmers, Cheekwood, and much more. I also set up at the downtown artcrawl. You can find me at Nashville Farmers Market.
Yas x Yen is a graphic novel about an Angel and Demon that become unlikely friends. Yas an emo Angel from Paradise, Yen a cute naive Demon from the Phantom Realm. It was important for me to submit these here because last year’s Black Art Bash I discussed the idea of this Novel. My goal is to have issue 1 completed this year.
Felix Maxwell
The Art Lesson (Photo Taken at the 2023 Black Artist Bash) – Pastels
Felix Maxwell, a renowned photorealist painter, gallery owner, and art teacher from Middle Tennessee, is known for his refined techniques and exhibitions over 49 years.
Felix, a passionate art enthusiast, developed a lifelong passion for visual storytelling during his early years of art classes in 1968. In 1975, Felix established Maxwell House of Art. From 1990 until 2022, Felix worked as the Gallery Manager, Member, and Art Instructor for the Marshall County Art Guild. From 1994 to 2001, Felix’s landscape and portrait paintings were shown at several venues, including Nashville’s Bethlehem Center, Cumberland Gallery Group, and Premier Art Décor and Designs Gallery. Additionally, he painted a portrait of C.D. Stamps for the Tullahoma Stamps Community Center. The Academy of Art University awarded Felix a Fine Arts Degree in Painting and Drawing in 2010.
Felix’s artistic abilities have earned him recognition in the following areas: 2009: The Best in Drawing Award: Museum of Science & Industry, Chicago; 2021: National Black Arts Forward Project Relief Fund Awardee; and in 2022, Felix Maxwell participated in the Best of Tennessee Black History Artist’s Panel at Vanderbilt University, where he discussed his guiding principles and techniques for creating acclaimed artwork.
Felix’s artwork, spanning from 1997-2024, is housed in various collections and museums, including the Dollar General Corporation Art Collection, Nashville Metropolitan Courthouse, Tennessee State University Van Gordon Gallery Collection, A One Man Show at The Parthenon, Nissan, and “Black Creativity” exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago for the last 10 years.
Hailey James
Do Not Spare Me if it Means You Shall Live – Sharpie, tracing paper, acrylic paint, and thread
This piece nods towards themes of love and cannibalism, as seen in many forms of media and artwork. The pomegranate, commonly representing love, and in this painting, the “flesh”, is the main subject of this painting. The threads pointing from the pomegranate’s center towards the organs symbolize one person giving themselves to the one they love, so much so that they would even give their own flesh in order for their lover to live if that’s where circumstances placed them.
Henry Jones
Awaiting Birth, Rebirth Connections – Acrylic, Enamel, and Ink
Henry L. Jones is African American artist, performance artist, writer, activist and author. His artwork focuses on cultural connections, historical links and social issues to create messages of hope and redemption. Using his gibbing technique to create his paintings, Jones thrives to find and share the healing forces of redemption and provide a message of hope.
Higgins Bond
Bella – Acrylic on Canvas
Handshake in Space – Acrylic on illustration board
The Visitor – Acrylic on Canvas
Higgins Bond has been a freelance illustrator and fine artist for more than forty years. She earned a BFA Degree in Advertising Design from The Memphis College of Art. She has received many honors such as a medal of honor from Governor Bill Clinton, the 2007 Green Earth Award for illustrating A Place for Butterflies, and the 2009 Ashley Bryan Award for outstanding contributions to children’s literature. A Place for Turtles by Melissa Stewart with illustrations by Higgins Bond, was the winner of the 2014 Green Earth Award and the Sigurd F. Olson Nature writing award for children’s literature. She has exhibited work at
the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, and the DuSable Black History Museum in Chicago, Illinois. She is the illustrator of three Black Heritage stamps for the United States Postal Service and four stamps for the United Nations Postal Administration on endangered species. She is the first African American woman ever to illustrate a stamp for the United States Postal Service.
Many of her original images have been published by some of this country’s largest collectible plate companies. She also has illustrated more than 40 books for both children and adults and created three paintings for the Great Kings and Queens of Africa poster series for Anheuser-Busch. She is a member of the Society of Illustrators, and her clients include such notable names as: The Bradford Exchange, McGraw-Hill Publishers, Peachtree Publishers, The Franklin Mint, NBC Television, Hennessy Cognac, Essence and Black Enterprise magazines, Frito-Lay, and Columbia House.
Kanytra Bumpas
Untitled – Acrylic
I am a visual artist who specializes in acrylics with vibrant colors to show positivity and life. I layer the paint and usually use about 12 layers on each painting. I use bright colors to show the liveliness and beauty of black people.
Kaylan Lemon
start.stop. – Acrylic on Canvas
Kaylan’s work is driven by her desire to no longer be defined by past events that have controlled her narrative. She aims to create art from a place that tells the story of her journey from dark depression to chosen joy. Kaylan aims to ask and answer questions about transforming one’s identity while staying connected to what she values. She is currently exploring this shift in identity by examining the relationship she has with her body through the use of bold colors with acrylics, watercolors, and pastels.
Khloe Moore
A Half Foolded Home – Watercolor and white gel pen
The Prince’s Lotus – Ink pen
An orange, organized home has been flooded halfway, but vertically! The water setting half the house with a blue aura that makes the organized orange house become *flooded* with chaos. This piece used its dichromatic color scheme to make a fun story of a house being flooded in a confusing and entertaining way.
A project in which the main material was used in black ink pen, with a little yellow for the coloring of the crown. The frog prince is the main focal point of this piece. The lotus next to him was included to emphasize how small the frog prince is, yet still being its owner. The small amphibian prince has the power when he sits next to his lotus while wearing his golden crown! He is a very powerful little fellow.
Kimberly Manson
Crowns – Photography
New – Photography
Behind the Scene – Photography
LeAndra Crystal
Interconnected Journey – Mixed Media on Canvas
LeAndra Crystal depicts the silhouette of a woman with a crown on her head. Her back bare and the tails from her skirt are in her hands. Her back is bare because she is liberated and free. She has lightened her load. The different fabrics and prints in her skirt represent the women whose journey’s she has taken pieces from in life. Each a different story, a different impact, forever tied to her journey. She has taken what is needed and created something beautiful.
Leroy Hodges
Fighting to Win – Acrylic on Canvas
Art allows me to express what I feel, think, and experience. Growing up in Meridian, I learned to appreciate the beauty of life and nature despite challenging times and events. “Nature with all its beauty reflects a moment in time. Through painting, I can capture not only the beauty in nature, but also what can be imagined, the struggle, joy, and pain of the Human Spirit”. Art allows me to express my God given abilities in ways the world have not seen before, and to unlock nature’s unique shapes and creations. Hodges works with intense and colorful palette choices – which the artist described as “brilliant, poignant, bold, and textural resulting in a vibrancy of color and subject matter. Hodges works between a number of modernist stylistic references – from drip style painting, cubism, blue tones, and color fields to abstraction. Leroy has the uncanny ability to unify these divergent styles on canvas.
Maya Turner
Leo – Wood
Maya Turner is a local self-taught wood carver with a love for color, culture and bold lines.
Megan Jordan
Exeline the Excellent – Acrylic on Canvas
Dr. Megan Jordan is a multidisciplinary artist, activist, and social scientist based in Nashville, TN. Through her art and research, Jordan seeks to make complex, contentious topics more accessible with the aim of bridging social divides in fatalistic times. In her art, Dr. Jordan acknowledges and centers the history, strengths, and potentials of Southern grassroots activism with a focus on justice lineages of Black History. Jordan’s work calls for her audience to reconceive notions of power and justice—highlighting that power lies within us to produce the change we seek –within lofty visions of the future down to the mundane of how we choose to exist day to day. As part of a family history project, the work presented here is a painting of Dr. Jordan’s great great aunt, Exeline Stewart Whitman, born in North Alabama sometime around 1899.
Nadine Shillingford
Generations – Charcoal on paper, recycled material, acrylic paint
Nadine Shillingford is a Nashville-based artist who draws inspiration from the people and animals around her. Her work consists mainly of charcoal and pastel drawings on paper and mixed media pieces. With the exception of a few community art classes, Nadine is self-taught and enjoys focusing on drawing eyes and hair. She enjoys bringing out the beauty of every day life in her drawings. Nadine is an associate professor in the School of Applied Computational Sciences at Meharry Medical College and is a proud mother of a teenage daughter. She is originally from the island of Dominica in the Caribbean but has called Nashville home for almost ten years. Her work can be seen online at charcoalatte.com or on social media @charcoalattebynadine.
Neely Jordan
Shades of Love – Digital Illustration
Nija Woods
Summoning Strength – Watercolor, Ankara fabric, pastels, ink, recycled paper
Nija Woods, an abstract expressionist, utilizes her unique artistic style across various mediums, including fine art, journals, and sculptures. Her deliberate combination of colors prompts reflection, acknowledgment, and transformation in viewers. Certified CBT Practitioner, in Color Therapy, Yoga Therapy, Meditation, and as a Therapeutic Art Life Coach, Nija’s work extends beyond aesthetics to evoke profound emotional responses and promote overall wellness. Through canvases, journal pages, sculpted forms, and workshops she invites individuals on a transformative journey of self-discovery and well-being.
Rhonda Shaw
Melanin Queen – Acrylica
Rhonda Shaw or “ArtbyRhonda” is a local Artist, self-taught, and art lover. She not only paints, but she does paint parties and classes to engage and teach others art as well. Rhonda has several pieces she’d like to exhibit to share her art with others. She participated in the exhibit/ Art Bash last year and had an amazing time.
Sebastian Byers
3 Days, 3 Nights – Acrylic Paint
Sebastian Byars was born in Nashville, Tennessee in 2001. He is a graphic design major at Murray State University and is influenced by street art and fashion. This self-portrait piece was painted over a 3-day period. He was heavily inspired by Jean Michel Basquiat’s work and tries to apply that to his creations.
Shadale Smith
Free-Bold-Fierce – Mixed Media on Canvas
Shadale, a talented Nashville native, is not just an artist but a visionary on a mission to promote mental well-being through her creations. As the founder of Lanae Bloom, she uses her art to advocate for self-expression and positivity. With a vibrant palette and captivating collages, Shadale’s art sparks important conversations while infusing her work with uplifting messages. Her art has graced various platforms in Nashville, from magazines to stadiums, billboards, and murals, captivating audiences with her unique perspective. Through her brushstrokes, Shadale aims to uplift and inspire, sharing her story in a way that enlightens and empowers others.
Shayla Holt
Feelings – Acrylic Fuid Art
Self-taught abstract fluid acrylic artists on a journey of artistic expression. Experimenting with multiple techniques such as Dutch, swipe, open cup, and random experiments on the journey of painting music plays a big part in the creative process. Many life lessons also come to the surface when I am painting subtle reminders like perspective depends on the the lens you are looking through.
Shea Moore
The Brothers – Watercolor on paper
“It’s the eyes”. That’s the first thing people say when they view my watercolor portraits. Windows to the soul, telling a story, pulling the viewer into whatever is being shared. I’m intrigued by the faces I see every day. There’s always a second story, behind the gaze, something that’s beneath what we think we know.
Sophia DeGrasse
Conscious of a Butterfly in the Moonlight – Ceramic
To be able to see colors not visible to the human eye is a beautiful thing and a symbol of hope, rebirth, and joy. These creatures should be appreciated for their amazing design, beauty, and rarity. When we see these creatures, we should embrace these attributes. This is the Conscious of a Butterfly in the Moonlight.
Sosy Seay
Day Time Dreamer – Multi Medium
The “Day Time Dreamer” crafted by Sosy Seay captures the essence of a dramatic dreamy feeling that only lasts an instant. It centers around an African girl viewed from above, her swirling corn rows made with coffee beans along with her extravagant gown pieced together by sowed string and sheets of painted tissue paper. This piece incorporates multiple textures and materials that question your first instinct on if certain characters are real or not, drawing you closer. The overwhelming patterns and colors create a mirage across the whole frame, scattering the viewer’s vision. The significant purpose of not being able to identify the girl’s features plays into the disarray of dreams thus marks that familiar feeling. This painting disrupts what you see and then causes the viewer to zone into every part while also reflecting on a universal feeling of being a day dreamer.
Stormy Goode
Powerful as I am Diptych – Acrylic, spray paint, and silk screen on canvas
Stormy is a careful and thoughtful artist, working calmly and intentionally. She makes a plan for her work and then follows through, letting the process take over as she methodically and thoughtfully works on her craft. When asked how she wanted the world to see her, she said, “as I am.” Hence, “powerful as I am.”
Sydel Petty
Delly – Plaster, steel, and wood
“No Images” – Ceramic
Sydel M. Petty is a Caribbean American studio artist based Southeast Nashville. Presently a student at Belmont University’s Watkins College of Art, she currently emphasizes sculpture and expanding her knowledge in said concepts. The visage and soul of humanity is a repeating theme throughout Petty’s work. She has also worked with clay, printmaking, painting, drawing, darkroom photography, and digital imaging.
Victoria White
Music Man – Canvas paper, acrylic paint
A Bouquet of Thoughts – Charcoal and cardboard
Victoria creates artworks inspired and in an attempt to illustrate her life-perspective as a Black girl. Through her uses of unconventional colors, shapes, and dimensions, Victoria aims to create works of art that skillfully reimagine what the world around us look like. Her art–especially her use of bright colors–defines what society believes can be reality. In an attempt to reject the conventional portrayal of the Black experience in America. The Music Man in particular is inspired by the influence of Aaron Douglas, and his contribution in the Harlem Renaissance and Tennessee’s own, Fisk University.
In A Bouquet of Thoughts inspiration was taken from our very own Nashville community. Within this community, areas such as Edgehill are not properly acknowledged and, in many cases, (as gentrification does) are attempted to be erased from the culture of Nashville altogether.
Victoria White
Music Man – Canvas paper, acrylic paint
A Bouquet of Thoughts – Charcoal and cardboard
Victoria creates artworks inspired and in an attempt to illustrate her life-perspective as a Black girl. Through her uses of unconventional colors, shapes, and dimensions, Victoria aims to create works of art that skillfully reimagine what the world around us look like. Her art–especially her use of bright colors–defines what society believes can be reality. In an attempt to reject the conventional portrayal of the Black experience in America. The Music Man in particular is inspired by the influence of Aaron Douglas, and his contribution in the Harlem Renaissance and Tennessee’s own, Fisk University.
In A Bouquet of Thoughts inspiration was taken from our very own Nashville community. Within this community, areas such as Edgehill are not properly acknowledged and, in many cases, (as gentrification does) are attempted to be erased from the culture of Nashville altogether.
XPayne
Stay Black & Die – Spray paint on wood panel
A young woman reads a book while holding an afro pick and resting her hands on a gold skull. A reminder that life is finite and precious.
The Creator – Spray paint on wood panel
The personification of the creative spirit. Based on “Vulcan and His Forge” by Pompeo Batoni. First painting of “The Creator” series.
Untitled (Vase) – Acrylic on manufactured vase
Zoe Simpson
Apocalypta – Oil on Canvas
Apocalypta is an artistic work that takes inspiration from various sources, including occultism, ancient mythology, and Jungian psychology. It tells the story of a metaphorical journey into the underworld, or katabasis, drawing parallels between a personal experience of self-discovery and global political and climate crises. The work explores themes of inner turmoil and external chaos using symbolism and metaphor to grapple with questions of desire and fear. By confronting the darkest corners of the psyche, the artist invites viewers to embark on their own introspective journey to find reconciliation and freedom.