Each month, our community gallery features new exhibitions of original works created by local and regional artists in our Gallery @ Room 1927, located at 6 South Joachim Street (next door to the Saenger Theatre). The gallery is open Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Any artists are eligible and may submit a proposal for consideration. Exhibitions are usually displayed from the first Wednesday through the last day of each month.
In addition to our traditional gallery, we are now also accepting proposals for quarterly exhibitions in our window display cases, located between Room 1927 and the Saenger Box Office. If you are interested in creating a window installation, email director@mobilearts.org.
Join us on the second Friday of each month during LoDa ArtWalk for our exhibition receptions. Meet the artists, see their work in person, and create a personal connection with what is on display. Our gallery is open to the public Tuesdays - Fridays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. View our extended Virtual Gallery program, implemented during the 2020 quarantine, online here. View our current and recent exhibitors below!
Our Community Gallery program is made possible thanks to the Daniel Foundation of Alabama and the J.L. Bedsole Foundation. To sponsor an exhibition, please see our Sponsorship Information.
2024 EXHIBITION SCHEDULE
Exhibition schedule is subject to change.*
CURRENT EXHIBITIONS
This September MAC features two new exhibitions: “On the Waterfront” by PleinAirSouth and works by our 2024 Throwdown Artists. This month’s exhibition series is sponsored by The Mobile Airport Authority.
On the Waterfront: The Mobile Bay area is rich with a diversity of water resources, which provide much inspiration for our local artists. The PleinAirSouth artists have spent the past year or so painting scenes of Mobile Bay, Dog River, the Gulf of Mexico beaches, marshes, lakes, ponds, recreation areas, and commercial marinas and port areas. These waterfront areas are celebrated in the plein air studies and studio paintings inspired by their plein air experiences.
PleinAirSouth is an informal group of local artists that like to paint outside in the “plein air” tradition. The group meets once a week to paint together at numerous locations in and around Mobile Bay and the adjacent Gulf coastal areas. Our artists work in various different mediums, including watercolor, oil, acrylic and pastel. Many paintings are completed in a couple of hours; and may serve as a study for a future studio painting or stand alone as a completed painting. The challenge of painting from life is to capture the light, colors, and shadows for a fresh look at the subject when the lighting and weather conditions are constantly changing. Artists learn much from the experience – they must work quickly, applying and honing their skills using portable equipment and limited materials. Local artists interested in painting with the group are encouraged to follow the PleinAirSouth Facebook page.
2024 Throwdown Artists: The Battle of the Art Educators is on! Competitors—seasoned teachers and passionate creators—vie for the coveted Throwdown belt. Last year’s champion, Brian Tan, stands as the one to beat. But who will rise to the challenge? Let’s meet this year’s lineup: Soynika Edwards-Bush, Zak Todd, Christy LeGros, and Katie Thompson. These artists will have 90 minutes to create an original piece of art while utilizing items from a mystery box. At the end of the evening, these one-of-a-kind works will be auctioned off, and the artist with the highest bid will take home the title of 2024 Throwdown champion.
In its 12th year, The Throwdown is the Mobile Arts Council’s (MAC’s) largest annual fundraiser. Whether you are an arts enthusiast or just enjoy a great time, this event has it all!
The Throwdown consists of a live art competition between five of Mobile’s finest local artists, an all-inclusive silent auction, live music, cold spirits, and delicious food.
This year’s event will take place on Thursday, September 26th, from 6 until 9 p.m. at The Temple Downtown.
These exhibitions will hang in MAC’s Gallery @Room 1927 from September 5th through September 28th. **The gallery will be closed September 21st, 2024 for a private event.**
PAST EXHIBITIONS
Dates: January 1-30, 2017
Painting by Jo Patton
This January, MAC’s Small Room will feature “Imagined” – two individual bodies of related works created by Jo Patton (large watercolor paintings) and Pinky Bass (single-folio book pages and small sculptural pieces). Their exhibits will be on display at MAC through January 30th. Meet the artists on ArtWalk night, January 13th, from 6:00 – 9:00 PM. The gallery will be open from 9 – 5 on weekdays through the end of the month and will be open select Sundays from 12 – 5 during Sunday Fundays (the 8th and the 22nd).
Dates: January 1-30, 2017
Cropped photo of “Switchcane” by Sharon Strang
The Nature Conservancy in Alabama and the Coastal Alabama Botanical Artists’ Circle are partnering to present “The Flora of Splinter Hill Bog” in the Danielle Juzan Gallery this January. The participating artists are members of the Coastal Alabama Botanical Artists’ Circle, including Elisa Baldwin, Nancy Barry, Gail Bramer, Anne Brooks, Tutta Greer Cone, Carolyn Courson, Julie Day, Roxann Dyess, Jane Funkhouser, Clair Hamlin, Joan Hargett, Phyllis Henson, Carol Hoadley, Catherine Hall Kiser, Karen McGahagin, Nancy Milford, Rinda Mueller, Derek Norman, Missy Patrick, Karen Smith, Karen Spalding, Sharon Strang, and Rosemary Johnson. The artists hope to inform the public of our area’s little-known botanical treasures through realistic depictions of the bog’s flora and fauna. The show features 60 original drawings. The exhibit will be on display at MAC during the month of January. Meet the artists on ArtWalk night, January 13th, from 6:00 – 9:00 PM. The gallery will be open from 9 – 5 on weekdays through the end of the month and will be open select Sundays from 12 – 5 during Sunday Fundays (the 8th and the 22nd).
Dates: January 1-30, 2017
Painting by Ashley Friend
“Weathering”, a series of encaustic and rust paintings by Ashley Friend , will hang in the Skinny Gallery for the month of January. Weathering is a continual process – as is painting. This show is an exploration of color and form. Ashley Friend discovered encaustic painting while pursuing a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts degree at the University of South Alabama and has been smitten with the medium ever since. With encaustic painting, the form changes as you heat the paint. The paint cools on the panel, and you apply heat to seal each layer. The process of heating versus cooling is a science – a form of experimentation that Friend finds particularly refreshing. She describes the versatile medium as an analogy for life – you never know what each day will bring. The artist weathers the paintings and creates science – for example, via oxidation and through exposure to air. This exploration of form and color are a self-portrait and expression of Friend. Ashley Friend has been inspired by microcosms ever since her youth – the moss growing on statues, the oxidation of metals, the diversity and complexity of the botanical world. Growing up, the constant of her life was the rising and setting of the sun – along with the changing of the seasons. The beautiful, natural contrasts involve uplifting splashes of colors. She would look to nature and see the various processes working together, and she would find comfort in the land, the sky, and the love of learning about anything and everything in the natural world. The artist’s love of science is reflected in her work. In her words, “Despite the trials in my life, growing up (and even now), welcoming the changing of the seasons has been a comforting constant in my life. This constant continues to embrace me from day to day. Weathering the elements and the storms of life, I looked to nature for inspiration and found it with the majestic landscapes and also through science.” Her exhibit will be on display at MAC through January 30th. Meet the artist on ArtWalk night, January 13th, from 6:00 – 9:00 PM. The gallery will be open from 9 – 5 on weekdays through the end of the month and will be open select Sundays from 12 – 5 during Sunday Fundays (the 8th and the 22nd).
Dates: December 1-31, 2016
The Skinny Gallery will feature Michael Smith’s collection of Christmas card art, created by his artists friends and himself between 1995 – 2016. The show displays the original framed artwork as well as Smith’s printed Christmas cards, which will be strung up throughout the gallery. In 1979, after moving back from college and into his own home, Michael Smith threw a party Christmas night for friends in Mobile for the holidays. “I hosted the party for twenty-five years, always Christmas night, and added more people to the guest list each year. During that time, I met and married Karen, started and finished law school, began full-time work, and moved to midtown,” said Smith. In 1993, they began sending invitations to the party. Smith had already collected artwork from his friends and started getting them to do the artwork for the invitations. Generally, the only request was that the artwork be the dimensions of a postcard and that it be Christmas-themed; some friends accepted more particularized requests. Their last party was in 2003, but they continue to send greetings every year with a new Christmas card, created by an artist. According to Smith and his wife, “It gives us great pleasure to share the original art for these cards with you. Merry Christmas.” Smith’s collection will be on display at MAC during the month of December. Meet the artist on ArtWalk night, December 9th, from 6:00 – 9:00 PM. The gallery will be open from 9 – 5 on weekdays for most of December, and will be open weekends during Sunday Funday (the 11th) and Holiday Market on the Square (the 17th). The gallery will be closed through Christmas break, from December 26 – 30.
Dates: December 1-31, 2016
Pyrography by Kathleen Kirk Stoves
Pyrography: “The art or technique of decorating wood or leather by burning a design on the surface with a heated metallic point.” The Small Room will feature the pyrography of Kathleen Kirk Stoves. This young artist, originally from South Jersey, migrated South when she was accepted into Spring Hill College in 2007. While there, she majored in Studio Art with a focus in oil painting. Since graduation she has kept a working studio, finding a love for pyrography about a year ago. According the Kathleen, “Since my arrival in Mobile, I have been in awe of the oak trees. They add such beauty to this city and possess a certain kind of magic that is undeniable. I am reverent to their magnificence and history.” Due to her appreciation for the oaks of Mobile, she decided to burn their likeness into oak wood pieces, paying homage to their original state. Kathleen’s exhibit will be on display at MAC during the month of December. Meet the artist on ArtWalk night, December 9th, from 6:00 – 9:00 PM. The gallery will be open from 9 – 5 on weekdays for most of December, and will be open weekends during Sunday Funday (the 11th) and Holiday Market on the Square (the 17th). The gallery will be closed through Christmas break, from December 26 – 30.
Dates: December 1-31, 2016
Sculpture by Lebaron Heathcoe
The Danielle Juzan Gallery will feature copper sculptures – bowls, wall hangings, kinetic hanging sculptures, and more – by artist Lebaron Heathcoe. Heathcoe creates art using pure copper. He cuts it by hand, shapes it by beating or heating, or welding. At times, he incorporates brass, stone, or driftwood to highlight the copper. His subjects reflect sea life, music and home décor (such as bowls and vases). “Azalea City Copper is dedicated to handcrafted copper art highlighting its natural beauty, properties and form,” according to Heathcoe. Arthur “Lebaron” Heathcoe started in the metal business in Mobile in 1978, training as a journeyman boilermaker working with various metals such as aluminum, stainless steel, titanium, carbon steel, copper and nickel. He learned about their properties and how temperature and force could shape and mold them into vessels for industry. However, he always admired and valued copper. In 1995, he started making yard art or home décor items for family and friends as a hobby. According to Heathcoe, “If someone had an idea, I would design and make it with copper.” In 2012, he reached a junction in his life – deciding to devote his attentions to copper full time. He started by expanding his copper knowledge and abilities by taking a class at David Burns Studio (a well-known copper artist specializing on the west coast) in Grass Valley, California. Heathcoe retired in 2013 as a boilermaker and decided to make his dream as a copper artist a reality. Heathcoe’s exhibit will be on display at MAC during the month of December. Meet the artist on ArtWalk night, December 9th, from 6:00 – 9:00 PM. The gallery will be open from 9 – 5 on weekdays for most of December, and will be open weekends during Sunday Funday (the 11th) and Holiday Market on the Square (the 17th). The gallery will be closed through Christmas break, from December 26 – 30.
Dates: November 1-30, 2016
Sculpture by Bertice McPherson
This November, Bertice McPherson will be displaying a series of sculptures in the Danielle Juzan Gallery. Bertice’s exhibition, titled “Then and Now…Riding With the Wind,” is comprised of clay and glass work she has created over the last 25 years. The majority of the clay work explores the color and textural affects given by fire, smoke and salt fumes as the pieces are fired in wood shavings overnight. Her glass sculptures are created from sheet glass placed over a fiber mold and heated until the glass slumps over the form. According to Bertice, “As a Mobile native, I spent many days at our beautiful beaches. My glass pieces always remind me of the way towels and fabrics are blown by the wind against torsos at the beach. The wind blows both hard times and good. I have faced many storms in life, but always find courage and strength to persevere. I want my work to show this.” Bertice’s exhibit will be on display at MAC during the month of November. Meet the artist on ArtWalk night, November 11th, from 6:00 – 9:00 PM. The gallery will be open from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM on weekdays.
Dates: November 1-30, 2016
Painting by Susan Rouillier
This November, Susan Rouillier will be displaying “Coastal Views – Paintings and Photographs” in the Small Room. This exhibition features a series of photographs of birds in their natural habitats and paintings of landscapes, birds, fish, and crabs in coastal areas completed over the last six years. Susan Rouillier has been drawn to nature all her life. At the University of Melbourne she was a Commonwealth Scholar and did invertebrate research at Wilson’s Promontory in Australia. She graduated with a Biology degree and went on to teach in Australia, Japan and the United States. Rouillier set up a joint ecological project between Meiji Gankuen High School in Kitakyushu, Japan and The School of Math and Science in Mobile, Alabama, funded by the Fulbright Master Teacher Program. Today Rouillier lives by the water on Mobile Bay where she paints and photographs the natural world of the vast delta estuary. “Painting makes me feel as vibrantly alive as the area that I portray,” she explains Rouillier’s exhibit will be on display at MAC during the month of November. Meet the artist on ArtWalk night, November 11th, from 6:00 – 9:00 PM. The gallery will be open from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM on weekdays.
Dates: November 1-30, 2016
Painting by Judy Aronson
This November, MAC will be displaying a “Jewish Artists’ Exhibit” in the Skinny Gallery. This exhibit serves as an opportunity for members of the Shul and Temple to appreciate, celebrate, and share the abundant creativity of Mobile’s Jewish community. The show will feature works in a variety of media, including paintings, sculptures, photographs, writings, and drawings. Participating artists include Judy Aronson, Sharon Sokol, Marjory Slavin, Sandy Holberg, Odette Sternberg, Emily Fink, Jim Conlon, Joanne Conlon, and more. Meet the artists on ArtWalk night, 6:00 – 9:00 PM on November 11th. In addition to ArtWalk, Rabbi Steve Silberman has scheduled a special wine and cheese reception on Sunday, November 20 at 2:00 PM.
Dates: October 1-31, 2016
Shirley and Tom Rasmussen will be sharing the Danielle Juzan Gallery with two exhibits. Shirley’s work is a collection of her visual diary – her life’s moments. In the exhibition, there will be a selection of studio paintings, plein-air paintings and studies. The mediums are oil, pastels and charcoal. The subject matter is varied; figures, which incude her children and grandchildren, landscapes, and still life. According to Shirley: “All the paintings are records of what I have seen, lived and felt. It is my life.” Shirley Rasmussen received her BFA from the University of South Alabama, and has produced award-winning work that has been exhibited in museums and national exhibitions throughout the United States. Tom, on the other hand, will be displaying a series of lathe wooden sculptures. “Since my retirement I have focused intently on woodturning. The thing I enjoy the most about it is the surprise of the wood’s beauty when you reach the inside. The grain, knots, voids, etc. that are exposed is nature’s art.” Tom likes to work with rough, sometimes half-rotten, wood that has been discarded to bring out the beauty of the piece. Their exhibits will be on display at MAC during the month of October. Meet the artists on ArtWalk night, October 14th, from 6:00 – 9:00 PM. The gallery will be open from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM on weekdays.
The Artys is an annual awards program that celebrates the important contributions that individuals, groups, and businesses make to the Mobile cultural community. Finalists have been announced in the remaining nine award categories, with winners to be announced live at the event.
Artys attendees will enjoy a night of celebration, complete with food, drinks and entertainment in many forms. A jazz trio comprised of John Milham, Chris Spies, and Chris Severin will play, with performances by Mobile Opera and Joe Jefferson Players throughout the ceremony.
Photo Gallery
