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
GLIMPSES is inspired by the fragility of innocence in all children. A precious quality that in fleeting moments of time often reflect who we really are. Jerry Bousard is a self-taught artist, and started pencil drawing as a young child. He always had a love of portraits. As an adult, he put it down for over 25 years, busy with life, marriage and raising two daughters. As his oldest daughter grew and showed a natural talent in art, it inspired Jerry to pick up his pencils again. With this exhibit, Jerry is partnering with “Make A Wish” for the benefit of providing a wish for a terminally ill child. Half of all artist proceeds will go to this organization. He thanks you for your support!
Art for All is an inclusive arts education program for adults. The goal of the program is to bring people of all abilities together to express their creativity and develop their skills in a variety of arts media including acrylics, graphics, watercolors, and more. These framed works from Art for All were all created by students with developmental disabilities over the last few years.
These exhibitions will be on display in MAC’s Gallery @ Room 1927 through December 21st, 2024.
MAC Holiday Hours: Closed 11/27/24 – 11/30/24 and 12/23/24 – 1/2/25.
PAST EXHIBITIONS
Dates: April 1-30, 2017
Featured work by Colleen Terrell Comer
“Lay Down” features new, multi media works by artist Colleen Terrell Comer. LAY (verb) 1. put down, especially gently or carefully. 2. put down and set in position for use. At some point, most people must lay down a part of their lives in order to take up other things. Colleen’s exhibition will be on display in the Small Room through Friday, April 28. Meet the artist during ArtWalk on Friday, April 7 (6 – 9 PM)!
Dates: March 1-31, 2017
“Grieving in the Grove” by Renee Edwards
In celebration of Baykeeper’s 20th Anniversary, MAC put out an open call for artwork in any media relating to the Mobile Bay Watershed and/or recycling to fill our galleries. There are three separate components to the show: a photography exhibition, a recycled art exhibition, and artwork in all other media. In addition to landscape and animals along the watershed, the show relates to federally endangered or threatened watershed animals/plants. The exhibition’s goal to educate the public about sustaining the Watershed as well as to raise awareness of Baykeeper’s mission: to provide citizens a means to protect the beauty, health and heritage of the Mobile Bay Watershed and our coastal communities. The exhibition will be on display through Monday, March 5 until noon on Thursday, March 30. 10% of exhibition sales will be donated to Mobile Baykeeper. Meet the artists during ArtWalk on Friday, March 10 (6 – 9 PM)! Visit Baykeeper’s website to learn more about their mission and for information about the Watershed. Interested artists – download the show prospectus for information on how to participate! The deadline for submission drop offs is March 3, 2017. As of now, participating artists include: Ainsley McNeily, April Livingston, Ashley Friend, Bill Morris, Catherine Helmsing, Chris Cumbie, Dawson Morgan, Devlin Wilson, Eddie Erdmann, Elise McClellan, Gail Bramer, Jeff Johnston, Jenn Grainger, Joanne Brandt, Julie Day, Karen Bullock, Karen Spaulding, Kathleen Stoves, Kathy Friedline, Melissa Munger, Lisa Warren, Lucy Gafford, Lynda Smith Touart, Melissa Hinton, Michele Brinkman, Michele Traum, Mike Carmichael, Nancy Milford, Nikki Shaw, Renee Edwards, Ruby Lange, Satomi Kamei, Shawn Berdux, Susan Downing White, and Susan Rouillier.
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.
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
