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
The 2024 Annual MAC Members’ Show features 63 artists in a variety of artistic mediums and styles representative of our area. Unlike our typical month-long exhibitions, this show will be featured in our gallery throughout the months of July and August! We will announce the awards, sponsored by the Dempsey & Litchfield Fund, on August 9th during LoDa ArtWalk.
Prizes for the MAC Members’ Show will be awarded as follows:
Best in Show – $500
2nd Place – $300
3rd Place – $250
Dempsey & Litchfield Award – painting, photography, or drawing specifically focused on the greater-Mobile area – $200
Members’ Choice Award – $150
Honorable Mention – $75
Honorable Mention – $75
Don’t forget to cast your vote for the Members’ Choice Award! Each MAC Member is eligible for one vote. Voting concludes at midnight on Friday, July 26th. The winner will be announced on Friday, August 9th during LoDa ArtWalk. You MUST have an active Mobile Arts Council membership by July 26th for your vote to be eligible! Join today: www.mobilearts.org/become-a-member
2024 Members’ Show artists include Althea DeWeever, Amanda Youngblood, Barbara Barrosse Cobb, Barbara Spafford, Ben Kaiser, Brian Tan, Bryant Whelan, Charity Mason, Christopher R Murray, Curtis Clark, Debi Parnell, Elsa Payton, Elyza Woods, Eric Boone, Frank Ledbetter, Frank Vogtner, Gwen Ainsworth, Hailey Clifton, Harlan Schwall, Jamie Johnson, Janet Hinton, Jennifer Clifton, JoAnn Cox, Juli Day, Kathryn Cariglino, Kathryn Sims, Kathy Sowder, Katie Kaufman, Katie Thompson, Kay Spencer, Kelly Estle, Lana Hall, Laura Ledbetter, Linda Angelina Stevens, Lucy Gafford, Louis Tooker, Lynne Weeks, Marley Russell, Marshall OHern, Mayssam Iskandar, Micah Mermilliod, Michelle Pujols, Mike Carmichael, Mike Kittrell, Muffinjaw Designs (Freddie Blache), Muffinjaw Designs (Gage Nobles), Patty Johnson, Philippe Oszuscik, Rebecca Rittenhouse, Robert Wayne, Savannah Maercer, Stephanie Bromley, Susan Wertelecki, Suzanne Fox, Suzanne Howard, Tres Johns, Vernon Fowlkes, Walker Ladd, Walter Dedrick, Zachary Todd, and Vanessa Quintana.
The 2024 MAC Members’ Show will hang in MAC’s Gallery @Room 1927 from July 11th through August 31st. **The gallery will be closed July 25th, 2024 for a private event.**
PAST EXHIBITIONS
Dates: June 1-30, 2016
The pine tree has offered much to Alabama’s culture, development and industry. From the longleaf pine forests that covered Alabama before settlement to the millions of acres of loblolly pine plantations that are part of our contemporary timber industry, pines have played a crucial role in Alabama culture, development and industry. Pines are symbolically and ceremonially important trees to many Native American people, but their meaning varies from tribe to tribe. Some view the pine tree as a symbol of longevity that denotes wisdom and harmony with nature. Today’s long-term management of pine forests produces a renewable resource, erosion protection, watershed, recreation and habitats for wildlife. For this exhibition, three Alabama artists look at pine from a variety of perspectives: Photographer Elmore DeMott of Montgomery tells the story of the life cycle of a pine tree with special focus on controlled forest burns through her photographs. Photographer Chuck Hemard of Auburn explores old-growth pines in his series of large-format photographs. Sculptor Chuck Moore of Valley have transformed salvaged pine and given the wood a new life as artwork. PINE will be on display in MAC’s Skinny Gallery and Small Room throughout the month of June.Meet the artists on ArtWalk night, June 10th, from 6:00 – 9:00 PM. The gallery will be open from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM on weekdays.
Dates: June 1-30, 2016
PleinAirSouth in the Pines features an array of plein air paintings created by the members of Mobile’s PleinAirSouth group, adding a local element to the PINE show organized by the Alabama State Council on the Arts. Artists participating in this exhibit include Joanne Brandt, Roxann Dyess, Carolyn Green, Satomi Kamei, Tamara Lindsay, Karen McGahagin, Ainsley McNeely, Missy Patrick, Melissa Root, and Karen Spaulding. PleinAirSouth is a group of artists from the Mobile Bay area who enjoy the tradition of painting “en plein air”; i.e., painting from life outdoors. The plein air painter attempts to capture the atmosphere and light conditions of the landscape, and must often work rapidly, under sometimes arduous conditions, to capture the scene before the light and weather conditions change. Artists may work in watercolor, oil, pastel or pencil, but must carry all necessary supplies and equipment with them to work on site. The painting completed on site can be used as a quick study to assist in future studio paintings, or may itself be considered a finished work of art. The PleinAirSouth artists have captured scenes from the Longleaf Pine Preserve at the Mobile Botanical Gardens, and other pine forests along the Gulf coast. PleinAirSouth in the Pines will be on display in the Small Room throughout the month of June. Meet the artists on ArtWalk night, June 10th, from 6:00 – 9:00 PM. The gallery will be open from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM on weekdays.
Dates: June 1-30, 2016
Red Energy – The Dynamic Movement of Competitive Sports is an exhibit by Ardith Goodwin that explores the physics and motion of the human body during the act of competing from the literal to the abstract, through mixed media. Ardith explains: “As an athlete in my younger years, dynamic movement was integral to performing well, and my love for it never left. As a painter, it is part of my technical framework and how I manipulate marks and color to convey meaning.” Along with expressing that explosive movement, Ardith wanted to capture the energy and passion athletes share when they are in the act of pushing the human body to its limits during competition. Red Energy is a show celebrating the visual expression of all things sports. Ardith’s exhibit will be on display at MAC during the month of June in the Danielle Juzan Gallery. Meet the artist on ArtWalk night, June 10th, from 6:00 – 9:00 PM. The gallery will be open from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM on weekdays.
Dates: May 1-31, 2016
Kindergarten-8th grade students from St. Ignatius Catholic School (under the instruction of art teacher Brennan Gibson) will be presenting an ocean-themed exhibition “Sea Change,” featuring papier-mâché sculptures, mixed media collages, assemblages, and paintings. Most of the projects will utilize recycled materials. Students explored a variety of techniques including printmaking, mosaic, and collage. Grades K-5 made art inspired by different sea creatures and their habitats. Grades 6-8 created artwork in response to pollution found along our beaches and the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The artists goals are to highlight the beauty of our oceans and marine life while bringing attention to the dangers facing our oceans. Specific artwork will be for sale and all proceeds will go to MAC and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. The student exhibit will be on display at MAC during the month of May in the Skinny Gallery. Meet the artists on ArtWalk night, May 13th, from 6:00 – 9:00 PM. The gallery will be open from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM on weekdays.
Dates: May 1-31, 2016
The word “icon” means “image,” but since the early centuries of Chrisitianity, the “icon” is normally used to refer to images with a religious content, meaning, and use. In this series of artworks by Skylar Nicholson and Sandra Cassibry, icons are used explore subject matter and medium. Skylar’s body of work focuses on a religious style of iconography that involves contemporary imagery. It symbolizes an international ancestral worship theme. His icons are a modern take of old views – worshiping the people from the past that still currently hold importance in the same aspect that religious figures such as Jesus Christ, Christian Saints, Buddha, and Confucius are held by their followers. The images in his work are centralized around significant people in his life. Glass is the main material that he used to execute his ideas. According to Skylar, “The glass itself is a symbol of fragility. It symbolizes how religion, people and ideas can be forgotten or broken. We use icons to have a visual memory of ideas and memories.” He uses contemporary frames in his art to let the viewer relate the icons to a less formal setting. Sandra’s iconic paintings were inspired by stained glass windows from churches and cathedrals along the Mississippi and Alabama coastline. The transparency of the watercolors, her chosen medium, permits the white reflective surface of paper to shine through. Similar to stained glass, watercolors have an attractive, airy quality, which is perfect for capturing the illusion of atmosphere, space, and light. The artists’ exhibits will be on display at MAC during the month of May in the Small Room. Meet the artists on ArtWalk night, May 13th, from 6:00 – 9:00 PM. The gallery will be open from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM on weekdays.
Dates: May 1-31, 2016
Artist Adam Underwood has produced a series of local landscape paintings titled “Around Mobile.” Adam’s exhibit will be on display at MAC during the month of May in the Large Room. Meet the artist on ArtWalk night, May 13th, from 6:00 – 9:00 PM. The gallery will be open from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM on weekdays.
Dates: March 1-31, 2016
It’s All About the Hats – AGAIN! But this time, it’s not just Karen. Karen McGahagin’s vibrant hat-centric paintings are already known to MAC visitors who remember her solo show last May, titled It’s All About the Hats. This time, McGahagin is back with even more hats, courtesy of her friends and fellow artists. The show will feature a motley mix of mediums and styles, but the hat theme remains. McGahagin is a board member of the Watercolor and Graphic Arts Society as well as a member of the local and national Sumi-e Society. The group exhibit will be on display at MAC during the month of March in the Large Room. Meet the artists on ArtWalk night, March 11th, from 6:00 – 9:00 PM. The gallery will be open from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM on weekdays.
Dates: March 1-31, 2016
”Captured fractions and fragments of seconds with creativity and light” – photographer Vincent Lawson is intent on documenting these fragments in his work. His exhibit, Flow, is a collection of photographs of dancers taken over the past 10 years. Lawson creates images that represent not just the rhythm of dance but of life as a whole. His abstract shapes and arcs of motion invite the viewer to imagine the rhythm that inspired them. Vincent’s exhibit will be on display at MAC during the month of March in the Skinny Gallery. Meet the artist on ArtWalk night, March 11th, from 6:00 – 9:00 PM. The gallery will be open from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM on weekdays.
Dates: February 1-28, 2016
Our ChARTing New Directions instructor Kathleen Kirk Stoves collaborated with her students to create a Valentine’s Day window display. This homage to “love” features portraits of some of her students, as well as an abundance of floating hearts with inspiring quotes about the meaning and importance of love. This display will be hanging in MAC’s front windows for the month of February.
Dates: February 1-28, 2016
The environmental-themed artwork is the result of a weaving across the curriculum of science, art, and fashion design. Students of Mrs. Dianne Bernasconi’s Family and Consumer Science classes at Fairhope High School spent time immersed in learning about the local habitat of Weeks Bay Estuaries. Angela Underwood, biologist educator, was a guest in the classes to share the importance of our fragile ecosystem and the importance of learning about water runoff and keeping the habitats clean. Nancy Raia, Community Arts Director for Eastern Shore Art Center, spent three days teaching the art of batik and how to design on fabric
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
