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. Those that are vaccinated are not required to wear masks in the gallery. 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.
2023 EXHIBITION SCHEDULE
Exhibition schedule is subject to change.*
CURRENT EXHIBITIONS
This March, MAC’s Gallery @ Room 1927 will feature two exhibitions: “Not Without Water” by Pier Hardin and “Blue Mind” curated by Kathy Martin
Not Without Water depicts the environments that could not exist without water. Surreal and abstract forests, bog plants, cypress knees, swamps, mythical caves, carp, lily pads, insects, and frogs—water is their source of life, just as it is ours. Reflected clouds on a pond surface, a meandering stream that courses underground, a hollowed cave—all are evidence of water’s complex and vital omnipresence. The recurring lines, shapes, and patterns observable in the plants and animals that thrive in or at water’s edge define Pier Hardin’s aesthetic sensibility, and hold her in thrall at the miraculous connectedness of nature. Pier’s paintings tend to put the viewer closer to the subject, and often have no horizon lines in sight. This magnified tete-a-tete with a pitcher plant or a frog swimming to the surface of a pond often results in an intimate point of view. The bold colors she chooses express extremes of darkness and light, frequently lending a surreal or fantastical mood to the subject matter. She uses organic line and careful placement to move the viewer’s eye intentionally about the compositions, just as water moves us with rhythm and fluidity. As a Mobilian, a proximity to water has profoundly shaped Pier’s understanding of beauty and mystery. She hopes that her oils and watercolors reveal a reverence toward the biodiverse world of nature that exists in Mobile’s estuary systems. These primordial places where tides meet streams continuously bind Pier in their spells.
“Life in us is like the water in the river.” – Henry David Thoreau
“Blue Mind” is a term used by scientists to refer to the healing power of water and the benefits it has for emotional health and physical wellbeing. Evidence shows that being near, in, on, or under water can make you happier, more connected, and better at what you are doing. All the artists in this show live on the water, and are inspired by its presence in their daily lives. Whether it is the trickle of a stream, the crashing waves of the ocean, or a colorful sunset over the Chesapeake Bay, the sights and sounds of a body of water are woven into each of the creative minds of this group and influence their work in a powerful way. Participating artists include Jan Finn-Duffy, Janie Brown Johnson, Renee Wallace, JoAnn Cox, Susan Rouillier, Kathy Martin, Susan Downing-White, Janie Zetsch, and Anna-Marie Babington.
Contact Sydney Cramer at scramer@mobilearts.org or 251-432-9796 for more information. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday – Friday and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday. The gallery will be closed Saturday, March 18th.
PAST EXHIBITIONS
The Mobile Arts Council is now accepting entries for the 2021 District 1 Visual Arts Achievement Program and Young at Art! For the first time, this year’s program will take place virtually AND in person – teachers and students are not required to participate in person to be eligible to compete. Those eligible for District 1 include public and private schools Baldwin, Clarke, Conecuh, Escambia, Mobile, Monroe, and Washington counties. Every student who receives a District Award will be recognized in the State Awards from the Alabama State Council on the Arts online. All entries, in person and virtual, must be submitted online. Private studios are not eligible to submit work. Entry categories include painting, drawing, mixed media, 3-D/craft, photography, printmaking, and computer images.
The Visual Arts Achievement Program provides opportunities for students in grades 6 through 12 to be recognized for their contributions to the visual arts at the local and state levels. View the statewide schedule, including scholarship opportunities for students (portfolios due on March 1st) on ASCA’s website here. The District 1 juried exhibition will hang from February 5th to February 26th, and will also be displayed on our Virtual Gallery online..
Concurrently, Young at Art is for 5th grade students and below and not included in the juried competition. These entries must be equipped to hang (with a wire, sawtooth hanger, contact strips, or some other way that does not stick out of the top of the artwork). Unlike VAAP, this show is also open to private lesson teachers.
Contact Sydney Cramer at scramer@mobilearts.org or 251-432-9796 for more information. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday – Friday.
The Mobile Arts Council recognizes that Black artists have been historically underrepresented in the Visual Arts field. During Black History Month this February, we extended an invitation for any Mobile-based Black artists 18+ (no MAC membership required) to be featured in MAC’s Gallery @ Room 1927 and/or in our Virtual Gallery online. Featured painting by Soynika Edwards-Bush.
This month we will be featuring two exhibitions: Art For All and Nancy Goodman’s Quilts. These pieces will hang through the end of January in the Mobile Arts Council’s Gallery @ Room 1927. The gallery is open to the public Wednesday – Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Mobile Arts Council, The Central Arts Collective, Full Life Ahead Foundation, and L’Arche Mobile are pleased to announce Art for All, 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. This January, 58 framed works from Art for All, all created by students with developmental disabilities over a number of years, will be featured in our gallery. 100% of proceeds from these art sales will go toward purchasing supplies for Art For All‘s classes, so stop by and purchase a special piece for your home while supporting a great cause! If you are interested in volunteering or making a financial donation towards this program, please contact Lucy Gafford at director@mobilearts.org.
Nancy Goodman makes art quilts – quilts meant for the wall, rather than the bed. While firmly grounded in the craft of quilting, Goodman’s quilt style is improvisational, made without patterns or templates. She creates her designs using vibrant colors and complicated piecing. A final layer of intricate quilting (stitching that holds all the layers together) fills every inch of the quilt. Goodman exhibits her quilts in national and international shows and has won many awards. She lives and works in Mobile, AL. Within the artist’s featured works, she has included a Peace and Freedom Series. According to Goodman, “All over the world people are struggling for peace and freedom. These quilts commemorate some of those struggles.”
The Gallery in Room 1927 is open to the public Wednesday – Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Our November exhibitions include the works from the Mobile Art Association and the Watercolor & Graphic Arts Society. The exhibitions will hang from November 6th to December 17th. We will remain closed November 25th – 27th for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Mobile Art Association is the ideal organization for amateur and professional artists. With over 100 members, MAA provides numerous opportunities to network with and learn from fellow artists.
As a non-profit organization, the object of the Watercolor & Graphic Arts Society is to create, through education, more interest in the media of watercolor and graphic arts, and to promote finer watercolor and graphic arts exhibitions by Alabama artists. The Society holds a minimum of two exhibitions annually, at least one of which is always juried.
See the Mobile Art Association Fall Open Show and 2020 winners in our Virtual Gallery here! The Watercolor and Graphic Arts Society photos will be added later this month. See all the works in this video tour below.
The Mobile Art Association show includes: Yuko Takushige Jordan, Marnée Wiley, Clara Brunk, Fan Murray, Gina McGee, Melissa Munger, Helen Thurber, Dare’ Radcliff, Mary Rodning, Stephanie Bromley, Anne Rose, Karen D. McGahagin, Gail Bramer ,Corky Goldman, Judy Campbell, Tamara Jordan Lindsay, Nikki Shaw, Nola Powell, Jerry Fair, Melissa M. Root, Joanne Brandt, Juli Day, Philippe Oszuscik, Carol Wiggins, Judy Aronson, Michelle Jones, Mike Carmichael, Rudolph C. Villarreal, Suzanne Fox, Lynn Amedy, Nancy Hora, Benjamin Kaiser, Barbara Rettig, and Jeremy Sigle.
The Watercolor & Graphic Arts Society participants include: Ben Kaiser, Vanessa Quintana, Carolyn Greene, Lynda Smith Touart, Corky Goldman, Karen D. McGahagin, Barbara Rettig, Carol Wiggins, Marcy Matherne, Anne Festorazzi, Martha Ann Rowan, Deborah Guy, Philippe Oszuscik, Judy Aronson, Gail Bramer, Kate Seawell, Mayssam Iskandar, Barbara Cline, Mary Anne Trovato, Mary Rodning , Juli Day, Barbara Davis, Melissa Root, Rudolph C. Villarreal, Laura Becker, JoAnn Cox, and Amanda Youngblood.
The Gallery in Room 1927 is open to the public Wednesday – Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Our October exhibitions, including our “Annual MAC Members’ Show” and “9th Annual Throwdown Silent Auction,” will hang from October 1st to October 29th. View the complete exhibitions in our Virtual Gallery online here!
The 2020 Members’ Show hangs in the Gallery in Room 1927 from Friday, Septemeber 4th until Thursday, October 29th. The show features over 30 artists that represent the array of mediums and skill levels within Mobile’s visual arts community. Visit the gallery Wednesday – Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to see the work of MAC members.
The 2020 MAC Members’ Show features:
Aireanne Lopez, Amanda Youngblood, Amy Bark, Anne Rose, Ashley Friend, Ben Kaiser, Benita McNider, Bryant Whelan, Corky Goldman, Dawson Morgan, Ginger Woechan, Gregory Dixon, Gwen Ainsworth, Harlan Schwall, Janie Brown, Jerry Fair, Judy Aronson, Kathleen Kirk Stoves, Laurie Schaerer, Lillian McKinney, Lynda Smith Touart, Marnée Wiley, Mary Elizabeth Kimbrough, Micah Mermilliod, Michelle Pujols, Mike Carmichael, Mike Kittrell, Molly Lorraine Phalan, Monica J. Beasley, Nikki Shaw, Renee Wallace, Robert Schroeter, Ruby Lange, Sherry Peckens, Soynika Edwards-Bush, Susan Fitzsimmons, Susan Mogan, William Morris, and Yannicke Lee.
The Throwdown, MAC’s biggest annual fundraiser, will be going hybrid this year with a part virtual, part live experience. The 2020 art competition will take place via video online in our first-ever reality show style competition! The silent auction artwork will be available to see on display in the gallery throughout the month of October. Bids can be placed online through Auctria until midnight on November 1st. Links to the bidding will be available on our Throwdown page!
Stay tuned to MAC’s social media for more updates about this event, which is set to air on Thursday, October 29th!
The Gallery in Room 1927 is open to the public Wednesday – Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The July exhibitions, “Quarantine Walks,” “Nature’s Lens,” and “Quilts from Quarantine” will hang from July 3rd to August 27th. View the complete exhibitions in our Virtual Gallery online here!
Micah Mermilliod presents Fujifilm Instax photographs in the exhibition titled, “Quarantine Walks.” Mermilliod has been working on documenting his daily walks during the quarantine. These pieces were created to reflect changes that he noticed in the community throughout the quarantine.
“Nature’s Lens,'” is the collection of oil paintings of Reagan Barnett. She strives to capture detail, while still maintaining an element of fantasy in her works. Barnett has been oil painting since she was 9 years old, but it is a part-time venture for her. She earned her Ph.D. in biomedical science from the University of South Alabama and now teaches in the Department of Natural Sciences at the University of Mobile.
Taylor Shaw exhibits “Quilts from Quarantine,” featuring a series of wooden “quilts” that the artist created collaboratively. Shaw says, “This project became a way to connect with friends, family, and complete strangers through the act of creativity. The United States Postal Service became the backbone by which these quilts were transported from my hands to others and back again.
Each piece speaks to the individual and what was deemed important for that person to convey during the Covid-19 pandemic. It was my hope that this project would provide a creative respite from the constant bombardment of bad news coming out and we could rely on each other, even if it was for one simple act of creating.
Quilts from Quarantine became “productivity” with no ties to money. A group effort to create something larger than the individual. I hope this project provides a sense of a distant community and gives a small break from worries. Take care of each other.”
This May, the Gallery in Room 1927 reopens with the postponed Five Show exhibition. Artwork by students of the 2019 – 2020 academic year from Bishop State Community College, Coastal Alabama Community College, Spring Hill College, the University of Mobile, and the University of South Alabama has been selected and judged, by renowned ceramicists, Charles Smith.
Congratulations to Mikayla Ott (1st), Malaya Bengel (2nd), Nancy Milford (3rd), Diana Dyer (Honorable Mention), and Justin Paxton (Honorable Mention). All of the winners will receive a gift as well as a free MAC membership. 1st Place receives $300, 2nd Place $200, 3rd Place $100, and both Honorable Mentions receive a $100 gift certificate courtesy of Ashland Gallery.
The gallery hours in Room 1927 have changed. The gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesdays through Fridays.
See the exhibition now in the MAC Virtual Gallery!
Featured Artists:
| Alina Axsom |
| Malaya Bengel |
| David Bridwell |
| Mary Clark |
| Korbi Clevinger |
| Anna Copeland |
| Stephanie Dismukes |
| Diana Dyer |
| Chase Essary |
| Grace Forster |
| Veronica Johnson |
| Ellie Knight |
| Laura Krall |
| Chardae Lee |
| Erin Loftin |
| William Lowe II |
| Emilee Luke |
| Shyanne Marlowe |
| Karla McMillan |
| Micah Mermilliod |
| Nancy Milford |
| Sharon Nilsen |
| Lawrence Noble |
| Mikayla Ott |
| Justin Paxton |
| Kevin Pettigrew |
| Anna Presley |
| Emily Smith |
| Shelby Thornton |
| Samantha Williams |
| Hallie Zimlich |
The Mobile Arts Council will feature artists Ben Kaiser and Cat Pope in their new show, “Home and Heritage,” and Sahar Alford’s exhibition, “Universal Beauty,” during the month of March in MAC’s Gallery at the Saenger’s Room 1927.
According to Kaiser and Pope, artists often look back on their childhoods for inspiration. They think of loved ones. They think of the places where they grew up; places that mean or meant something. They think about where they came from and the people that matter most.
“Home and Heritage,” is a show of growth. It is a depiction of pasts and beginnings; of hometowns and explorations; and of colors that take us back to a place we remember. Kaiser and Pope hope that in seeing their work you not only see a part of them, but connect to a piece that resonates with you, too.
Like painting, Alford’s love and passion for dance came at a very early age. Her March exhibition is a series of realistic paintings with the theme of “Universal Beauty.” The purpose is to capture beauty, strength and dreams of females from around the world through different dance styles and cultures.
Gallery hours at Room 1927 are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays through Fridays. The exhibitions will hang from March 6th through the 30th, with a special reception from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, March 13th, LoDa ArtWalk night.
Artists Jerry Roldan, Hunter Cobb, and others will be exhibiting January 6th to the 31st in MAC’s Gallery at the Saenger’s Room 1927.
Jerry Roldan’s exhibition, “Doodles from a Clutter Reality,” consists of arbitrary shapes and layers of various art styles. His spatial designs and vibrant use of colors draw in the viewer to interpret the narrative aspects of his paintings.
Roldan explores time as an element in his painting by the dividing the picture into sections, using the edges of the canvas, and by creating numerous accent areas. This encourages the viewer to spend time looking at the work from different distances, angles, and levels of detail. If they look for 3 minutes or 10 minutes, the work thereby exists as a 3 minute or 10 minute “film”.
Roldan encourages the viewer to spend “creative time” thinking of the meaning of the work. As many of the arbitrary shapes occur by chance, it leaves aspects of the work open for loose interpretation.
“Vanishing Point,” organized by Hunter Cobb, is a group show featuring artists from Innova Arts, Dauphin Island Heritage and Arts Council, and other area artists. The underlying theme of this group exhibition is utilizing vanishing point perspective.
Gallery hours at Room 1927 will be 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Tuesdays – Fridays. The exhibitions will hang from January 6th through the 31st, with a special reception from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on January 10th, LoDa ArtWalk night.
Artists Erin Revere, Benita McNider, and Leslie Baumhower will be exhibiting December 5th to the 20th in MAC’s Gallery at the Saenger’s Room 1927.
Erin takes inspiration from the ever-present contrasts of dark verses light and up verses down that fills the world. She finds balance on a canvas and creates the feeling of being whole again. Creating makes the chaos in life make sense, allowing her to surrender to the unpredictable messy composition and make a way back to an organized vision that presents itself in a collection of paintings titled, “The Contrast.”
Together, artists Benita McNider and Leslie Baumhower will exhibit “Eclectic.” Eclectic includes a collection of abstracts, atmospheric seascapes, and paintings of musicians in abstracts and portrait form.
Gallery hours at Room 1927 will be 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Tuesdays – Fridays. The exhibitions will hang from December 5th through the 20th, with a special reception from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on December 13th, LoDa ArtWalk night. The gallery will be closed for the Holidays, December 23rd through January 1st.
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
