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 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.
2025 EXHIBITION SCHEDULE
Exhibition schedule is subject to change.*
CURRENT EXHIBITIONS
The Mobile Arts Council (MAC) is proud to present two inspiring exhibitions this October: Watercolor Society of Alabama’s Annual Fall Show & The Watercolor & Graphic Arts Society of Mobile’s Annual Members’ Showcase.
Watercolor Society of Alabama
The Watercolor Society of Alabama (WSA) was organized in 1939 and has been a continuing and vibrant influence in advancing the art of watercolor painting and has contributed to the enrichment of the cultural environment of the citizens of the State of Alabama. Yearly the society sponsors two shows, a national juried exhibition and a statewide juried showcase. The location of WSA National Annual Exhibitions changes throughout Alabama offering residents an opportunity to view collections of fine art watercolor paintings in their communities.
In addition to the educational benefits of the National Exhibition and State Showcase, WSA provides for their members water media workshops taught by prominent US artists. These classes provide an opportunity for members to increase their artistic skills and knowledge.
The Watercolor Society of Alabama has had a significant impact on the arts within Alabama by encouraging and fostering support of membership. The society is one of the oldest major watercolor organizations in the nation. Because of the media coverage it receives from national art publications, WSA has attracted favorable notice for its commitment to excellence. Explore other information regarding WSA exhibitions and view the galleries on the website, www.watercolorsocietyofal.org.
The Watercolor & Graphic Arts Society of Mobile
The Watercolor & Graphic Arts Society is probably the oldest arts organization in Mobile and one of the oldest in the state of Alabama. The Society began as an outgrowth of the celebrated Bayou Painters group on June 5, 1948. It was then known as the “Watercolor Society of Mobile” and was open to artists throughout Alabama. There were originally twenty-two members including Genevieve Southerland, Edmond deCelle, William Bush, and the late Bea Q. Tucker. Since then, many well known and well respected artists have become members. Records indicate that the graphic arts addition began in 1954. Today there are nearly one hundred members.
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.
Opening Reception
Join us for the official opening reception during LoDa ArtWalk on Friday, October 10th, from 6–9 p.m. at the Mobile Arts Council Gallery @ Room 1927. Visitors are invited to enjoy the exhibitions, meet the artists, and celebrate creativity in the heart of downtown Mobile.
Both exhibitions will remain on view from Tuesday October 7th -Friday, October 31st, free and open to the public.
*The Mobile Arts Council Gallery @ Room 1927 will be closed for a private event on Wednesday, October 8th.*
PAST EXHIBITIONS
The 2022 Annual MAC Members’ Show features 53+ 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 12th 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
This year’s judge is Mattie Codling, the Director of Collections and Exhibitions at the Walter Anderson Museum of Art (WAMA) in Ocean Springs, MS. She has been a part of the WAMA staff since April 2016. Codling is responsible for exhibition research, development, and installation, as well as the care and promotion of the Museum’s permanent and loaned collections. Codling completed her undergraduate work at The University of Mississippi where she double majored in Art History and Anthropology. She received her master’s degree in Art History from Florida State University with a specialization in Museum Studies.
Participating artists include Eric Achenbach, Joanne Brandt, David Bridwell, Elizabeth Brooks, Clara Brunk, Paul Campbell, Mike Carmichael, Katie Chatham, Curtis Clark, Laura Compton, Steven Dark, Claire DeWitt, Diana Dyer, Chase Essary, Lucy Gafford, Nancy Goodman, Lana Hall, Tracy Hartley, Janet Hinton, Karen House, Patrick Hurley, Mayssam Iskandar, Carolyn Joseph, Janie Brown Johnson, Laura Jurjevich, Katie Kaufman, Mike Kittrell, Ruby Lange, Terry Lepre, Micah Mermilliod, Angela Montgomery, William Morris, Christopher Murray, Melvin Murrill, Michelle Pujols, Barbara Rettig, Rikki Rhodes, Morgan Rosenbohm, Durand Seay, Nikki Shaw, Laurie Schaerer, LeaAyn Shurley, Barbara Spafford, Kay Spencer, Emily Sommer, L A Stevens, Katie Thompson, Lynda Touart, Sally Adams Trufant, Liv Urbane, Renee Wallace, Lisa Warren, Lynne Weeks, Susan Wertelecki, Marnee Wiley, Bill Wooley, Amanda Youngblood, Stephanie Zaputil.
The 2022 MAC Members’ Show will hang in MAC’s Gallery @Room 1927 from July 6th, 2022 – August 31st, 2022. The gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday.
This June, MAC’s Gallery @ Room 1927 will host two new exhibitions: “Miniatures & More” by Roxann Dyess and “Urban Vibes,” a group exhibition by PleinAirSouth. “Miniatures & More” is a retrospective exhibition highlighting the life and legacy of Mobile artist Roxann Dyess, and “Urban Vibes” will showcase views of downtown Mobile by artists affilliated with PleinAirSouth. Both of these exhibitions will be on display in the MAC Gallery from June 4th – June 30th, 2022. A special reception will take place on ArtWalk night, June 10th, from 6 to 9 p.m. Regular gallery hours are Tuesday – Friday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., and Saturday, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Miniatures & More is a retrospective exhibition highlighting the life and artistic legacy of Roxann Dyess. Born on December 23, 1952, Roxann was and remains an important fixture in the arts scene of Mobile. She was an active member of the Mobile Art Association, Mobile Arts Council, and many other local and national arts organizations. Roxann worked in a variety of mediums including watercolor, oil, acrylic, doll house miniatures, Sumi-e, Zentangle, sculpture, and more. When she was not practicing her art, she worked for the Mobile Probate Court for 30 years before retiring as the County Elections Coordinator. She was also a very active participant with the Distinguished Young Women Program (DYW), formerly Junior Miss, serving as a hostess to the girls who would travel to Mobile for the national competition each summer. Roxann passed away due to complications from leukemia at 5:15 am, Friday, April 23rd, 2021. She died peacefully while holding the hand of her beloved husband, JD Dyess. She is survived by her parents, Bill and Mary Ross; her sister, Robin Ross; and her loving son, Todd Mathers. The Roxann Dyess Has-Been Spirit Award is a scholarship that has been set up for the DYW Program in Roxann’s honor. All proceeds from her exhibition will go to continue funding this scholarship. “Her friends were dear and devoted in many areas; church, work, the art world, and truly everyone she met. If you knew her, I share your loss and your grief. If you did not know her, I offer my sorrow for your loss.” – JD Dyess
PleinAirSouth is an informal group of local artists in the greater Mobile area who like to paint outside in the plein air tradition, “en plein air”. Any interested artist is invited to follow our Facebook page and participate in scheduled painting events. Artists may work in any number of different mediums, including watercolor, oil, acrylic, and pastel. Plein air paintings are often completed in a couple of hours. The challenge is to capture the light, colors, and shadows for a fresh look at the subject as the lighting and weather conditions are constantly changing. These quick paintings attempt to capture the spirit of the subject, and may serve as a study for future studio paintings or stand alone as a completed painting. PleinAirSouth artists have painted numerous locations in and around Mobile and the adjacent Gulf coastal areas. This exhibit focuses on the vibrant areas of downtown Mobile, as well as some of the older, less-explored areas in the urban environment. The exhibit includes studies completed on site, as well as studio pieces informed by on-site studies. “We hope you can sense the urban vibes when you view these portraits of the heart and soul of the city!” Artists participating in this exhibition include Gail Bramer, Joanne Brandt, Carolyn Greene, Tamara Lindsay, Sharon Martin, Missy Patrick, Melissa Root, and Myrna Salaun.
This May, MAC’s Gallery @ Room 1927 will host two new exhibitions: “Black Life in Mobile,” a community photovoice project presented by The Black Life, Arts, and Culture Coalition (BLACC) and the Mobile Art Association’s (MAA) “Annual Spring Members’ Show.” “Black Life in Mobile” sets out to answer the question, “What is Black Life in Mobile?”, and the “Annual Spring Members’ Show” will highlight the works of local artists affiliated with MAA. Both of these exhibitions will be on display in the MAC Gallery from May 5th – May 31st, 2022. Gallery hours are Tuesday – Friday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., and Saturday, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
The Black Life, Arts, and Culture Coalition (BLACC) invited Mobile’s communities to document the answer to the question, “What is Black Life in Mobile?” Artists were hired to go into recreation centers to place cameras into the hands of people across Mobile’s Black communities, educate and empower participants to visually answer the question through photography. The resulting photovoice project features over 200 images submitted by area residents. The goal of this project and the BLACC is to create greater representation and visibility for Black Culture, Heritage, and Community in Mobile.
The featured photographs and video are by Barja Wilson, McKenzie Reed, Ira Bates, Reginaldo Garcia, Vincent Lawson, Ransom Phelps, Torcivia Daniels, Jade Smythe, Donjoli Rowser, Sharonda Harris-Marshall, Linda Stevens, Charles E. Williams Sr., E.J. Wright, Fandoms Anonymous, Felicia Whittiker, Ashley Streeter, and Disrup Shun members Chelcee Minniefield, Jordan Price, and Roberta Richardson.
This project was created in collaboration with the Alabama Contemporary Art Center, City of Mobile Parks and Recreation, and Mobile Arts Council.
“Five” is a juried exhibition of work by students from the area’s five colleges and universities, sponsored every other year by the Mobile Arts Council (MAC). The 2022 exhibition will be displayed in MAC’s Gallery @ Room 1927 from Wednesday, April 6th through Friday, April 29th, with a reception and awards presentation during the LoDa ArtWalk on Friday, April 8th at 7:00 p.m.
The exhibition is open to any student – not only students studying art – enrolled during any part of the 2021 – 2022 academic year at Bishop State Community College, Coastal Alabama Community College, Spring Hill College, the University of Mobile, or the University of South Alabama. Students could submit up to three pieces in any medium/style, created while enrolled in their current school. Students received a free, one-year MAC membership for applying, as well as cash prizes for the winners.
This year, we received 97 submissions from 34 students. Thank you to our judge, Valerie George, for jurying the pieces that make up this exhibition, and thank you to all of the students and professors who make this wonderful competition possible!
Congratulations to this year’s FIVE winners: Best of Show, Micah Mermilliod; Second Place, Summer Hill; Third Place, Leia Carter; Judge’s Choice, Chase Essary; Judge’s Choice, Peri Carr; and Judge’s Choice, Kennedy Sarrazin. Winners received cash, gift certificates, and other prizes for courtesy of Lupercalia Art Society, Sophiella Gallery, Mobile Art Association, Mobile Arts Council, and Ashland Gallery. See the winning entries below, and view photos of the exhibition on our April ArtWalk Facebook album.
In conjunction with National Photography Month, the Mobile Arts Council Gallery will be hosting three photography exhibitions this May. These exhibitions will hang in the Mobile Arts Council Gallery from May 5th through May 28th, 2021. See it in person throughout the month or on LoDa ArtWalk night, Friday May 14th! A date for the closing reception honoring these artists will be announced at a later time. The MAC Gallery is open Wed-Fri, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Quarantine Diaries
Quarantine Diaries will be a group exhibition from photographers with the Camera South Photography Club. Each featured image was taken of Mobile since the start of quarantine. The exhibition explores both the constant changes and screeching halt that the pandemic has brought to us all.
Camera South is a camera club in Mobile, Alabama and works to provide a platform for people interested in photography. Both professionals and beginners can share ideas, ask questions and have fun with photography.
Sans Camera – Exploring Photograms
Mike Kittrell’s Sans Camera – Exploring Photograms features camera-less photograms of botanical, industrial and household objects using the antique cyanotype photo process from the early 1840s. Objects depicted in the exhibit were placed in direct contact with watercolor paper hand-coated with iron-based photosensitive chemistry and were exposed using direct sunlight or a UV box. Cyanotype chemistry can be applied to a variety of mediums including paper, fabric, wood, glass and ceramics. Traditional black and white negatives or enlarged digital negatives can also be printed as cyanotypes when laid directly on the medium.
Mike Kittrell is an freelance editorial photographer based in Mobile. With a career spanning over 30 years, his work has appeared in national and international publications. Non-silver based processes and pinhole photography are two of his photo-related interests.
Boys & Girls Club National Contest
The top selections from the Boys & Girls Clubs of South Alabama‘s recent art competitions will also be featured in the gallery this May, showcasing original photography and paintings by local students. The winners of this competition will proceed to the Boys & Girls Club’s National Fine Arts Exhibit and ImageMakers National Photography Program!
Competing within four age groups and 18 categories, participants in the National Arts Contest complete original works of art that are exhibited locally, regionally and nationally. The annual contest launches with National Arts Education week in September and closes at the end of May.
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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
