September Art Scene to Feature Interactive Paint by Number Exhibit

september art scene

The Franklin Art Scene will celebrate its fifth anniversary tonight, Friday, September 2 by offering attendees the opportunity to participate in a large paint by number exhibit, depicting a local scene, in addition to showcasing an array of talented artists — working with mediums ranging from watercolor to glass — at participating downtown locations.

At 6 p.m., the night will kick off at Gallery 202 where Williamson County Mayor Rogers Anderson, Franklin Art Scene founder Kelly Harwood and local artist Michael D’amico will unveil September’s paint by number exhibit to the public. Guests will have the chance to contribute to the 38 by 80 inch canvas, using supplies donated by Jerry’s Artarama in Nashville, in honor of the free event’s five-year anniversary.

“We’re thrilled to be able to invite the community that has supported and made the Franklin Art Scene such a success over the past five years to physically be part of creating a memorable piece to commemorate this landmark,” said Linda Childs, manager of the Franklin Art Scene. “Being able to celebrate local artisans with our local merchants is exciting and we’re looking forward to continuing that for years to come.”

Coordinated by the Downtown Franklin Association, Friday’s locations are slated to offer a sweeping variety of magnificent work, ranging from mixed-media pieces and handcrafted jewelry to turned wood and original paintings, including:

  • Bagbey House, located at 134 4th Avenue North, will showcase acrylic painter Jill Harper, whose work features a variety of animals, structures and flowers.
  • Rachel Savane, of Savane Silver Gallery, will exhibit her fine gemstones and silver creations at boutiqueMMM, located at 238 Public Square.
  • Franklin Antique Mall will host Steve Skrabak, a watercolor artist from here in Franklin, at their location at 251 2nd Avenue South. Skrabak’s works feature different subjects from street scenes to sport figures.
  • In addition to the paint by numbers exhibit, Gallery 202 will showcase co-owner and September’s featured artist Kelly Harwood, as well as music by The Saturns — a multi-genre band from Nashville, influenced by the sounds of early rock ‘n roll, blue eyed-soul and Brill Building songs.
  • Imaginebox Emporium, located at 311 North Margin Street, will be featuring the original illustrations created by Cory Basil for his young reader novel The Perils of Fishboy. Basil’s creations are painted using multiple mediums, including watercolor, oil, and gauche.
  • Jack Yacoubian Jewelers will highlight the works of Susan Goshgarian McGrew, a New England Native and physician, at their location at 300 Public Square. In 2011, McGrew retired from medicine to pursue a career in painting full time. She maintains a studio in Nashville, however travels extensively with her art supplies; drawing inspiration from her many travels.
  • Landmark Bank, at 114 East Main Street, will showcase two artists. Award-winning artist, Cheryl Buehring, is one of less than a dozen people around the globe that makes coffee painting their primary expression of creativity. Cheryl is known as the Kona Coffee Artist due to her years of living in Kona and painting with 100% Kona Coffee, grown only on the Kona Coast on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi. Cheryl’s son, Ryan Buehring, will also be featured. Ryan, who grew up in Franklin, was inspired to paint by his talented mother. However, unlike his mother’s masterful command of monochromatic detail, Ryan has a passion for the lively and colorful expression of oil painting as well as an endearment for Impressionism.
  • As part of the Franklin Arts Scene and throughout the month of September, O’More College of Design is bringing “The Character of a Man,” a diverse retrospective of more than 40 years of Nashville Native Tom Seigenthaler ’s work, to the public.
    Tom was a business executive, the founder of a public relations firm, a civic leader and deeply involved and invested in the life of his community. He was also a talented artist. The collection not only contains individual works in diverse media, but notebooks filled with sketches and poems; and pieces by other family members and friends who he inspired and encouraged to work alongside him. O’More College is located at 423 South Margin Street.
  • Park’s Realty, located at 415 Main Street, will be showcasing the works of Marriann Nelson. Finds inspiration for her oil paintings from flowers, animals and other things in nature, Nelson has always loved art in all forms.
  • The Registry, located at 324 Main Street, will host Karen Frey Davies Brown, a mostly self-taught painter. Her recent works have been inspired by exploring great blessings and great loss – a potent combination.
  • The Visitor Center at 400 Main Street will feature self-taught encaustic painter, Christopher Green. Encaustic painting is a millenia-old method of applying heated, pigmented beeswax and hardening resin to produce vivid, impactful art.
  • The Williamson County Archives at 611 West Main Street will showcase artist Betsy Marsch who specializes in oil painting and portraiture, including tiny minuscule portraits that are the size of a postage stamp.

Many of the galleries and working studios serve complimentary refreshments during the evening. Free trolley rides provided by the Heritage Foundation circulate among all the stops, and patrons can jump on and off at will from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

For more information on sites and artists, visit www.facebook.com/franklinartscene.com. To download maps and applications, visit www.franklinartscene.com.

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