A nonprofit organization dedicated to nurturing the talents of people with disabilities and a gifted ceramic artist inspired by floral designs have graciously shared their works with the John P. Holt Brentwood Library this month. The Friends of the Brentwood Library’s Gallery Wall is featuring photography from AbleVoices while the Showcase Display plays host to the intricate ceramic art of Audry Deal-McEver.
The exhibits are free and open to library visitors during normal business hours.
November Gallery Artist: AbleVoices
This month the Gallery is filled with photography from AbleVoices. Founded by Brentwood resident Jen Vogus, AbleVoices is a nonprofit organization whose mission is “to amplify the voices of people with disabilities through the powerful medium of photography, ultimately fostering more inclusive communities.”
AbleVoices was created in 2018, inspired by Vogus’ discovery that photography helped her son, Aidan, who was born with physical and intellectual disabilities, connect with his peers and teachers.
The AbleVoices exhibit showcases photographs from 2020 summer photography club participants as well as young adults with disabilities from Williamson County high schools who have participated in AbleVoices’ Photovoice projects. In these projects participants use digital cameras to take photos that visually express who they are as individuals. To learn more about
AbleVoices and its programming, visit www.ablevoices.org.
November Showcase Artists: Audry Deal-McEver
FOBL welcomes Audry Deal-McEver and her ceramic work to the showcase this month. Deal-McEver grew up in Franklin, received a degree in Ceramic Studio Arts from Ohio University, and studied at a variety of different art settings before returning to Nashville to live and work.
Much of Deal-McEver’s work revolves around botanical themes. She explained her engagement with this subject in a statement on her website.
“Over the past several years, I have been doing studies of the different botanical symbols seen throughout history and carving them onto white clay vessels,” she said. “I enjoy the way the patterns and forms engage each other. Though I spend many hours looking at historical motifs, I carve from memory and make my own interpretations. My end goal is to create ornate, utility-based forms that inspire users to slow down and enjoy deliberate moments within their daily routines.”
Deal-McEver has had work in over 50 solo and group exhibits across the US including venues as diverse as the American Museum of Ceramic Art, the Reece Museum of Fine Art, the Disjecta Contemporary Arts Center, the Nashville International Airport, and various nature centers and botanical conservatories.
She currently teaches at Belmont University’s Watkins Community Education Program, at workshop centers across the country, and privately in her home studio. Learn more about Deal-McEver and her work at AudryDealMcEver.com.
About the FOBL
The Friends of the Brentwood Library is a nonprofit (501c3) service organization dedicated to the advancement of our community through its library.
If you are an artist interested in exhibiting at The John P. Holt Brentwood Library, please contact the Friends of Brentwood Library Art Chair Jeannine Owens at brentwoodfriends@gmail.com.
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