Art Market Gallery’s March Featured Artist Exhibit and Reception

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Recent works by photographer Pamela Salyer and Hugh Bailey will be on display through the month of March at the Art Market Gallery. 

An opening reception for the featured artists will take place 5:30 p.m. March 2 during Downtown Knoxville’s monthly First Friday Art Walk with complimentary refreshments.

Pamela Salyer

Nature inspires my artwork in so many ways, but I find myself continuously intrigued by trees. Whether the subject is a single tree, a group of trees, a knot of branches, or a mass of leaves, my paintings and collages are my attempts to describe and capture the ephemeral beauty that I find outdoors. The results are usually somewhere between direct representation and abstraction, transforming trees into pattern, color, light and texture. I use color and shape to try to communicate some of the mystery and beauty that I see in the shifting moods and landscapes of the natural world: nature can be lush or sparse, sinister or comforting. These aspects may be conveyed in different ways... through a beautiful color combination, a somewhat surreal image, or in a scene that’s almost in focus but remains slightly out of reach. Regardless, I strive to create something that will hopefully draw the viewer in, and evoke a moment of connection with the natural world.

Hugh Bailey

Hugh Bailey has extensively taught extension courses for the University of Virginia from its Bristol division and filled in for his pottery teacher for one year at Berea College. Bailey worked as a graphic designer for the University of Tennessee beginning in 1960, retiring in 2001.

Bailey divides his time between painting and ceramics and has always been fascinated by animals and this certainly reflects in his art. When he first started doing craft shows he noticed that most of the work was utilitarian and thought that there might be an opportunity for more sculptural work. This has worked out. The first examples were small solid figures mounted on wood blocks, but they eventually developed into wheel thrown shapes assembled into one whole form.

About Art Market Gallery

Owned and operated by more than 60 professional regional artists, the Art Market Gallery, at 422 South Gay St., is a few doors away from Mast General Store and next to Downtown Grill & Brewery.  Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and Saturday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday; and 1-5 p.m. Sunday. The gallery is wheelchair accessible, and parking in the abutting garage and on the street is free on weekends and after 6 p.m. weekdays.  For more information, call 865-525-5265 or visit www.artmarketgallery.net.

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