Over 100 people attended an Outsider Art Showcase at The Walnut House Studios on June 21, featuring artists from Murfreesboro and surrounding areas.
The show featured artist booths where attendees could speak with the artists and view and purchase their works, live art demonstrations from several of the artists, and acoustic performances by local musicians.
The show was organized by John Salaway with The Walnut House and artist Jeff Bertrand.
“I’m a musician, producer and songwriter,” said Salaway. “I’ve always had an extreme appreciation for art, and artists and creativity in general, and I just thought when I started working at The Walnut House that it would be the perfect room for an art show. I just wanted to support the artistic community. Everybody you know has art and music in their home, but not many people have local artists or art on their walls. I was trying to think of what makes people want to buy prints that many other people have that you can buy at Wal-Mart when you can get one-of-a-kind works from local artists for not much more. It’s kind of funny.”
Bertrand hopes that the show will help put a spotlight on the outsider art community in Murfreesboro.
“I put the show together because there’s not much low-brow or outsider style art shows in Murfreesboro or Tennessee,” said Bertrand. “Murfreesboro is a music city, and there’s so many good artists in the area. Why can’t it be a music and art city? There’s such high-quality talent. I always thought some of the best artists aren’t the popular ones and the ones you see at Starbucks, but the ones working nine to five, making artwork at home. I’m just glad I had an opportunity to have something to do with it.”
While focusing on low-brow, outsider style art, or what Salaway refers to as “rock ’n’ roll artists,” the art on hand was a diverse mix, ranging from paintings to photography to skateboards.
“Most of the work I do is custom work for people,” said skate deck artist Derek Williamson of Derek Deez Decks. Williamson uses a combination of spray-painting, airbrushing, and stencils to create artwork on skateboards for people to place in their homes. “They can be ridden, but mostly they’re for hanging.”
Williamson is hopeful that more attention will be paid to outsider artists in the near future.
“I think people are just starting to open their eyes to this kind of ?low-brow’ art,” he said.
Other artists at the show included Charles Clary, Charles Bennett, Brandt Hardin, Ben Johnson, Brooke E., Abigale Horne, Trevor Bradshaw, Jason 3:14 and Chad Spann, as well as musical performances by Pops McGee and Ryan Mullenix.
Salaway said The Walnut House will be holding more art shows in the future.
