Monthaven Art and Cultural Center

Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center
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Artist Christian Calvin’s manliness is surely beyond repute. The Nashville-based neo-expressionist painter, after all, was once a wide receiver for the University of Tennessee’s football team. To this day, he signs his paintings with the number from his old high school football jersey.

Yet a certain feminine sensibility inhabits all of Calvin’s art. His paintings overflow with positive images of brightly painted female figures. Often, these figures tower over background sketches of sturdy buildings, a symbol of a woman’s strength in society.

“A lot of my artistic inspiration comes from living in a house full of women,” Calvin explains. “I live with a wife and four daughters, and they have brought out my softer side.”

One of Calvin’s colorful creations is on display at Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center through July 23, 2023 as part of the museum’s Permanent Memory Collection. The painting is titled “Lovers Lane” and depicts a romantic couple dancing in front of a skyline of tall buildings. The inspiration for the piece came from a photograph of Frank Sinatra and Grace Kelly dancing in the 1956 film “High Society.”

“I loved the photo and just did my own thing with it,” Calvin says.

“Lovers Lane” is typical of the artist’s style. The dancers are abstract figures drawn with elements of expressionism and cubism. Bright colors imbue the dancers with a certain radiance, conveying energy and positivity.

Calvin’s process begins with taking a canvas and painting it black. “I’ll paint the edges and sides first and then sometimes go on to paint the entire canvas,” Calvin explains. “I don’t like having any blank spaces.”

For his next layer, Calvin mixes paint, sand, glue and water, which he lays down for the background. Texture now becomes a central focus of the work. He therefore rejects traditional paint brushes, preferring instead to use a garden scraper.

To create his images, Calvin will use chalk to draw on the background. When he first started painting, Calvin generally improvised, producing themes, symbols and images more or less spontaneously. Now, he often sketches his ideas on paper first.

Regardless of process, Calvin always signs his works with his nom de guerre, 33N. Like his paintings, the signature is layered with meaning. It represents his old football number, his first name (the last letter in Christian is ‘n’), and Christ’s age at the time of his death.

“For me, the number 33 is deeply spiritual and positive,” he says.

Calvin spent most of his adult life working in his family’s business. The business was sold when Calvin was still in his early forties, leaving him with extra time on his hands. He soon found his way into art. He was walking along a beach in Panama City with his family when they suddenly came upon a sand dollar.

“You usually find sand dollars in lots of broken pieces, but this one was completely intact,” he recalls. “We took it with us and painted it. I’ve been painting ever since.”

Calvin’s painting eventually attracted the attention of Cheryl Strichik, executive director at Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center. In 2022, she organized an exhibition at the MACC titled “Birth: A Father and son Journey,” which featured Calvin’s paintings along with the folk-art sculptures of his father, Brownie Calvin. The exhibit met with critical acclaim.

The success of that exhibit was eventually noticed by John Block, the executive vice president of the Park West Gallery, the world’s largest private art gallery. Calvin soon signed on as a Park West artist. He now takes his place alongside other luminaries of the art world such as Peter Max, Mark Kostabi, Alexandre Renoir, Tim Yanke and Autumn de Forest.

“I never dreamed I’d be able to do anything like this,” Calvin says. “And the MACC played a big part in it.”

 

 

 

Kaylin Warden

External Affairs Coordinator

Kaylin Warden joined the Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center staff in 2024 as External Affairs Coordinator. In this post, she organizes special off-site events and manages the organization’s external communications. She also works with the development department by updating the MACC’s customer relations database, and she assists the executive director in setting up exhibitions. Above all else, Kaylin is passionate about the arts. It comes as no surprise, then, that she is now pursuing a master’s degree in art history. When she’s not at the MACC, you can find her reading her favorite books (especially ones dealing with maritime mysteries), cooking, gardening, playing with her cat and two dogs, and cheering for the Nashville Predators.

Ruth Chase

Regional Arts Director
Ruth Chase is the Regional Arts Director of Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center, joining the team in 2023. For Ruth, the job is all about community, bringing people together to uplift and educate artists and art lovers alike. Her role at Monthaven is to strengthen the local artist community and build connections that will enrich Hendersonville and our surrounding communities through art exhibitions, art education, and opportunities for regional artists.
 
Prior to joining Monthaven, Ruth worked in the arts for over 30 years and is a multimedia artist and graduate of the San Francisco Art Institute. Her artistic practice is inquiry-based and engages in community bridge-building. She was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation from the City of Los Angeles, curated and juried exhibitions, and has taught at the Crocker Art Museum.
 
Ruth was awarded an Artist-in-Residence for Artist Activating Communities through a grant from the California Arts Council for three consecutive years. Her film Belonging screened at both the 18th Annual Nevada City Film Festival and Wild & Scenic Film Festival. She has received the Legendary Female Artist of Venice award, and she has exhibited in The Crocker Kingsley, the Museum of Northern California Art, and the Diego Rivera Gallery at the San Francisco Art Institute. Ruth also continues her work as a Curatorial Consultant and Art director for the Californian Indigenous Research Project, where she has worked with the local tribe since 2018.