Media Inquiries:
Cheryl Strichik: [email protected]
(615) 822-0789
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. (June 25, 2024) – Some of the most inspiration portraits in America are coming to Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center (MACC) this summer. The exhibition Portraits of Hope: Inspirational Stories from the Loveday Center, runs July 20 to Aug. 18, 2024 and will feature 65 portraits of women and staff from the Lovelady Center in Birmingham, Alabama. The Center helps women in need overcome barriers and develop life skills.
“The MACC is deeply honored to introduce such a life-affirming exhibition to our community,” says MACC Executive Director Cheryl Strichik. “These deeply expressive portraits fill my heart with a profound sense of hope and joy, and I am sure that our visitors will find them to be equally inspirational.”
The Lovelady Center is a faith-based rehabilitation facility where women come to live for nine to twelve months as they recover from addiction, domestic violence, or incarceration. The Center strives to help women rebuild their lives and walk forward with faith-driven hope for the future and a renewed sense of self. The Center not only provides food, shelter, and clothing for its residents, but it also teaches women valuable life skills and how to overcome the barriers to success in their lives.
In 2021, Beverly McNeil, Birmingham resident and owner of the nationally recognized portraiture agency Portraits, Inc., established Portraits of Hope, Inc. to help raise funds and visibility for The Lovelady Center. All of the subjects featured in this exhibit are associated with The Lovelady Center – some are residents, some are staff members, and others are ministers. Each painting was created by a different artist who volunteered their time and talents to the Portrait Project, a mission to show the featured women a better version of themselves — and to give hope to others who might need help reimagining themselves. A collection of the portraits, each accompanied by the women’s stories in their own words, is now part of a book titled Portraits of Hope.
Beverly McNeil will be on hand for a reception and tea on Friday, July 26 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2 p.m., to 4 p.m. Tickets for this event will be $20 per person. The book Portraits of Hope, filled with 65 portraits from some of America’s top portrait artists, will be for sale for $45. Proceeds will support the Lovelady Center.
Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center (MACC) is a jewel-box art museum and education facility housed in one of Tennessee’s most spectacular historic mansions. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the MACC has staged exhibitions featuring everything from the ceramic art of Pablo Picasso to the evening gowns of Princess Diana. The artwork of local artists and military veterans are also on frequent display. As an art school, the MACC offers classes to more than 900 children and adults each year. The MACC also provides free arts outreach and healing arts to underserved children, families and military veterans. For more information, go to monthavenarts.org or call (615) 822-0789.