Monthaven Art and Cultural Center

Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center
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Mark Kostabi Exhibit Adds A Touch Of Chic To The Monthaven Arts And Cultural Center In Hendersonville, Tenn.

HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. (April 18, 2022) – One of New York City’s most iconic artists will introduce a bevy of new works at the Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center (MACC) in Hendersonville, Tenn. The exhibit, titled Mark Kostabi: Provocateur & Healer, will run May 1 to June 5, 2022 and will feature 42 of the celebrated artist’s paintings. The opening coincides with the MACC’s Third Annual Moonlight and Magnolias Gala Fundraiser.

“We are thrilled to introduce the paintings of Mark Kostabi to our Tennessee audience,” says Cheryl Strichik, the MACC’s executive director. “These works are remarkable for their elegance and precision, and they offer a kind of witty commentary that’s simply timeless.”

Born in Los Angeles in 1960, Kostabi studied drawing and painting at California State University before moving to New York in 1982. By 1984, he was a prominent figure in the East Village art scene. Taking his cues from Andy Warhol, Kostabi developed a practice of employing a team of creative thinkers and skilled technicians to assist him in the production of his art. Interested in getting feedback from potential audiences about “what to paint,” Kostabi conducted market research by showing his sketches around, inviting comments and suggestions about his imagery and ideas. This led to building his own style or “brand,” which consists of faceless figures who engage in allegorical or metaphorical narratives.

In 1988 he expanded his enterprising approach by founding a production facility, known as “Kostabi World.” More recently, he developed a TV game show where participants title his paintings. In the current exhibition, Kostabi’s anonymous figures are placed in situations that invite viewers to reflect upon a wide range of topics, including art history, the art market, music, the environment, politics, technology, recreation, spirituality, and love. The works also explore human attributes such as isolation, desire, alienation, greed, and faith. Executed mostly in bright and sometimes psychedelic colors, Kostabi’s paintings possess an aesthetic sensibility that reflects the high-tech domination of the 21st century.

Kostabi will conduct a master class on Sunday, May 1 as part of Moonlight and Magnolias weekend. Call (615) 822-0789 for more information. The annual gala raises money for the MACC’s arts education programs. Guest speakers for this year’s event include Rep. William Lamberth, House majority leader in the Tennessee General Assembly, and Albert Scaglione, founder and CEO of Park West Gallery. Kostabi’s exhibit is on loan from the Gallery’s Park West Museum, which has long championed this artist’s work.

 The Park West Museum is a non-profit museum located in Park West Gallery’s Southfield, Michigan headquarters. The museum reopened following an extensive remodeling that added two new galleries to the facility. Admission to the museum is free to the public, ensuring that anyone who desires to learn more about art can enjoy the collection.  

Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center (MACC) is a jewel-box art museum and education facility housed in one of Tennessee’s most spectacular antebellum 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 600 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, visit www.monthavenartsandculturalcenter.com or call Call (615) 822-0789.

Robin Willis

HEALING ARTS COORDINATOR

Robin Willis is the MACC’s Healing Arts Coordinator. She also works as the Exhibition and Events Manager and Director of Outreach. Robin has a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from Clemson University with a minor in Entrepreneurship. She is a multi-discipline artist with emphasis in writing, mixed media abstract painting, alternative process photography, collage, and book arts and binding. In addition to her art practices, she holds several healing modalities certificates, such as extensive kundalini yoga teacher training and education, Reiki master, systemic family constellation facilitator, and depth psychology-based therapy trainings. As an avid learner, she explores and encourages others in their exploration in art, psyche, and our relationship to the micro and macro worlds within and around us. Influenced by John Muir’s quote, When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe, she fuses art, healing, and organization throughout her work and personal life as a creative-scientist minded person.

Kaylin Warden

Creative Design and Operations Manager

Kaylin Warden serves as the MACC’s Creative Design and Operations Manager. In this post, she oversees the organization’s graphic design work for exhibitions, events and special projects. She also coordinates the MACC’s arts outreach activities and assists with bookkeeping, among other duties. Kaylin, above all, 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. 
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