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Gallery walk-through with Joanna Higgs Ross, KMA and the TN State Museum

From Krishna Adams, Director of Visual Arts, Craft, Media and Design

This past Monday, we at the Tennessee Arts Commission had the great pleasure of welcoming artist Joanna Higgs Ross into our office and gallery. She is the featured solo artist represented in the Commission Gallery exhibition, Joanna Higgs Ross: A Mini-Retrospective 1956-2015.

In her straightforward and thought-provoking way, she highlighted her journey as an artist and explained the inspirations behind her paintings – from habitual car drives through the mountains and brooding students in the classroom, to the ever changing seasons visible through her studio window. The exhibition shows her work spanning nearly 60 years, and will be on view until July 24.

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Krishna Adams (far left) with KMA docents and Joanna Higgs Ross (center).

Docents from the Knoxville Museum of Art (KMA) joined the gallery chat to meet Joanna, view her artwork and learn about each piece. KMA will feature works by Joanna in their 2016 exhibit Knoxville Seven.

Continuing our adventure, Tennessee State Museum’s Senior Curator of Art and Architecture, Jim Hoobler, led a historical and informative private tour on the soon to close exhibition, Red Grooms: The Blue & The Gray.

The Tennessee Arts Commission Gallery hours are Monday-Friday, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm. Admission is free. If you are interested in scheduling a gallery tour, contact me at krishna.adams@tn.gov or 615.532.9798.