Virtual Exhibit and Online Artist Talk with Painter and Printmaker, Elise Kendrick
Elise Kendrick: Blended Expressions
Virtual Exhibition:
January 31, 2025–March 28, 2025
Join us for an Online Artist Talk with Elise Kendrick
Wednesday, February 26, 2025 at 11am Central/12pm Eastern
By Krishna Adams, Director of Visual Arts, Craft, Media, and Design –

Elise Kendrick, a Nashville-based painter and printmaker, is the subject of our current exhibition. Her portraits, characterized by bold colors and expressive subjects, invite viewers to connect on a personal level. Kendrick often integrates text, including quotes and poetry, to enhance the narrative of her pieces. “Sinclair: I Got Soul,” a mixed media portrait of photographer Sinclair, showcases this technique with vibrant colors and the repeated phrase “I got soul and I’m super bad.” See the full exhibition here.
Growing up in Gahanna, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus, Elise Kendrick was immersed in creativity from a young age. Her mother, a quilter and storyteller, nurtured Kendrick’s exploration of various artistic mediums. As an introverted and avid reader, Kendrick found art to be a natural form of communication, believing that a successful piece should speak for itself. For her, art provides a space for thoughtful reflection, a luxury not always afforded by verbal communication. This ability to pause and organize her thoughts is essential to her creative process.

After earning a Bachelor of Science in Art with a concentration in metals and jewelry from Tennessee State University in 2011, Kendrick, who had explored printmaking and painting in college, began to focus more intently on these mediums. Her advice to other creatives is simple: “Experiment. Don’t limit yourself to one thing. There are countless ways to express your thoughts through art. The sky’s the limit, and the only one holding you back is yourself.”
Reflecting on her journey, Kendrick says, “Creating art has been an intrinsic part of my being for as long as I can remember. While my artistic path has varied, coming from a long line of storytellers and educators has contributed to my desire to visually tell stories. By using painting and printmaking as a vehicle to create, I am able to speak on race, culture and the disruption of societal norms, as well as fulfill my desire to portray black figures as more than monolithic creatures.”

After college, Kendrick’s pursuit of graduate studies led to a period of self-reflection. Faced with the challenges of the application process, she questioned her relationship with art, ultimately affirming its importance as both a passion and a core part of her identity. This period also saw the launch of Melanated Mothership, her clothing brand specializing in hand-dyed, printed, and embroidered designs. Kendrick’s venture offers wearable art, providing a new and tangible way for people to engage with her creative vision.
While Elise Kendrick previously focused on celebrity portraits using acrylic paints and printmaking techniques, the pandemic prompted a shift towards more personal subjects. Working with a creative coach, she began using art as a means of connection during a time of isolation. Her current work often features African American women, celebrating their presence and power. Some pieces are titled after the individuals depicted, while others carry more general titles to explore broader themes.
Kendrick explains, “While my styles and techniques sometimes vary, I consistently come back to using black figures and my experience as an African American woman as inspiration for my work. No matter what I create, the thought is to share the beauty of blackness as well as to spark conversation. Creating visual voices for the people in my community while giving them the permission to unapologetically take up space.”
Her work has been seen in Nashville venues such as the Frist Art Museum, Hiram Van Gordon Gallery at Tennessee State University, Zeitgeist Gallery, Ensworth Highschool, OZ Arts, Woodcuts Gallery, National African American Museum of Music, Grand Hyatt Ballroom, and NKA Gallery. Other venues have included the Todd Art Gallery at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, the Ohio History Center in Columbus, OH; and Sound Studio in Atlanta, GA. Additionally, her work is in the Vanderbilt University and Studio Bank art collections as well as numerous private collections throughout the country.
If you are interested in finding out more, Kendrick’s work is currently represented at Studio 208 and in February she will participate in a group show at group show at Zeitgeist, one of Nashville’s premier art galleries.