When Chattanooga realist painter James Courtenay James organized the first art critique night at the Association for Visual Arts (AVA) Gallery, four people showed up to share their work.
Then the pandemic hit. The monthly event moved to Zoom, but rather than tapering off, more artists began to join. Now back in person, critique night has continued to grow — sometimes attracting up to 30 people, says Tim Goldsmith, AVA curator and education director.
Hosted the last Tuesday of each month at North Shore’s AVA Gallery, the free program invites local artists to bring a work-in-progress to get feedback from their peers.
“[Courtenay James] wanted to see a space where artists could improve their skills and support one another,” says Goldsmith, who now organizes the event.