If you go
› What: “Verina Baxter” sculptures and paintings.› When: Friday, Dec. 2-Sunday, Jan. 22.› Where: Hunter Museum of American Art, 10 Bluff View.› Admission: $15 ages 18 and older.› Phone: 423-267-0968.› Website: www.huntermuseum.org.Special programming› Thursday, Jan. 5: Vision and Verse: Strength and Beauty is part of the Art + Issues series. Writer/poet Erika Roberts-Blackmon will present a spoken-word performance inspired by a sculpture by Verina Baxter, 6-7 p.m.› Thursday, Jan. 19: Bold and Beautiful: Girls Night Out is dedicated to self-care and celebration of womanhood and women’s creations, all inspired by the strong art by Verina Baxter, 6-7:30 p.m. Evening includes tea, wine, chocolates, bellydancing, meditation, self-defense, fashion show, weaving, aromatherapy, design-your-own lip colors and mini massages.
“Superheterodyne,” circa 2009, in alabaster, stainless steel and bronze, is from the private collection of the artist. It measures 20 by 14.25 by 10 inches.
“Tower of Tomorrow,” circa 2009, in alabaster, stainless steel and bronze, is from the private collection of the artist. It measures 23.75 by 11.75 by 8 inches.
“Tower VII,” circa 2009, in alabaster and bronze, is from the artist’s private collection. It measures 18.75 by 6 by 6 inches.Hunter Museum of American Art will mount its next exhibition in homage to a local artist and arts activist. “Verina Baxter,” opening Friday, Dec. 2, delves into 20 years of Verina Baxter’s artistic career with a collection of sculptures and paintings.
Running through Sunday, Jan. 22, the exhibition will include some of Baxter’s early figurative pieces as well as her Rods, Industrial and Table series. Baxter also experimented with colorful abstractions, and many of those will be featured alongside her sculptural pieces.
“Verina was incredibly talented, and her stone carving and metal work combinations are unique and stunning,” says Virginia Anne Sharber, the museum’s executive director. “It is an honor to showcase the art of native daughter Verina Baxter in the community where she lived and worked.”
Baxter (1950-2015) was born and raised in East Ridge. In the 1990s, she felt compelled to change careers from banking to art after taking a class in stone carving at Arrowmont School in Gatlinburg, Tenn. Baxter originally worked with different types of stone, including alabaster and marble, then began working in metals, such as bronze and stainless steel. She dedicated herself to sculpting full time in her 40s.
Baxter drew inspiration for her work from many interests, including reading and travel. The natural forms apparent in her pieces correspond with her avid gardening.
Initially using only metal as support or embellishment for her stone pieces, Baxter became more and more intrigued by the process of turning metal. The attention to detail, to achieving a particular machined finish, is especially obvious in the precision of her Industrial series.
In addition to her work as an artist, Baxter played a major role within the local arts community. She supported many art organizations and devoted an enormous amount of her time and knowledge to the Mid-South Sculpture Alliance.
Gallery hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday; noon-5 p.m. Wednesday and Sunday; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursday.