“Grandma’s Apron” is an oil on canvas by Gay Arthur, left At right is Arthur’s oil painting “Blue Jeans on the Line.” / In-Town Gallery Contributed ImageA reception Friday, Sept. 7, will open September’s featured exhibit at In-Town Gallery, “The Fabric of Our Lives.” The reception will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. at the gallery, 26-A Frazier Ave.
This show of work by Gay M. Arthur examines how we weave a portrait of ourselves in simple everyday things. Worn and ordinary items such as an apron or an old pair of work boots, for example, can tell us who we are as individuals and in doing so, show us how our present evolves from our past.
Arthur was born in New York, raised in San Francisco and Philadelphia, and after a 25 year career as a dental hygienist, fulfilled a lifelong dream when she graduated from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in painting and drawing. She has since launched a second career as an artist.
During art school, she watched the demolition of a building near the UTC campus, witnessing how it had been used over many years by many people. She began to examine how people and things intersect and shape each other. She has found this idea to reveal much about the the world around her. In previous paintings, she has looked at old cars, toys and even the derelict Wheland Foundry.
“This theme of nostalgia,” Arthur says, “has been the basis for much of my art throughout my career. For this show, I wanted to explore the fabrics and textures that are woven into our lives. Through these objects I seek to tell the stories of the people who have shaped our lives, our loves and our country with their sacrifice, hard work and constancy.