In-Town Gallery ready to celebrate all-new art, new member artists

44th Holiday Show debuts at the end of the week

Shaker box made of kewazinga and white oak by Bill Johnson. (Photo from In-Town Gallery)
Shaker box made of kewazinga and white oak by Bill Johnson. (Photo from In-Town Gallery)

The new works for the holiday season are still under wraps at In-Town Gallery, but the clock is ticking down for October's "Clocktober" exhibit, setting the stage for the debut of the 44th Holiday Show at the end of the week.

Not just an exhibition, the 44th Holiday Show is a chance to kick-start the gift-giving season, with works by the more than 30 resident painters, photographers, jewelers, potters and woodworkers available. Visitors will find everything from serious collector pieces to fanciful gifts, says spokesman James Tucker.

If you go

› What: 44th Holiday Show.› When: Nov. 1-30. Opening reception 5-8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 2. Gallery open 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 1-5 p.m. Sunday.› Where: In-Town Gallery, 26A Frazier Ave.› Phone: 423-267-9214.› Online: Facebook and www.intowngallery.com.

photo Table with cabinets in cherry wood by Bill Johnson. (Photo from In-Town Gallery)

An opening reception Friday evening will be a festive preview of everything new.

The artwork changes regularly at the gallery as works sell, Tucker explains in a news release. "However, in November, everything is new.

"During a hectic two days, the walls are completely rehung, the displays are restocked and all is made ready for the holiday season," he says.

In addition to renewing the artwork, November is also time to welcome members who have joined the gallery since the May all-members show. They are Bill Johnson and Julie Turner, and their works will be specially featured.

Johnson is a woodworker who produces heirloom-quality furniture as well as smaller crafted works.

"My designs," he says, "are primarily influenced by Shaker and Arts & Crafts-era pieces, though a signature feature that I often use in my tables is my twisted leg. This is a tapered leg that undergoes a quarter twist over its length."

Johnson's designs combine equal parts practical utility and pleasing artistic impact. He personally performs all aspects of the pieces' creation, from design through construction.

Turner is a painter whose passion for art began at age 5 with the drawings she included with her love letters to Elvis Presley. Today, her paintings are part of private and corporate collections throughout the United States. Since moving to Chattanooga in 2015, she has focused on painting flowers, clouds and landscapes.

"I feel that art should be accessible to all," she says. "My artwork centers on subjects that are intended to bring joy and a sense of wonder to the viewer."

photo "Kentucky Golden Fields" by Julie Turner. (Photo from In-Town Gallery)
photo "Freshly Picked" by Julie Turner. (Photo from In-Town Gallery)

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