'Hunter Invitational IV' showcases new, noteworthy works by eight regional artists

Detail of "Paper Caves (Copies)," by Andrew Scott Ross.
Detail of "Paper Caves (Copies)," by Andrew Scott Ross.

If you go

› What: “The Hunter Invitational IV.”› When: Through Dec. 30.› Where: Hunter Museum of American Art, 10 Bluff View. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday; noon-5 p.m. Wednesday and Sunday; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursday.› Admission: $15.› Phone: 423-267-0968.› Website: www.huntermuseum.org.

Artist Snapshots

› Amanda Brazier is a Chattanooga artist who mixes her own paints from pigments processed from the soils near her home, creating rhythmic paintings that consider man’s interactions with his environment.› Tara Hamilton is a comic-book and digital artist from Chattanooga, who is currently working with writer Alison Burke on an ongoing comic-book series, ARRO, set in a post-apocalyptic North America.› Mindy Herrin is a metalwork artist and sculptor from Johnson City, Tennessee, whose intricate works incorporate figures and images inspired by nature. Through her work, she explores themes of growth, fertility, disease and preservation.› Charles Ladson of Macon, Georgia, creates paintings featuring unusual juxtapositions of textures, colors and shadows to suggest unspoken stories.› Sisavanh Phouthavong, a painter from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, explores issues of migration while seeking to raise awareness about the history of the Vietnam War-era bombing in Laos.› John Douglas Powers, a sculptor from Knoxville, juxtaposes solid, tangible materials with the ephemerality of movement, sound and time in his kinetic sculptures. His inspirations range from classical mythology and Buddhist philosophy to technology, music and geometry.› Andrew Scott Ross is an installation artist from Johnson City, Tennessee, who uses his work to investigate how our perception of objects, as well as historical and cultural references, are shaped by museum experiences.› Vadis Turner of Nashville works with discarded fabrics and other materials to build “painted” wall sculptures that challenge feminine stereotypes.

Eight artists hailing from Tennessee and Georgia, including two from Chattanooga, are featured in the fourth iteration of the "Hunter Invitational" exhibit now on view at the Hunter Museum of American Art.

First held in 2007, the exhibition is designed to highlight some of the most significant artwork being created in the region. Besides recognizing and promoting noteworthy artwork, the exhibition strives to start a dialogue "about how artmaking here mirrors that of the national scene," according to a news release from the museum.

"The Hunter Invitational IV" features the work of Amanda Brazier, Tara Hamilton, Mindy Herrin, Charles Ladson, Sisavanh Phouthavong, John Douglas Powers, Andrew Scott Ross and Vadis Turner.

The artists were chosen over the course of a year, as the Hunter's chief curator, Nandini Makrandi, visited studios around East and Middle Tennessee, North Georgia and North Alabama. Whether emerging or established, the artists were chosen for expanding the boundaries of their chosen mediums through innovative approaches, techniques and subjects.

The exhibition will remain on view through the end of the year.

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