Spalding Nix Fine Art hosts ‘Ensemble 2025’ holiday group show

Erin Dixon s You Won t Believe Your Eyes is among the new works featured in ENSEMBLE reflecting the show s wide range of voices and visual styles Courtesy of Spalding Nix Fine Art As Atlanta eases into its version of winter the Atlanta art gallery Spalding Nix Fine Art turns its attention to a single gathering ENSEMBLE the gallery s annual holiday group show returns Nov Jan with new work from more than artists it s the greater part extensive lineup yet For owner Spalding Nix who has run the Buckhead gallery since the sheer scale is part of the point It s my favorite show of the year he says He looks forward to the week before installation when artists drop off new work and the gallery fills with canvases sculptures and monotypes All of our favorite people all of our favorite artists he says Then comes the annual challenge How do we present this in a way where everybody shines everybody s story gets to be informed If you re in Atlanta and you love art you re so lucky You have so a great number of excellent information at your fingertips Gallery owner Spalding Nix Training the eye The show s mix of mediums and perspectives Nix says is central to its appeal Visitors can move through dozens of viewpoints at once and sharpen their own understanding of what they respond to visually Viewing a single-artist exhibition he uses Rothko as the example can feel overwhelming But here contrast becomes an entry point It really helps you to train your eye It s just as vital to figure out what you don t like as what you do like he says This emphasis on discovery gives the exhibition its tone Although ENSEMBLE carries the festive feel of a holiday event Nix views it as something more profound a regional portrait that changes every year There is perpetually a very strong cultural red thread that weaves its way through all artists who are working he says Amanda Brazier s Cooper s Hawk arranges hand-formed papers into radiating earth-toned segments marked with repeating patterns Courtesy of Spalding Nix Fine Art Wendell George Brown s Family Portrait depicts three stylized Black figures seated against a vibrant quilt-like perimeter Courtesy of Spalding Nix Fine Art Sachi Rome s Rainy Sunday Rest layers swirling earth tones and textured marks in a large-scale abstract composition Courtesy of Spalding Nix Fine Art He sees the shift clearly when he revisits past installations I was just looking back at the install photos from the last limited shows It looks utterly different from what we re seeing from artists in the current era he says And the reason is simple I think it s really wild how much the times the Zeitgeist of the times influences everybody s work The conclusion is a kind of collective snapshot dozens of Southeastern artists interpreting the same cultural moment in wholly different methods Put those pieces next to each other he says and that red thread will emerge Spotlight on Heather Bird Harris One of this year s anchors is new work by painter Heather Bird Harris whose summer exhibition at the gallery drew a strong response Nix says highlighting her again felt obvious She s a very hard-working artist finishing up her MFA right now at Georgia State he says Her fresh show struck a chord with a lot of people and sustaining that momentum is essential to him We need to encourage and celebrate artists who are pushing themselves He recalls a moment earlier that morning when a visitor came in asking about one of Harris s large-scale pieces after seeing it online It really connected with us they informed him For Nix that kind of unsolicited reaction affirms the show s purpose and the power of presenting new work at a pivotal moment in an artist s practice Collectors he says often use ENSEMBLE as a barometer for shifts in artists styles You get to see what your favorite artists are up to right now he says Asking artists to contribute one or two works that represent the best of what they re making opens a window into their evolution Every time I turn on the lights every morning it s just amazing how a multitude of surprises jump off the wall he says Opening doors to Atlanta s art population Though the show is rooted in celebration Nix is equally clear that accessibility drives everything he does He rejects the idea that galleries must feel intimidating or unique That s just not true in Atlanta he says The galleries that I love could not be more welcoming approachable and accessible and fun He points to artist talks openings and the sense of connection that forms naturally in the space So countless of the people who bought our artists work become good friends with the artists he says Read More Art Rules Buy what you love Interactive art installation reflects Ponce de Leon Avenue With more than participating artists including Trish Andersen Jordan Baker Peter Essick Sachi Rome Katherine Sandoz Jerry Siegel Corrina Sephora Gregor Turk and numerous others the edition of ENSEMBLE promises a panoramic view of the region s creative pulse The exhibition invites longtime collectors and new viewers alike to step inside wander and look closely If you re in Atlanta and you love art you re so lucky Nix says You have so a multitude of excellent materials at your fingertips ENSEMBLE is on view Nov Jan at Spalding Nix Fine Art Opening receptions will be held Nov and The post Spalding Nix Fine Art hosts Ensemble holiday group show appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta