This year’s Art on the West Side exhibit will feature the work of artist James Threalkill

James Threalkill is the Featured Artist for Art on the West Side 2023

Sharon Benus, Gordon JCC Adult and Community-Wide Programs Director

Art on the West Side, a juried Fine Art and Craft show, hosting more than 40 local and regional artists showcasing several medium including oil, acrylic, watercolor, glass, metal, clay, wood, fiber, photography, and jewelry, will take place Saturday, April 15 through Sunday, April 16.

Celebrating its ninth year, Art on the West Side will feature renowned artist, James Threalkill, whose vibrant expressive paintings celebrate music, movement, life, and community. Threalkill uses his palette knife as a brush, layering acrylic paint to create images that are textured in a three-dimensional style and vividly accented. This method pulls the viewer in more closely to examine the characteristics of the painting in more detail.

Growing up in East Nashville, Threalkill went on to play wide receiver at Vanderbilt University, where he began to hone his talent in art and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Fine Arts. After graduation. he won an Emmy Award for his creation of a mural painting program with youth for the Edgehill Community in South Nashville. His work has been featured on both television and film, as well as an illustrated children’s book series entitled; “Visions; African American Experiences,” which was showcased on Sesame Street. Furthermore, his work has been collected internationally, including locations in South Africa where he had the incredible opportunity of meeting President Nelson Mandela, and in South America by the U. S. Embassy in Bogota’, Colombia.

James shared, “I am both honored and excited about serving as the featured artist for this year’s Art on the West Side exhibition. I have a wonderful history with this show and have enjoyed great relationships with the Gordon JCC staff, participating artists, and the patrons who come out to support the artists.”

This year’s Art on the West Side, co-chaired by Betsy Hoffman and Missi Freidenberg, begins Saturday, April 15 from 6-9PM with a cocktail reception. Tickets are $10 per person. Entry on Sunday, April 16 is free and open to the public from 10 am-4 pm A percentage of all sales from Art on the West Side benefit art programming at the Gordon JCC.

Find a full list of artists and more information at www.artonthewestside.org and for more information regarding the show, contact sharonb@nashvillejcc.org.

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