April 2017
Gordon Jewish Community Center | April 22–23
The fourth annual Art on the West Side event is coming to the Gordon Jewish Community Center (GJCC) this month, April 22–23, featuring more than 40 artists and work for sale ranging from paintings and sculpture to jewelry and glass art.
Cathy Moberg, Necktie or Bow Tie, Porcelain on a wooden wall piece, 14” x 12” x 3.5”; Photograph by John Cummings
“The goal of the event is to bring together a diverse group of the public to the GJCC to enjoy art and learn about what we have to offer,” says Leslie Sax, executive director of the GJCC. “It is a fun event that extends our cultural programming and broadens exposure to a range of local and regional artists.”
With three galleries, an in-house curator, and regularly rotating exhibitions, the GJCC is a familiar home to many of Nashville’s art makers and supporters alike. This year’s show has a renewed focus on distilling the many who apply to exhibit down to the very best.
“The quality and number of presenters at our show continue to grow,” Sax says. “It has become increasingly competitive to present, and many who apply are not accepted.”
Rhonda Polen Wernick, Spring Blossoms, Oil on canvas, 24” x 20”
A selection committee of local artists, designers, and curators chose three featured artists for this year’s Art on the West Side.
Cathy Moberg, a clay sculptor who practices trompe l’oeil, was one of those selected. “Each day in my studio I love the challenge of exploring new subjects and figuring out how I can create new objects of clay,” Moberg says. “My hope for this year’s Art on the West Side is that our visitors will enjoy and be inspired by some of the new challenges that I’ve taken on in my pieces.”
Another featured artist will be Rhonda Polen Wernick, a GJCC member who helped organize the first Art on the West Side in 2013. “When I look at the sky, a flower, a glass, or piece of fruit, I see color and shapes and am always thinking about how I would represent what I am feeling and seeing at that moment,” says Wernick, who will display paintings and drawings at the event. “I want the visitors to come away smiling and joyful after looking at my work.”
Jewelry by Debe Dohrer
Debe Dohrer, a bold accessory designer, rounds out the list of featured artists selected this year. “All of my pieces have versatility and an uncommon ability to show enigmatic confidence,” Dohrer explains. “My desire is for the client to go home and try different looks with their Debe Dohrer Design pieces and realize that they are the artists, not me.”
Art on the West Side will open at the GJCC, 801 Percy Warner Boulevard, on April 22 with a cocktail reception and preview sale from 6 to 9 p.m. The event will continue on April 23 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, please visit www.nashvillejcc.org.