There’s four opportunities to see and purchase the art of Grace Walker Goad this summer and fall.
1) Tomorrow, Thursday, August 7, come see us at the outdoor market of Green Hills’ Whole Foods Market, 4-7 PM. We’re continuing our tradition started last fall of attending one festival, fair, market, conference or seminar a month. We even traded the convertible for an “ArtMobile,” a crossover that can transport a folding table, chair, print bin, a [purple] tent, inventory (spring/summer and fall/winter notecards and coaster-sized tiles) with display props and everything but the kitchen sink. We’ll be there along with some cute, young, earthy farmers, cupcake bakers, other artists and artisans, natural product creators, salsa makers, you name it. It’s a delicous potpourri of yummy food, friendly, fun and even local fashionwear with the Sisters of Nature vintage trailer. We’re pleased to be joining and would love to sell you some perfect start-of-school or other goodies.
2) The ArtAble Collection I of Village Green Hills public reception, Wednesday, evening, August 13, 5:30 to 7:30, featuring comments from Mayor Karl Dean. Since February, I’ve served as a consultant on this project featuring 51 works by 13 artists with disAbilities. They hail from Nashville and nearly coast to coast plus Northern Sudan. Grace was chosen as a featured artist. The endeavor is ground-breaking for Nashville in that it is the first time a commerical entity (in this case, a luxury apartment complex) has partnered to feature all art by artists with disAbilities. The work was juried by my social enterprise collaborator, Tammy Parmentier of Gallery One.
3) Vanderbilt Kennedy Center’s three month solo exhibition, “Grace Walker Goad: Two Decades in Color,” ends the last week of August. The name says it. This is a bit of a restrospective of my daughter’s work, which began nearly two decades ago at age four. She is now 20.
4) Shimai Pottery and Gifts at The Loveless Cafe, during September with reception, Sat. PM, Sept. 13 This special exhibition will feature three young artists with disAbilities: Grace Walker Goad, Donald Werther and Preston Vienneau. Vienneau, in particular, is an emerging artist with a unique style that projects a promising future.
Non-profit Social Enterprise update: It has been the busiest summer in memory for us. The social enterprise is underway with The ArtAble Collection being our first commercial collection. We are working with a national luxury apartment developer to emulate this concept in two locations, including another city, with three projects. Our nonprofit is under formation and we continue to seek volunteer partners for all aspects of both parts of this endeavor.
Tennessee ranks among the top three states in the U.S. for unemployment for individuals with disAbilties. We are already engaging in our workshops and other efforts young artists who are unemployed. Through our social enterprise, we are paying them for their art. Our nonprofit, slated for operation late 2016, is a collaborative between adult artists with and without disAbilities to create, exhibit and sell their work. There’s so much more as our nonprofit aims to meet the whole individual beyond the creation of art. Contact me with questions, for a prospectus, or to volunteer.
Also check out the venues for which we are exhibiting art by people with disAbilities:
Crumb de la Crumb Cafe and Bakery, featured on the Food Network. Through summer (Bernadette Resha).
The Yellow Wall of the Tennessee Art League (this month Suha Khalil. Next: Sarah Vaughn).
Athena Consulting & Psychological Services (currently featuring Paul Miktarian, Suha Khalil, Grace Walker Goad)
