6/20 Nashville Sign Artist of the Week: Donna Woodley

The Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville, Blackbird Media, and F&M Bank have teamed up to present the Artist of the Week on The Nashville Sign. This week, 2017 Periscope alum Donna Woodley is featured!
Donna Woodley is a visual artist whose works primarily discuss the relationship between Black and American culture. The figure in her paintings confronts the visibility and value of Black people within American society, both historically and in a contemporary context. The exploration of human connection and the importance of all human beings’ stories are major themes of Woodley’s work. A significant part of her process involves enlisting men and women she knows, including herself. This allows her to evaluate the complexity of human emotions and relationships and to render the figure and narrative in her paintings accordingly. Informed by stereotypes, cultural similarities and differences, perceptions of beauty, mental health, esteem, and trauma, Woodley’s work often uses subtle humor to create an environment conducive to healthy and efficient discourse. She resides in Nashville, Tennessee where she is an educator and maintains her practice.