The Arts & Business Council, Blackbird Media, and F&M Bank have teamed up to present the Artist of the Week on The Nashville Sign. This week’s featured artist is Elise R. Kendrick!
Elise is a painter who uses bright colors, text and linocut collage to visually communicate information about her subjects. With each brush stroke, her goal is to capture the inner essence of the people she places on canvas.
The combination of bold reds, yellows, and blues allow her to give life to her portraits. For example, she uses reds to elicit passion and excitement, and yellow to evoke joy or warmth. The text she incorporates includes poetry or personal musings, and her linocut collage work touches on the subjects of hair, race, culture, and the unfair societal expectations placed on black women.
“For this body of work, I chose to paint black women with the hopes of highlighting their beauty while also giving them permission to take up space without apology. They are innovators in their fields, outspoken, unapologetic risk takers that have managed to generate a lasting impression by inspiring me as well as others.”
Elise settled in Nashville after graduating from Tennessee State University, where she received her Bachelor of Science in Art with a concentration in jewelry and metals. After college she discovered painting was her best creative outlet and placed her focus in that direction. She has been featured at the NKA Gallery and Swipe Right Art live art exhibitions, and was awarded Best of Showcase Artist at the Buchanan Arts and Fair Crafts Showcase this summer. Her work can currently be seen at The Frist Art Museum’s first micro-exhibition, Elise Kendrick: Salon Noir, an immersive experience located in their Ninth Avenue elevator through July 31, 2023.
Follow Elise R. Kendrick Instagram to see more of her work, and where you can find her next.
Want to be featured on The Nashville Sign? Visual artists working in any medium, who are members* of the Arts & Business Council at the Basic Level ($30 annually) or above, are eligible to apply for Artist of the Week on The Nashville Sign.
*Those unable to become members due to financial barriers can be granted a waiver. Contact us at [email protected] to be confidentially considered for a waiver.