The Artists of 2013
The 4 Bridges Arts Festival™ has gained a reputation in the Southeast for consistently presenting top-quality, original artwork created by contemporary artists from across the country. Not only does the event attract the finest artists, but 4 Bridges is a magnet for art patrons of all kinds. The weekend provides a wonderful buying opportunity for everyone from the novice buyer looking to make the first purchase for his or her collection to the experienced collector or gallery owner.
Each year, regional and national artists vie for one of the coveted booth spaces to showcase and sell their art by submitting a portfolio of work to a panel of jurors. In 2013, 600 artists applied and 145 were invited. The jurors for 2013 were Joe Helseth, Director of the Outdoor Museum of Art at Chattanooga State Community College and Special Assistant to the President; Jenny Moore, Project Manager of the Vollis Simpson Whirlgig Park Project; and Stephen Wicks, Barbara W. and Bernard E. Bernstein Curator at the Knoxville Museum of Art.
Featured Artist
Jake Kelley, Chattanooga, TN
Jake Kelley was born and raised in Chattanooga, TN where he resides with his wife and two young sons. He is a graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga where he received a B.F.A. in painting and drawing and a Master’s degree in Education. Mr. Kelley has exhibited widely and received many awards in his hometown, which is recognized as an important cultural hub of the “New South”. He was also recognized as a Festival Emerging Artist in 2008. Mr. Kelley currently teaches studio art at Signal Mountain High School while maintaining his own studio in the Southside of Chattanooga.
Artist Statement:
I am interested in critiquing the Modernist ideas of singularity and originality. This body of work incorporates visual cues from billboards and advertisements such as graphic outlines, dramatic composition, and bold color schemes to revisit that totem of modernity: Abstract Expressionism, but with a decidedly cynical, Post-Modern agenda.