Exhibitions

NEW MEMBERS EXHIBITION

COOP Gallery / 507 Hagan St. December 7 - 28th

COOP Gallery is pleased to present work by nine of our new members in this year’s New Members Exhibition opening Saturday, December 7, in conjunction with Art Crawl and closing Saturday, December 28. This eclectic show includes photography, ceramics, paintings, and mixed media works and demonstrates the creative breadth of our newest artist-members.

More About the Artists

Kelly Ann Graff is a writer, fiber artist, and educator. Her work has been featured in group shows in Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee. They hold a Master’s of Education from Vanderbilt University. Their writing has been published in Bible Belt Queers, Wussy Magazine, and The Salt Weekly among others.

Cara Anne Greene is an artist and small business operator based in Nashville. Her arts practice is rooted in process and materiality experimentation utilizing textiles, ceramics, and glass. She draws inspiration from both family craft practices and the reuse material movement. In addition to being a member of COOP, she is also the current COO of Dryden Studio and a board member of the Arts and Business Council.

Jan Hatleberg is an artist based in Tennessee. Her art centers on the tree, with a particular focus on the graceful extension of its branches. Since the 2020 tornado devastated her neighborhood, the surviving trees have taken on a new meaning for her. Their endurance, grace, and fragility resonate with her own reflections on the human experience. She views her paintings as tapestries of color, woven together through quiet contemplation.

Jarrett Kinsland is a Tennessee artist working in ceramics and mixed media. He holds a BFA in sculpture and ceramics from Murray State University of KY. Spontaneity, biomorphism, pareidolia, and the belief that perfection gets in the way of fun, are subjects that energize his creative pursuits.

Delanyo Mensah is a multidisciplinary artist, curator, and advocate whose work bridges art, justice, and community. As a queer, first-generation Ghanaian-American, Mensah’s creativity draws from her rich heritage and lived experiences, centering Black women and queer people of color. Her artistic practice—spanning photography, poetry, and mixed media—boldly challenges conventions and invites viewers on a journey of self-discovery and connection.

Natalie Thedford is an artist and art educator who holds a MFA in Studio Practices from the University of Colorado Boulder. Thedford's work is inspired by the traditional handcraft techniques that she learned from her grandmother, who is an expert seamstress. Thedford takes various elements from those traditions and translates them into other materials, like clay, paper, and plastic landscaping tarps, that aren't associated with those crafts.

Pallas Lane Umbra is an interdisciplinary artist who incorporates painting, photography, performance, and various mixed media approaches to their practice. Umbra holds a BFA in Studio Art from the Watkins College of Art at Belmont University. Umbra's work has been exhibited in solo and group shows since 2019. Umbra has also curated a myriad of exhibition installations.

Taylor Walton's passion for creativity has been evident since his upbringing in small-town Chattanooga, Tennessee, where he was always sketching and experimenting with different artistic mediums. Recently Walton relocated to Nashville, establishing himself in its bustling art scene. Walton holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design from Middle Tennessee State University. Walton is currently an Artist-in-Residence at Arcade Arts.

Danielle Wilson is a multimedia artist whose work in acrylic, clay, and fabric aims to emphasize the overlooked aspects of contemporary Southern Black life. Wilson’s works explore her African roots with themes of West African Music and Orisha beliefs. As she explores the interconnected elements of West African Culture and African American traditions and long-held beliefs, Wilson invites her audience to both learn from and contribute to her understanding of the oneness of everything. Shown above: Natalie Thedford, Four Ceramic Quilt Blocks Translated From The Cathedral Window Quilt Pattern, clay and acrylic. See you on Saturday, December 7!

COOP Gallery is pleased to present work by nine of our new members in this year’s New Members Exhibition opening Saturday, December 7, in conjunction with Art Crawl and closing Saturday, December 28. This eclectic show includes photography, ceramics, paintings, and mixed media works and demonstrates the creative breadth of our newest artist-members.

More About the Artists

Kelly Ann Graff is a writer, fiber artist, and educator. Her work has been featured in group shows in Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee. They hold a Master’s of Education from Vanderbilt University. Their writing has been published in Bible Belt Queers, Wussy Magazine, and The Salt Weekly among others.

Cara Anne Greene is an artist and small business operator based in Nashville. Her arts practice is rooted in process and materiality experimentation utilizing textiles, ceramics, and glass. She draws inspiration from both family craft practices and the reuse material movement. In addition to being a member of COOP, she is also the current COO of Dryden Studio and a board member of the Arts and Business Council.

Jan Hatleberg is an artist based in Tennessee. Her art centers on the tree, with a particular focus on the graceful extension of its branches. Since the 2020 tornado devastated her neighborhood, the surviving trees have taken on a new meaning for her. Their endurance, grace, and fragility resonate with her own reflections on the human experience. She views her paintings as tapestries of color, woven together through quiet contemplation.

Jarrett Kinsland is a Tennessee artist working in ceramics and mixed media. He holds a BFA in sculpture and ceramics from Murray State University of KY. Spontaneity, biomorphism, pareidolia, and the belief that perfection gets in the way of fun, are subjects that energize his creative pursuits.

Delanyo Mensah is a multidisciplinary artist, curator, and advocate whose work bridges art, justice, and community. As a queer, first-generation Ghanaian-American, Mensah’s creativity draws from her rich heritage and lived experiences, centering Black women and queer people of color. Her artistic practice—spanning photography, poetry, and mixed media—boldly challenges conventions and invites viewers on a journey of self-discovery and connection.

Natalie Thedford is an artist and art educator who holds a MFA in Studio Practices from the University of Colorado Boulder. Thedford's work is inspired by the traditional handcraft techniques that she learned from her grandmother, who is an expert seamstress. Thedford takes various elements from those traditions and translates them into other materials, like clay, paper, and plastic landscaping tarps, that aren't associated with those crafts.

Pallas Lane Umbra is an interdisciplinary artist who incorporates painting, photography, performance, and various mixed media approaches to their practice. Umbra holds a BFA in Studio Art from the Watkins College of Art at Belmont University. Umbra's work has been exhibited in solo and group shows since 2019. Umbra has also curated a myriad of exhibition installations.

Taylor Walton's passion for creativity has been evident since his upbringing in small-town Chattanooga, Tennessee, where he was always sketching and experimenting with different artistic mediums. Recently Walton relocated to Nashville, establishing himself in its bustling art scene. Walton holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design from Middle Tennessee State University. Walton is currently an Artist-in-Residence at Arcade Arts.

Danielle Wilson is a multimedia artist whose work in acrylic, clay, and fabric aims to emphasize the overlooked aspects of contemporary Southern Black life. Wilson’s works explore her African roots with themes of West African Music and Orisha beliefs. As she explores the interconnected elements of West African Culture and African American traditions and long-held beliefs, Wilson invites her audience to both learn from and contribute to her understanding of the oneness of everything. Shown above: Natalie Thedford, Four Ceramic Quilt Blocks Translated From The Cathedral Window Quilt Pattern, clay and acrylic. See you on Saturday, December 7!