MATNEY GALLERY AND CONSULTANCY PRESENTS FINAL CALL FOR WORKS FROM PORTALS: INTERIOR WORLDS AND ITALIAN LANDSCAPES

PAINTINGS BY TEDDY JOHNSON

FINAL APPOINTMENTS AND WALK-INS FEBRUARY 8

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MATNEY GALLERY PRESENTS A PODCAST AND NEW WORKS BY STEVE PRINCE AT MIDTOWN ROW STARTING FEBRUARY 4 CURRENT MIDTOWN, WILLIAMSBURG VA

MATNEY GALLERY INTERVIEWS STEVE PRINCE ABOUT HIS MURAL, 2024

HEAR STEVE PRINCE DISCUSS HIS WORK

Mural Location: On the side of FedEx, 200 Monticello Ave.

The Virginia African American Cultural Center has brought this Steve Prince Mural to life in Williamsburg as part of a statewide effort to raise awareness for black history.

This mural has been named “Pieces of History”.

Artist statement: “The mural features a woman quilting the history of our nation from the south to north, and east and west. The fragments and piece create a communal quilt that bespeak of the fragments that formulate all humankind from the past to the present. The woman is carrying the weight of the issues of our nation in her hands that stem from North to South, East to West on the quilt. She is the mother that washed the clothes, that birthed the children, that cooked the food, that tended to the sick, and protected the family by any means necessary. The colors of the mural amplifying the beauty of a patchwork quilt, deftly stitched together by generational hands. The woman is strong and sturdy and she has seen a lot in her journey. She sews with the hope that we will remember and find a way together to mend the broken places and promote healing for a true communal body.”

The mural is brought to you by the Virginia African American Cultural Center, ViBe Creative, The City of Williamsburg’s Public Art Council, and Midtown Row.

EMERGING ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: BENJAMIN ROUSE

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"Much of what guides us through life is invisible—a world beyond words that we perceive with our hearts rather than our eyes. I view my work as a series of fragments that collectively point toward this truth. The practice of creating these glimpses, however small, brings me deep joy." Benjamin Rouse, 2025

Benjamin Rouse is an American artist known for his works exploring entropy, pressure, and personal acceptance. Inspired by the recurring cycles of life and nature, Rouse creates dreamlike photographs through analog techniques and experiments in blind embossing. Although they appear dissimilar on the surface, in many ways they are the same. A photograph captures a moment with light, whereas embossing captures a moment with pressure. His work articulates emotions that are universally shared but often difficult to verbalize. Rouse, a self-taught artist, currently works from his home studio in Athens Georgia.

Benjamin Rouse, Silo, 2020, Silver gelatin print

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Rolling Hills, Acrylic on paper, 9x12in, $900

VIEW CATALOG. WORKS ARE AVAILABLE AT THE CLOSING EVENT ON FEBRUARY 8, COLLECTORS MAY RESERVE WORKS IN ADVANCE VIA ZELLE OR CREDIT CARD

Afternoon Sun, Acrylic on paper, 9x12in, $900, Framed

VIEW IN CATALOG, AVAILABLE FEBRUARY 8

 Teddy Johnson's paintings explore storytelling, history, color, culture, and form. Solo exhibits include: The American Poetry Museum (2020), The Matney Gallery (2019), The Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower (2016), MK Gallery (2016), and the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley (2013/2014). His paintings have been featured in Fox 45's Hometown Hotspot and Baltimore Style Magazine. As a curator Teddy has collaborated on shows in Clarke County, VA, Baltimore, MD, Arnold, MD, and Brooklyn, NY. Teddy's education includes a BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art, an MFA from The Lamar Dodd School of Art at the University of Georgia, and two semesters of study in Cortona, Italy. He is the Cade Gallery Director and an Assistant Professor of Visual Arts at Anne Arundel Community College. 

Valley, Acrylic on panel, 8.5x12 in, $900, VIEW IN CATALOG/VIEWING ROOM

Moonlight, Acrylic on paper, 9x12in, $900. VIEW IN CATALOG/VIEWING ROOM

Lee Matney and Jill Carnes, Williamsburg VA. VIEW ORIGINAL WORKS

Jill Carnes, Midnight Owl, original framed drawing , 18×24, PURCHASE THIS WORK

Jill Carnes’ work has been shown in diverse locales including Athens, Asheville, Atlanta, Austin, and New York City and in exhibitions alongside Lonnie Holley, Thornton Dial, Clementine Hunter, Bill Traylor, Howard Finster, Mose Tolliver and Jimmy Lee Sudduth. Jill Carnes' artistry is a vibrant tapestry of color, pattern, and innovation. Her paintings and drawings have adorned the album covers of bands such as Neutral Milk Hotel and cd inserts for projects featuring R.E.M., Indigo Girls, Madonna, Vic Chesnutt, Victoria Williams, Pearl Jam, Garbage, Kristen Hersch, Soul Asylum and Hootie and the Blowfish. Her work has been exhibited in the Georgia Museum of Art in association with the Elephant Six Collective, a group of American musicians that gave rise to numerous prominent indie bands of the 1990s, including the Apples in Stereo, the Olivia Tremor Control, Neutral Milk Hotel, Elf Power, of Montreal, and Circulatory System. Her contributions have also been featured in esteemed publications like Rolling Stone and Creem and projects for Sony Music. Jill’s talents extend beyond visual art; she also captivates audiences musically as Thimble Circus, incorporating whimsical instruments like the toy piano and trombone kazoo into her performances. Michael Stipe included Jill’s name in an art piece in his 2021 book of photography.

VIEW JILL CARNES’ ORIGINAL WORKS

Pictured: Umoja: Baldwin, Linoleum Cut, 6” x 9”, 2024 PURCHASE THE PRINT

Umoja: Baldwin, Linoleum Cut, 6” x 9”, 2024 (detail) Umoja means unity. This image is a study for the larger work I created titled Ubuntu: Baldwin’s House celebrating the 100th anniversary of the famed author, philosopher, humanitarian, James Baldwin. The houses, buildings, and church structures synergistically morph into Baldwin’s body expressing his heart and oneness with the community. His craft was in service to the people and generations. PURCHASE THIS PRINT

Call (757) 657-6627 to order this print

Steve A. Prince is a native of New Orleans, Louisiana, and he currently resides in Williamsburg, Virginia He is the Director of Engagement and Distinguished Artist in Residence at the Muscarelle Museum at William and Mary. Prince received his BFA from Xavier University of Louisiana and his MFA in Printmaking and Sculpture from Michigan State University Prince is a mixed media artist, master printmaker, lecturer, educator, and art evangelist He has taught middle school, high school, community college, 4-year public and 4-year private, and has conducted workshops internationally in various media. 

Steve Prince Breaks the Block and Current Midtown, Midtown Row, Williamsburg, VA

Pictured: Umoja: Baldwin, Linoleum Cut, 6” x 9”, 2024 PURCHASE THE PRINT

Steve Prince Breaks the Block at Current Midtown, Midtown Row, Williamsburg VA. PURCHASE THE PRINT

Jill Carnes, Two Birds Talking About The Old Days, 2022, 100% wool on monks cloth, 11 × 14 in | 27.9 × 35.6 cm. PURCHASE THIS WORK

Jeremy Ayers, Shards, 16 x24, PURCHASE THIS WORK

John Lee Matney is dedicated to curating exhibitions and mentoring innovative emerging artists, as well as the furthering the careers of more established national and international artists, including works of painting, installation, video, photography, sculpture and performance. 
 John has established a research based contemporary gallery that develops thematic group shows and collaborative art projects with international and american artists, corporate and private patrons, curators, professors and qualified students. He is also photography professional , fine art photographer and multimedia artist. 

VIEW AVAILABLE WORKS

John Lee Matney, Untitled, 2001, Print from scan of decaying negative, 8×22, PURCHASE THIS WORK

REBECCA SHKEYROV

Rebecca Shkeyrov is an artist who discovers vibrant colors and geometric structures in figures and spaces. Using a formalist approach to image-making, she explores surreal narratives, self-identity, and personal relationships in her work. READ MORE

ELIZABETH MEAD

Mead’s sculpture and drawings have been exhibited across the U.S. as well as in Iceland, Italy, Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Portugal, Australia, and England. She has designed more than two-dozen theatrical productions including work with the internationally acclaimed, Tony award winning Theatre de la Jeune Lune. She has had over two-dozen solo exhibitions and her sculpture and drawing have been included in more than fifty group exhibitions.

A recipient of the Japan/US NEA Creative Artist Fellowship (2002-03), Mead spent six months living and working in Japan. Mead has received recognition for her work in theater by the Dallas Theater League (1998) and the Theater Communication Group/NEA Designer Fellowship (1997, 1998). Mead attended the Ecole Internationale de Jacques Lecoq in Paris, France (1995). She was awarded a work-stay residency at Sculpture Space in Utica, New York (1992). Mead was awarded a Nes Artist Residency (2009) in Skagaströnd, Iceland, where she examined experiential aspects of landscape and the ways environmental cues connect us to the world. READ MORE

CHRIS WAGNER

Christopher B. Wagner is a sculptor originally from Kentucky but has lived and worked all over the country. Last summer he relocated from the West Coast to Williamsburg, VA to work as a Studio Art Technician at William & Mary University. He received a B.A. in art history and sculpture from Georgetown College after which he studied Sculpture at Edinboro University in which he graduated in 2010 with an M.F.A.. He has been making and exhibiting his art ever since his work can currently be seen at Guardino Gallery in Portland, OR, Imogen Gallery in Astoria, OR, and the Compound Gallery in Oakland, CA.

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Along with his own active studio he has worked as a Shop Manager for Eichinger Sculpture studio in Portland, OR; along with serving as an instructor and technician at numerous institutions including Gonzaga University, Mission College, De Anza University and most recently William & Mary University. His awards have included a Jurors Choice at Cherry Creek Art Festival, exhibitor at the Smithsonian Craft Show, the Glean Artist Grant, and the Emerging Artist Award from Portland Open Studios.
   

 is work focuses on recycled or reconstituted wood as the medium. Utilizing traditional carving skills in the creation of contemporary sculpture

Works by Christi Harris, Chris Wagner (center) and Oleg Dou

BRITTAINY LAUBACK

Not unlike the moment a cry gives way to a laugh, Brittainy Lauback’s work reflects the
emotionally chaotic reality that we experience daily. She received her BFA from the University of New Mexico and her MFA from the University of Georgia. Her work has been featured in the traveling exhibition, Reckonings and Reconstructions: Southern Photography from the Do Good Fund, Looking Male, at the La Grange Museum of Art and Bo Bartlett Center in Columbus GA, and New Southern Photography at the Ogden Museum of Art in New Orleans.Her first Monograph Infinite Bonheur was published in 2023 by Fall Line Press. She currently lives and works in Houston, Texas. READ MORE