John Lee Matney
Director & Curator, Linda Matney Fine Art Gallery

Contemporary Art, Museum Collaboration, and Collector Advisory Across Virginia and the American South

Virginia • Houston • Athens, Georgia

John Lee Matney is the owner, director, and principal curator of Linda Matney Fine Art Gallery in Williamsburg, Virginia. The gallery focuses on contemporary art with an emphasis on artists connected to the American South, museum dialogue, photography, figurative work, printmaking, moving image, and international contemporary practices that intersect with regional cultural histories.

Matney’s work centers on building meaningful connections between artists, collectors, museums, universities, and public audiences. Through exhibitions, screenings, artist collaborations, publications, and off-site installations, the gallery operates as both a curatorial platform and a research-driven cultural space dedicated to long-term artistic development and community engagement.

The gallery has collaborated with museums, universities, collectors, restaurants, and cultural organizations on projects involving painting, photography, woodcut, installation, video, and performance. Recent initiatives have included exhibitions and screenings associated with artists such as Jonas Mekas, as well as work supporting contemporary Southern artists, Black artists connected to museum collections, and emerging international voices.

John Lee Matney works closely with collectors and institutions to help place significant contemporary works into meaningful public and private contexts. His curatorial approach emphasizes interpretation, scholarship, accessibility, and sustained relationships with artists and patrons rather than transactional gallery models alone.

Areas of focus include:

• Contemporary Southern art and culture

• Photography and moving image

• Museum and university collaborations

• Artist development and curatorial strategy

• Corporate and hospitality art placement

• Collector advisory and collection development

• Research-based thematic exhibitions

• International contemporary art in dialogue with regional histories

Contact
John Lee Matney
Linda Matney Fine Art Gallery
Williamsburg, Virginia

curator@lindamatneygallery.com
(757) 675-6627