James Gibson
James Gibson taught sculpture at Middle Tennessee State University from 1970 - 1999 and was named Professor Emeritus in 2000. He has also been inducted into the Alumni Gallery of Achievement by the University of Charleston. His work has been included in private and public collection throughout the country and in Turkey, Germany and Austria. The universality of the human figure and mythology has continued to be significant in the development of Gibson's shapes and color vocabulary. His work is abstract and materialized in welded metal, carved and constructed wood, or a combination of the two.
RESUME
Education
1958: BS & BA, Morris Harvey College
1961: MFA in Sculpture, Ohio University
Professional Experience and Honors
1970-1999: Professor of Art - Sculpture, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro,TN
2000: Named Professor Emeritus, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro,TN
2000: Inducted into the Alumni Gallery of Achievement by University of Charleston, Charleston WV
Selected Exhibitions
2016: Local Fare, Cumberland Gallery, Nashville, TN
2015: Repurposed, Art Store Gallery, Charleston, WV
2015: Abstracted, Lost in Thought, Art Store Gallery, Charleston, WV
2015: Scapes, Art Store Gallery, Charleston, WV
2015: 35th Anniversary Show, Cumberland Gallery, Nashville, TN
2014: Grand Opening Invitational Exhibit, Art Store Gallery, Charleston, WV
2014: Sculpture Purchase Award, 48th Annual Drawing & Small Sculpture Show, Del Mar College, Corpus Christi, TX
2011: Fall Nashville Art Gallery Expo, MTSU, Todd Library Gallery, Murfreesboro, TN
2011: 6/60 Exhibition, Art Store Gallery, Charleston, WV
2011: Sculpture Purchase Award, 45th Annual National Drawing & Small Sculpture Show, Del Mar College, Corpus Christi, TX
2011: Sculpture Invitational Exhibition, Art Store Gallery, Charleston, WV
2008: Best of Summer Exhibit, Art Store Gallery, Charleston, WV
2007: Life Size Exhibit, Art Store Gallery, Charleston, WV
2006: One Man Exhibit, Cumberland Gallery, Nashville, TN
2005: San Francisco International Art Expo, Cumberland Gallery Exhibit, San Francisco, CA
2004: Small Packages, Cumberland Gallery, Nashville, TN
2004: Contemporary AAF Exhibition, Pier 92, Cumberland Gallery Exhibit, Manhattan, NY
2003-04: Art Of Tennessee, Frist Center For The Visual Arts, Nashville, TN
2002: One Man Exhibit, Cumberland Gallery, Nashville, TN
2001: One Man Exhibit, The Art Store Gallery, Charleston, WV
1999-2000: Vernal Equinox Exhibit, The Art Store Gallery, Charleston, WV
1998: Invitational 61st Allied Artists of WV Exhibit, Charleston Art Gallery, Sunrise, Charleston, WV
1998: One Man Exhibit, Cumberland Gallery, Nashville, TN
1996: One Man Exhibit, Cumberland Gallery, Nashville, TN
1995-96: 4th International Art Fair, Cumberland Gallery Exhibit, Seattle, WA
1994: Accepted in the 5th International Shoebox Sculpture Competition & Traveling Exhibition, University of Hawaii Art Gallery, Honolulu, HI
1992: Annual National Drawing & Small Sculpture Exhibition, Delmar College, Corpus Christi, TX
1992: Two Person Exhibit, Leu Gallery, Belmont University, Nashville, TN
1992: American Art at The Armory, Cumberland Gallery Exhibit, Philadelphia, PA
1992: Sculpture in The Garden, The Erwin-White Gardens, Nashville, TN
1992-86: Invitational Exhibition of Outdoor Sculpture, Cleveland State Community College, Cleveland, TN
1991-96: Invitational Exhibition of Environmental Sculpture, Chattanooga State Technical Community College (Purchase Award In 1996), Chattanooga, TN
1991: Accepted in the 4th International Shoebox Sculpture Competition & Traveling Exhibition, University of Hawaii Art Gallery, Honolulu, HI
1991: One Man Exhibit, Cumberland Gallery, Nashville, TN
1990: Cumberland Gallery, 10th Anniversary Exhibit, Nashville, TN
1987: One Man Exhibit, Cumberland Gallery, Nashville, TN
1984-87: Invitational Exhibition of Environmental Sculpture, University of Tennessee Campus, Knoxville, TN
1983-85: Invitational Exhibition of Outdoor Sculpture, Walter State Community College, Morristown, TN
1982: World's Fair `82, Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition, University of Tennessee Campus, Knoxville
1982: One Man Exhibit, The Byck Gallery, Louisville, KY
1981: National Drawing & Small Sculpture Exhibition (Judged by Ivan Karp), Del Mar College, Corpus Christi, TX
1980-81: One Man Exhibit, Museum Gallery of the Cultural Center, State Capitol, Charleston, WV
1980: National Drawing & Small Sculpture Exhibition (Judged by Peter Seltz), Del Mar College, Corpus Christi, TX
1980: One Man Exhibit, Tennessee Botanical Gardens & Fine Arts Center at Cheekwood, Nashville
1980: Accepted North American Sculpture Competition (Judged by Frank Gallo), Golden, CO
1979: Winner of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce Sculpture Commission Competition (Awarded Six Annual Commissions), Nashville, TN
1979: One of Six Finalists in the International Sculpture Competition, Mercer Country Community College, Princeton, NJ
1979: National Sculpture 79, Sponsored by the Southern Association of Sculptors, Atlanta, GA
1978: 30 Sculptors from the Southeast, Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Giradeau, MO
1976: One Man Exhibit, Parthenon Galleries, Nashville, TN
1975: Winner, Sculpture Competition Held by Fidelity Federal Bank, Nashville, TN
1975: One Man Exhibit, Swearingyn-Byck Gallery, Louisville, KY
1973: One Man Exhibit, The Charleston Art Gallery at Sunrise, Charleston, WV
1972: One Man Exhibit, Parthenon Galleries, Nashville, TN
1971: One Man Exhibit, The Collector's Gallery, Nashville, TN
1970: One Man Exhibit, The Charleston Art Gallery at Sunrise, Charleston, WV
1968: Winner, James D. Francis Memorial Sculpture Award (Purchase Award), Exhibition 180, Huntington, WV
Selected collections
National and International Collections
Del Mar College, Corpus Christi, TX, Sears Towers (Chicago), Colonial Corporation of America (NY City), U.S. Embassy in Malta, U.S. Army (Washington, D.C.), Huntington Galleries (Huntington, WV), Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences of West Virginia, (Charleston, WV), University of Charleston, (Charleston, WV), Permanent Collection of the State of West Virginia, Cultural Center, Charleston, WV, J.D.N. Enterprises (Atlanta, GA), Chattanooga State Community College, (Chattanooga, TN), and other private and public collections in over 30 states, Turkey, Germany, and Austria.
Nashville Area Public Collections
Fine Arts Center of Cheekwood, Downtown Offices of AmSouth Bank, Fidelity Federal, Home Federal, Bankof America, Third National Bank, The Department of Art at Vanderbilt University, The Permanent Collection of the State of Tennessee, Ingram Industries, WSMV-TV Channel 4, Nissan, Dollar General Store Corporate Offices, TSC Corporate Offices, Nashville Arts Commission, Bridgestone U.S.A. Inc., Nashville International Airport, Tennessee State Museum, Middle Tennessee State University, and other public collections.
STATEMENT
My sculpture is a visual product influenced by memories, experiences, dreams, visions, and things not known. It is least of all from things that can be said, discussed, or talked about without risking confusion and misinterpretation.
To paraphrase Joseph Campbell, in my work, “I try to render a sense of existence, not an assurance of some meaning”.
Early in my endeavors, the revelation of subject matter, form, and content in visual art content influenced me greatly. This triad, the universality of the human figure, plus mythology has continued to be significant in the development of my shapes and color vocabulary.
For some time, I have been intrigued by the use of the word ‘marker’ as a metaphor. Marker is defined as ‘a conspicuous object serving as a guide for travelers’.
My work is abstract and materialized in welded metal, carved and constructed wood, or a combination of the two. The size of my work may vary from small to six or eight feet.
In five years, I hope to have developed a sharper imagination, intuition, and improvisational skills, while still striving to present a sense of existence in my work, not an assurance of meaning. The human figure and mythology will continue to be a major presence in my work.