The faces of art

Most people associate Nashville, Tennessee, primarily with country music. Since I grew up there as the daughter of an artist, I’m much more keenly aware of its active art world and many talented artists.

Last week, I was there for the annual Temple Art Festival, a juried show of works ranging from jewelry to painting, photography, and ceramic sculpture.

My mother, Sylvia Hyman, is a sort of grande dame at 91, with an international reputation for her detailed and realistic fool-the-eye works. You can see these on my Web site, www.jacquelinediamond.com, or, with biographical information, on her festival page, http://templenashville.org/_taf/artist.php?id=176.

At the other end of the career spectrum was young photographer Michael Jones, whose mother Mary Loventhal Jones was a high school classmate of mine. Not only does Michael take terrific landscape photos (which you can see at http://templenashville.org/_taf/artist.php?id=162), he’s also articulate about his work and very personable. He’s just at the beginning of his career, which I hope will be long and rewarding.

Another gifted photographer at the show, Judy Nebhut, raised a family before pursuing her lifelong interest in the camera. Her serene and radiant work, which she manipulates through sophisticated techniques, is on view both at her personal Web site,
http://judynebhut.com/, and at http://templenashville.org/_taf/artist.php?id=53.

A painter whose work particularly struck me was Camille Torchon. He (yes, Camille’s a guy) originally hails from Haiti and has exhibited his work in France. He paints brilliant, stylized scenes of an island paradise, which you can view at http://templenashville.org/_taf/artist.php?id=168.

After seeing these artists’ work, you might never think of Nashville the same way, either.