The Memory Makers. Johnnie Stanfield, artist
Through the month of April, the landscapes and still lifes of artist Johnnie Stanfield will be on display in Asheville Gallery of Art (AGA). Memory Makers exhibits paintings of items that evoke a memory of a bygone era. Stanfield hopes subjects like typewriters, radios, antique cars and riding boots will inspire nostalgia in the viewer. “Perhaps they will remember an event or an important occasion that happened around these objects,” says Stanfield, “like asking that girl to marry him in that Chevy car at a drive-in movie, or memories of a first rock concert or a fishing trip with dad.” The gallery will host an artist reception on Friday, April 6, from 5–8 p.m.
The show is a hallmark for Stanfield’s career, which was interrupted by a hand injury years ago. She had no feeling in the hand for nearly eight months. “It was the hand I painted with and used to draw and write,” Stanfield says. “I wrote like a first-grader for the first year and could only hold a big pencil.” She started using her left hand to operate a keyboard and mouse and returned to school for graphic design and photography. “It was my daughter’s persistence in painting and fine art that kept me trying,” Stanfield says. “Jessica requested a painting of mine for a birthday and Christmas each year, despite what those paintings looked like.”
While Stanfield’s recovery is still ongoing—she says it takes her nearly twice as long to complete a piece as it did before the injury—her progress is validated by her show at AGA. “It is a milestone for me to be able to show my work again at this level,” she says. “It’s also a testimonial to others that things do get better with time and healing.”
Asheville Gallery of Art is located at 82 Patton Avenue in Asheville, across from Pritchard Park. Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 1–4 p.m. on Sunday. To learn more, call 828.251.5796, visit ashevillegallery-of-art.com or follow the gallery’s Facebook page.
