Kalmia
Recent work by Jamey Grimes
September 4, 2024 - January 12, 2025
Reception: October 10, 5-7 p.m.
Image: Kalmia Details
Based on the mountain laurel, Jamey Grimes' Kalmia is a mass of light-based sculptures suspended from the ceiling. The mountain laurel’s clustered blossoms are frequently found during the spring along the banks of local waterways, and these act as the inspiration for this design, entitled Kalmia, after the plant’s genus.
Artist statement
The objects and environments that I create are fueled by encounters with natural forces, both real and imagined. Inspired by these encounters, I generate unique forms through the manipulation of synthetic materials. These forms accumulate, en masse, to engulf the viewer in an experience that is simultaneously unsettling and serene. My intent is to remind us of our relationships to forces of nature.
Synthetic materials establish a unique starting point for creating artwork that responds to nature. These tangible substances are selected because they have been cleansed of nature’s direct influence and reset by human manufacturing processes. Through abstraction and re-interpretation, patterns emerge from the medium and quickly emulate more complex natural designs. The juxtaposition of this dialogue reflects a human impulse to codify the natural world.
Kalmia explores the intriguing symmetry of the mountain laurel flower. Mountain laurels
(genus Kalmia) are commonly found along waterways in the Appalachian watershed. They
act as a reminder of the beauty found in nature, but they are also extremely poisonous.
I find their structure fascinating, and I’m always delighted to find them in bloom.
Abbreviated Artist Bio
Grimes has exhibited his artwork extensively across the US, participating in both solo and group shows, and has placed his large-scale sculptures in various museums, galleries, and public and private spaces nationwide. Notably in this region, his sculpture Taraxacum is prominently displayed in the John and Joyce Caddell Sculpture Garden at the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts.
Grimes, a distinguished artist and educator, has earned several notable awards, including the 2019 South Arts State Fellowship for Alabama and the 2015 Visual Arts Educator of the Year award from the Arts Council of Tuscaloosa. His work has been recognized with Alabama State Council on the Arts Visual Arts Fellowships in both 2013 and 2020.
Grimes has also received support from the NEA, the Alabama State Council on the Arts, and the Alabama Humanities Alliance, among others, to spearhead community engagement initiatives. One of his prominent projects, Flow Tuscaloosa (held in 2022 and 2024), features educational workshops, exhibitions, outdoor lighting and sculpture installations, and walking lantern parades, all aimed at celebrating the ecological diversity of his hometown.
Residing in Tuscaloosa, Grimes serves as a professor of sculpture and museum studies at the University of Alabama, where he continues to shape and inspire future artists.
Spring Thesis 2024
Multimedia Works by Graduating Students and Designers
May 1 - September 5
Thesis Reception: May 6, 5-7 p.m.
This senior thesis is showcasing the class of Spring 2024 from TROY's Art and Design department. This Exhibition includes work by Reanna Thompson, David Saner, Emily Cousins, Laken Lee, Shuyue Du, Cayla Weightman, Dean Dupuis, Jade Simpson, Tristen Broadnax, Sydney Burlingame, Peyton Lawrence, Amelia Nettles, Anna Gordon, Abigail Wilson, Anna Mitchell, Jared Hester, Nathan Hobbs, Grace Kish, Howard Purvee, and Laura Phelps.