Currently on View: Mike Matthews – Card Subject to Change: A Look at Pro Wrestling in North Alabama

This exhibition round includes works provided by Mike Matthews which will be on view in the First Floor West Gallery from April 3 – May 25, 2024.  Lowe Mill A&E invites patrons and art lovers to join us for Open Studio Night, a building-wide experience when our over 150 studios will be open to the public.  The evening also includes receptions for all seven of our gallery spaces. This series gives the public a chance to meet and interact with visiting artists and discuss their work as it is on display and available for purchase. Come out, enjoy a pleasant evening, and maybe you’ll find that special piece of art that speaks to you!  The Open Studio Night reception is Saturday, May 25 from 5-7 pm.

 

About the exhibit:

“Card Subject to Change” is a look at pro wrestling in North Alabama. As a kid I loved wrestling. I would try to watch it every weekend. When I graduated high school in 1997, I stopped paying attention to it, but in 2009 a coworker started a conversation with me about what I had been missing over the past ten years. I was once again bitten by the wrestling bug and started watching new matches and old ones on YouTube. In 2019 my group of friends started attending WWE shows in Huntsville and Birmingham. I would wander the floor taking pictures with my cellphone.  In the same year we began going to local indie wrestling shows in Hartselle and Lewisburg Tennessee. I brought my camera to these shows to take photos for myself and to share with the wrestlers. In 2023 I was introduced to Rocket City Championship Wrestling (RCCW) in Hazel Green. 

While in Hazel Green, I began photographing my friend, wrestler Tiger Kid, and his wrestling associates. The shows are great entertainment and I love the energy from the crowd. It’s family friendly and it draws major support from its local fanbase. 

These pictures were taken using both digital and film photography. Some of the digital photos are taken with a cellphone and others with a DSLR. All film was processed, developed, and printed at Southerland’s Photo.

 

About the artist:

Huntsville native, Mike Matthews is a photographer who specializes in events and concerts. His love of photography grew from using his parents’ film camera as a child. In 2011, he purchased his first DSLR. Subjects have ranged from wildlife landscapes, weddings, and products. In 2017, Mike started shooting concerts for Nashville based musicians and bands. In 2021 and 2022, he toured twice with the band the Dead Deads across the US and Canada giving him the opportunity to photo the bands Kiss and The Darkness.

When he’s not at a show or editing his photos, Mike can be found “slinging” pop-culture at The Deep Comics and Games where he worked for more than 20 years. The love of collecting (that is part of his job) has led him to estate and garage sales where he sometimes finds old film cameras. “I have always liked the look of film. While trying to find my style, I embraced what influenced me. I fell in love with black and white concert photos, promo photos and album photos from the 70s through the 90s”.

 

To find the the gallery in Lowe Mill A&E, click MORE INFO below (Tickets are NOT required.)