Beth McKay – Depression Incarnate

This exhibition round includes works provided by Beth McKay which will be on view in the First Floor Ramp Gallery from November 26, 2025 – February 28, 2026.  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, February 28 from 5-7 pm.

 

About the exhibit:

Depression Incarnate is an exploration of pain, grief, and heartbreak — a reflection of how I process complex emotions through art. For me, painting is not just creation; it’s communication. Art allows me to express feelings that are too heavy or complicated to put into words, transforming sorrow into something visual, tangible, and healing. 

The majority of my work consists of surrealist self-portraits that embody emotional states rather than likeness. Each piece represents a chapter of my healing journey — navigating loss, divorce, and rebirth. After the sudden loss of my father, I turned to painting as a way to process the overwhelming grief that followed. My oil on canvas Underneath represents that experience, portraying myself in contemplation of death, grief, and the cyclical nature of existence and reincarnation. 

When I went through a divorce in 2020, I once again turned inward, using art to process heartache, loss, and newfound freedom. In Organs, a nude female figure removes her lungs, tongue, and brain — symbols of suffocation, silence, and overthinking — yet keeps her heart intact, a quiet act of resilience and hope. Wrapped in a vine of white flowers, she slowly unravels herself from the binds that once held her. 

In Wallflower, another self-portrait, I explore the feeling of invisibility and the process of re-emergence. The figure stitches her own heart back together with needle and thread as she begins to separate herself from the wallpaper that once concealed her, symbolizing self-recovery and rediscovery. 

Poppy Heart may appear as a heart blooming with delicate flowers, but the poppy carries deeper meaning — beauty intertwined with danger, addiction, and loss. This piece is a tribute to loved ones lost to addiction, and to the complex love that remains for those still fighting it. To honor their memory, 20% of the proceeds from Poppy Heart will be donated to Not One More Alabama, a nonprofit that provides education, hope, and compassionate support to families affected by addiction. 

My art comes directly from the heart. It is born from grief but rooted in resilience — a visual testament to the strength of the human spirit and the healing power of creation.

 

About the artist:

Beth McKay is a multidisciplinary artist based in Huntsville, Alabama, where she has lived most of her life. With over 25 years of experience, Beth has honed her skills in oil painting, watercolor, and screen printing, crafting deeply personal and evocative works. A graduate of the University of Montevallo (2002) with a concentration in painting and a minor in graphic design, Beth further pursued her passion for art education at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, earning a degree in Art Education in 2016 to foster the love of art in young minds. 

As a member of the Alabama Women’s Caucus for Art (ALWCA), Beth has been an active voice in the regional art community. Her studio is located at Lowe Mill Arts & Entertainment, where she continues to create and experiment. Her work is often inspired by the legendary Frida Kahlo, with Beth herself serving as the main subject of her pieces. Through self-portraiture, Beth explores themes of identity, vulnerability, depression and the female experience. 

Beth’s recent works have been showcased in numerous exhibitions, including the Curated Gallery show No Place Like Home (August-October 2025) and The Feminine—Body, Mind, and Spirit at Alabama A&M University in 2025. Her painting “Organs” was featured in The Feminine I ALWCA Art Show at Alabama A&M. In 2023, her paintings “Poppy Heart” and “Cage” were displayed in the Juried Art Teachers’ Biennial Exhibition at the Huntsville Museum of Art. 

Beth has also contributed to public art projects, including Time for aRt EVOLUTION, a collaborative public art display in downtown Huntsville in 2020. Her creative journey has earned her several accolades, including second place for Mechanical Owl at the UAH Graphic Design Art Show and an Honorable Mention for Underneath at the UAH Juried Art Show in 2017. 

Through her work, Beth McKay continues to challenge the boundaries of self-expression and create art that speaks to both personal and universal experiences.