John Paul Kesling – Lean-To

This exhibition round includes works provided by John Paul Kesling which will be on view in the Third Floor West Gallery from February 12 – April 26, 2025.  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, April 26 from 5-7 pm.

 

About the exhibit:  

A lean-to shelter relies on an existing structure for support. Sometimes temporary, sometimes  permanent, but always dependent. This collection of paintings tells the story of relationships at all  stages of this search for safety, security, and love. From longing in loneliness to first kisses and dreaming  together, from making mistakes and growing apart to losing your lover and dying alone, being human is  a bittersweet condition. In the end, hopefully we all found a place to rest, even if just for a night or two.  

 

About the artist:  

John Paul Kesling (b. 1980, USA) was born and raised in Northeastern Kentucky in the foothills of the  Appalachian Mountains. He received his BFA in Arts from Morehead State University (Morehead, KY,  2003) and spent a summer in Europe studying art history (Summer, 2002). He went on to receive an MFA in Painting from The Savannah College of Art and Design (Savannah, GA, 2010). He spent the next  six years in Brooklyn, NY immersed in the NYC art scene. In March of 2016, he relocated to Madison, TN,  just outside of Nashville.  

His work has been included in group exhibitions at Ground Floor Contemporary (Birmingham, AL), The  Parthenon (Nashville, TN), Lilienthal Gallery (Knoxville, TN), I Like Your Work Podcast (online and print),  ArtMaze Mag (online and print), Create Magazine (online), London Paint Club (online and print), NYC Crit  Club/Plum Line Finalist Exhibition 2023 (curated by MEPAINTSME), Tyger Tyger Gallery (Asheville, NC),  and The Gadsden Museum of Art (Gadsden, AL). He has attended artist residencies at On::View Artist Residency (Savannah, GA), Byrdcliffe (Woodstock, NY), Vermont Studio Center (Johnson, VT) and  Mudhouse (Crete, Greece). He has had solo shows at Red Arrow Gallery (Nashville, TN), The Ellis Gallery (ARTS Southeast, Savannah, GA), Wheelhouse Arts (Louisville, KY), Banker’s Alley Hotel (Nashville, TN),  Tennessee State Community College (Gallatin, TN) and Oz Arts (Nashville, TN). In 2022 he was accepted  to the White Columns Curated Online Artist Registry (New York, NY). His work is included in the  permanent collections of The Savannah College of Art and Design (Atlanta, GA and Lacoste, France),  Vanderbilt University Medical Center Community Arts Initiative and Soho House Nashville.  

Kesling is a member of the artist collective at Ground Floor Contemporary (Birmingham, AL) and is  represented by Red Arrow Gallery (Nashville, TN), Lilienthal Gallery (Knoxville, TN) and Wheelhouse Art  (Louisville, KY).