Celebration, 35th Anniversary Exhibition IV
The genesis of this project involved working with fluid acrylics and trying some new techniques in attempt to distract myself in the days following my wife, Amy Nichols, cancer diagnosis. It was a way of having something creative to do in the moments when I needed to be close by caring for her during chemotherapy, but needed something to divert angst and energy into during moments of fear and anxiety. As her journey unfolded, I began to accumulate a number of these panels and noticed the biological motif that was developing as a common thread. Unfortunately, her treatment didn’t work, and 160 days after diagnosis Amy passed away. In the first iteration of this project in January, I installed 160 panels to honor her journey, and sell the panels to benefit the Alabama Oncology Foundation, a local organization that assists cancer patients in need. I continued working on new panels for this exhibition, and hope to continue this project by constantly creating new panels as the project evolves, and giving proceeds to the foundation. Amy was a healthcare worker who lived a life in service of others. On her behalf and in her honor, I hope to continue that legacy. I have longed used art as a mechanism for healing in my own life, and I hope that while this work helps me process this devasting loss, it can help others heal as well.
Acrylic and epoxy resin on wood
160 panels, 6 x 6 in. each
A native of El Paso, Texas, artist Larry Thompson has served as Professor and Chair of Art at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama since moving to the area in 2007, and was appointed Associate Dean of the Samford School of the Arts in 2014. Prior to that, he taught at universities in Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas. In addition to teaching painting and drawing courses, and chairing the department, Thompson is an artist who has recently exhibited work in China, New York, Texas, California, Alabama, Illinois, South Carolina, Kentucky, and Tennessee.
He is an active member of the College Art Association (CAA) and has presented at the CAA Conference in Chicago in 2014, and continually serves as Career Mentor for CAA. Thompson holds an MFA in Painting from The University of North Texas in Denton, Texas and a BFA in Art and Design from The University of Texas at San Antonio. You can view more of Thompson’s work at www.artbylarrythompson.com. Larry also serves on an advisory council creating the Salvador’s Deli art event and fundraiser for art supplies for school children in partnership with UAB and The Birmingham Museum of Art.
Space One Eleven Involvement: Exhibiting Artist: The Infantree Project 2015-2016, Waiting + The Art of War Windows 2015; We Dare Defend Our Rights: The Gun Show 2019