A Face In The Crowd
Jerry Adams has the heart, soul and talent of an artist. It’s the one aspect of his life that his cerebral palsy can’t steal from him. Dependent on a wheelchair for mobility, and unable to shake hands or converse without struggling with his physical limitations, Adams, 51, is an accomplished painter who has created dozens of watercolors that are equal parts vivid, moody, creative and memorable. His work has been displayed at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, the Renaissance Center, the Nashville International Airport and the Other Side Gallery in East Nashville. On Nov. 13, his paintings will be featured in an exhibit at the campus of Progress, an agency that helps people with disabilities. Painting, he says, “by feel,” Adams has a sharp eye for color schemes, typically blending different shades of blue while creating rich, lush images that are familiar and alien all at once. Most of his work is watercolor, but one striking acrylic painting hangs above his living room sofa. In one watercolor, titled “Night flower,” Adams blends an array of earth tones to outline what looks like a desert plant. It’s a melancholy image, which is appropriate, given that Adams remembers feeling sad when he painted it. Up until four years ago, Adams lived more or less on his own. But the effects of cerebral palsy became more acute with age, forcing him to move to a supported living home in Cheatham County. This year he underwent a surgical procedure meant to stem the encroachment of his illness, but it was a bittersweet time. It meant missing a planned fund-raising appearance where he was going to present his paintings to Gary Chapman and Wynonna Judd. Despite the physical ravages of his disease, Adams, with his thin brown hair and small frame, looks surprisingly strong and vibrant. And while his body simply won’t let him carry on conversation easily, his mind is clearly sharp as a tack. Asked what he wants people to know about him, he replies, somewhat devastatingly, “I’m not dumb.” Anyone who has seen his paintings already knows that. For more information about Adams’ upcoming show, e-mail the artist at jerryadams51@aol.com.
By Matt Pulle
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