Nashville artist Julia Martin is one of the most influential figures in the local art community. She’s been running her namesake gallery since 2013 — and she has the Best of Nashville awards to prove it. But even before Julia Martin Gallery opened, Julia Martin the artist was making big waves with her instantly recognizable style. Now working out of a studio in the lauded Downtown Presbyterian Church, Martin has developed her canvases into something more urgent and impressionistic. With her solo exhibition My Heart’s Desire, she’s bringing all that out into the gallery space for the first time. “The simple act of beginning a tiny little wish journal has cracked me wide open,” Martin explains in a recent Instagram post, “along with taking the time to name little things all around me that I already love and appreciate.” Look for Martin’s signature wild, prismatic colors, but with a few more scuffs and painterly flourishes layered in. A showcase of works from ceramicist Brooke Gillon, who is collaborating with her son in many instances here, will also be on view.
Opening reception Dec. 6, 6-9 p.m.; through Dec. 20 at Julia Martin Gallery
444 Humphreys St.
