Alan Shuptrine, Into the Clearing, 2013, drybrush watercolor
The Alan Shuptrine: Appalachian Watercolors of the Serpentine Chain exhibition will open at the State Museum on Friday. The exhibition pays tribute to the land and people found along the Appalachian Trail, and of the Celtic culture that can still be found there.
Mr. Shuptrine, nationally recognized for his paintings, has created 54 watercolors for a body of work that celebrates the connections of the Appalachian mountains, and their historical and cultural counterparts in the British Isles. Also renowned for his 30-year-career of handcrafting and carving beautiful frames, Mr. Shuptrine embeds precious Serpentine stones, and uses gold leaf accents on this collection of frames.
“This journey highlights Celtic traditions that were brought to America in the 18th century, and are still being practiced today,” said Mr. Shuptrine. “I tried to capture the deep, meaningful, and superb technical excellence in each painting, whether it is found in the Maine and Vermont tradition of quilt making in the clapboard white schoolhouse, to whiskey making and farming traditions, or stunning views across the mountain ranges. Without knowledge or appreciation for your past, and with no sense of place, how can you look to the future?”
Mr. Shuptrine, son of the late nationally-renowned artist Hubert Shuptrine, is partnering with New York Times best-selling author Sharyn McCrumb. Together, they will create a book called, The Serpentine Chain, a large format art book which will explore and celebrate the connections between the people of Appalachia and their historical and cultural counterparts in the British Isles. Included in the exhibition are nine paintings by Hubert Shuptrine, Alan’s father. Born in Chattanooga in 1936, Hubert began his artistic career working as an abstract oil painter. In 1970, after a family vacation to Maine, he began to work in watercolor and was self-taught in the medium. In 1974 he collaborated with author James Dickey on a book entitled Jericho: The South Beheld. In his second book — Home to Jericho, which he both wrote and illustrated, he explored the south again. Hubert Shuptrine died in 2006, but his ethereal images of the South are still a beloved testament to the region, said officials.
Alan Shuptrine: Appalachian Watercolors of the Serpentine Chain will be on view through Oct. 1, in the Changing Galleries. This will be the final temporary exhibition held at this location. It is free to the public.
Hubert Shuptrine, Twin Chimneys, 1978, watercolor on paper. Tennessee State Museum Collection