River Gallery, 400 East 2nd Street, will host Nancy Jacobsohn on Saturday, April 1 from 1-4 p.m. Guests will be able to watch Ms. Jacobsohn work.
Although many images are inspiring to Nancy Jacobsohn, horses are her passion. She seeks to capture the gestures and moments of horses, rather than a “realistic” portrayal of them. Ancient Chinese and Etruscan images of the horse have strongly influenced her stylized images.
"I don't know when the urge to create began.
It seems to have always been there. It started with painting and drawing, but once I discovered sculpture, and particularly clay, I was obsessed. There is a poem by Byrd Baylor that states, 'Clay remembers the hands that made it.' I love the fact that you connect directly with the clay with your hands, and it responds almost like a living thing," Ms. Jacobsohn said.
Along with her signature horse sculptures, Nancy also creates ceramic animal "masks."
"Through these masks, Nancy celebrates the animals' sculptural beauty and unique spirits. The viewer is able to 'insert' themselves into the mask, borrowing the animals' soul for a short time," officials said. "Nancy will be bringing a new collection of these masks to the gallery and will demonstrate the process of their creation."
About the artist:
Despite a 20-year career in clay sculpture Nancy Jacobsohn has worked in related fields of endeavor to support her passion. She taught 10 years of secondary art in high schools in California, Massachusetts and Georgia. She also served as an artist in the schools, demonstrating sculpture, through the Tennessee Arts Commission and Williamson County Arts Commission.
Ms. Jacobsohn was responsible for designing and implementing Cheekwood Fine Arts Center’s outreach program and redesigned and directed the Cheekwood Education Department in Nashville. As the Executive Director of Traveler’s Rest, Ms. Jacobsohn wrote a Metro-Nashville Arts Commission Grant to paint a 300’ mural on the railroad bridge with the Overton High school art students. She served on the board of the Williamson County Arts commission and designed their “Artists in the Schools” program. Ms. Jacobsohn has additionally served on the TACA Screening Committee (Tennessee Association of Craft Artists) and served as juror for Spring Fair. Her sculptures have been exhibited and sold throughout Tennessee, Georgia and New York. She has received numerous prizes and awards, including a purchase prize from the Tennessee All State Competition.
Nancy Jacobsohn