The Fischman Gallery in Johnson City will present artist Rack Cross’s “Trout of the Tennessee Mountains” as its month-long July exhibit. The gallery will celebrate the exhibit with an opening reception on Friday, July 5 from 6:30 to 9 p.m.
The event is free and open to the public. The exhibit will include mixed-media representations of fish from Cross. A native to the region, Cross has been displaying his work in galleries and business across the region for over 20 years.
From paintings and sculptures to mobiles and stabiles, Cross credits his Appalachian upbringing and obsession with fly fishing as the inspiration behind the exhibit’s mixed-media representations of fish. Cross credits his obsession with fly fishing and trout as a point of inspiration behind his exhibit. “My artistic roots and heritage are well established by vibrant and daring Appalachian Highlands artisans dating back centuries,” he said.
“So, creating a relevant exhibit in modern context, I have to honor that heritage while presenting viewers with a reflection of our contemporary world.” According to a release from the gallery, Cross compares the emotional benefits of his work to the physical effects of salt, including “flavor, preservation and healing.” “I’ve come off the canvas, so to speak, including more dimensional works than painted canvas ones,” he said.
“While many of the dimensional pieces extend the story being told by a particular canvas painting, each mobile, stabile.
