A Day Enjoying the Sculpture of Etienne Jackson

I remember vividly the opening of my first solo exhibit Long Time Coming — A Retrospective of O.V. Brantley’s Red and White Quilts. I was nervous. I wondered whether anyone would show up. If someone did show up, I wondered whether they would like the quilts. Once they saw the quilts, I wondered whether they would leave immmediately and believe I wasted their time. When you are a new “artist” it is hard to feel worthy.

Family doesn’t count for purposes of this post, but I can always count on these two — India and Brittany, my Ride or Dies.

Thankfully, all my worry was for naught. I had a wonderful loving supportive crowd who stayed until we blinked the lights. I will always be grateful for those who showed up that day. That one day of encouragement gave me the courage to exhibit at the International Quilt Festival and later at the High Museum of Art. What a journey.

My journey has made me very intentional about supporting other artists. Whenever I can, I show up. I have seen and lived the magic of one pebble being dropped in a stream with ripples never ending.

So this week I enjoyed the sculpture and drawings of Etienne Jackson. I am a quilter, and I know zero about sculpture. But I know without a doubt that Etienne appreciated everyone in the room at his opening.

Etienne Jackson with one of his sculptures.

Etienne’s show runs through November 23rd. Check it out at the Southwest Arts Center Gallery, 905 New Hope Road, South Fulton, GA. While you are in an artsy mood, gather up some friends and check out my quilt A Star Among Stars in the Patterns in Abstraction exhibit at the High Museum of Art.

My quilt “A Star Among Stars” was acquired by the High Museum of Art and is part of the “Patterns in Abstraction” exhibit at the High Museum of Art through January 5, 2025.

Be a pebble in someone’s life. Always, always support other artists.