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Rowanne McKnight
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By Trevor Mikula
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By Susie Elder
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Nashville Artist Collective
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By Hannah Lane
Design decisions are increasingly being made online, and the brass tacks reality tells us that buying convenience is kingeven with something as tangible as procuring private art. Enter Nashville Artist Collective, an entirely online art gallery that launched in September as a digital source for affordable, original art by Nashville creators.
The concept originated in 2010 by Charleston Artist Collective founder Allison Williamson, and, as demand for Southern art grew, its expansion continued into Atlanta. Nashville is the third launch city and is spearheaded by longtime resident Rowanne McKnight, who, along with a committee, has curated an inaugural class of six artists: Hannah Lane, Lisa Zager, Susie Elder, Trevor Mikula, Lauren Ossolinski, and Langford Barksdale.
'My hope is that it really elevates the arts for all,” McKnight says. 'If that brings people in the digital doorwaywherever they arethey're deciding to engage in arts in the city, and it's a good thing. Specifically in Nashville, there's so much compelling art that is happening, and a lot of it doesn't have a home.”
The website is picturesque in gallery format, and artists submit three themed pieces of original art each month for exclusive sale. Profitable for the artist and accessible for the consumer, another leg of the business is its charitable giving: A percentage of each sale is gifted to an area nonprofit selected by the group. Safe Haven Family Shelter will be its charity selection in December, followed by a partnership in February with Draper James and Girls, Inc.