Nashvillians of Note
These portraits of noteworthy Nashvillians were created for the Noelle Hotel in 2017. The artworks are made from archival inkjet prints over acrylic paint and hand-drawn cut paper. Though all of the subjects in these portraits have since passed away, I can still find them present in Nashville, our common home. I have fond memories of taking my son to play at Fannie Mae Dees Park and visiting the Croft Sisters’ historic home at the Nashville Zoo. In addition to providing inspiration through their music, Bobby Hebb and DeFord Bailey once lived in the same Nashville neighborhood that I call home. Each portrait was created from a historic map of Nashville at the time when the subject lived and worked here. The Nashville that these musicians, artists, activists and citizens inhabited has been through many changes, but their influence on the city has endured and continues to grow. Special thanks to Nashville Public Library Special Collections for use of the 1930s railroad map in the DeFord Bailey portrait, and to Maps Sales and Services for allowing me to photograph their historic Nashville maps.
