ARCADE ARTS
SELECTION PANEL
LAKEISHA CALVIN
Lakesha Calvin is a Nashville native by way of Jackson, Mississippi. She studied painting at Washington University in St. Louis and earned Master’s Degrees from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in Painting and Lipscomb University in Education. Lakesha serves as discipline coordinator and assistant professor in Fisk University’s Art Department and coordinates volunteer opportunities and educational experiences in the Carl Van Vechten Gallery. She believes strongly in mentorship, youth empowerment and telling one’s story. Lakesha has exhibited at Fisk University’s Carl Van Vechten Gallery, Tennessee Parthenon, Vanderbilt’s Black Cultural Center and Divinity School, and Tennessee State University.
KATIE DELMEZ
Katie Delmez has been a curator at the Frist Art Museum since 2001. She has organized numerous exhibitions, including Multiplicity: Blackness in Contemporary American Collage; M. Florine Démosthène and Didier William: What the Body Carries; LeXander Bryant: Forget Me Nots; Terry Adkins: Our Sons and Daughters Ever on the Altar (with Jamaal Sheats, Director and Curator, Fisk University Galleries); We Shall Overcome: Civil Rights and the Nashville Press, 1957–1968; Nick Cave: Feat.; Murals of North Nashville Now; Shinique Smith: Wonder and Rainbows; and Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons: Journeys. She was also the curator of a major retrospective on photographer Carrie Mae Weems that traveled to four venues, including the Guggenheim Museum in New York. Ms. Delmez has been the editor of several accompanying catalogues and overseen the presentation of more than 35 touring exhibitions at the Frist such as Jeffrey Gibson: The Body Electric, Hearts of Our People: Native Women Artists, and 30 Americans. She is a graduate of Vanderbilt University and Boston University.
SAMUEL DUNSON
Samuel Dunson was raised in a creative environment in Dayton, Ohio, where his journey in Fine Art began through a chance encounter with an art professor at Tennessee State University. Following a brief conversation, the professor encouraged him to take a drawing course, a pivotal moment that has influenced Samuel’s artistic path ever since.
Initially, Samuel concentrated on three-dimensional works, but his focus soon shifted toward painting and drawing. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Studio Art in 1992 and subsequently established his practice in Nashville, Tennessee, where he secured gallery representation and built a strong exhibition record over nearly six years. In 1997, seeking to advance his studies, he was awarded a Presidential Fellowship to attend the Savannah College of Art and Design, where he completed his Master of Fine Arts in Painting. Shortly afterward, he accepted a teaching position at Tennessee State University, his undergraduate alma mater.
Over the past two decades, Samuel has balanced his teaching career with an active commitment to his own creative practice. His recent works—encompassing painting, sculpture, and video—delve into the complexities of life’s transitions. These pieces serve as a form of introspection, allowing Samuel to express personal experiences while inviting universal interpretation. Through this process, he remains dedicated to pushing the boundaries of his intellectual and artistic pursuits.
KATIE SHAW
Katie Shaw, Gallerist, leads Red Arrow, a contemporary art gallery known for its museum quality exhibitions and contemporary artist program. With nearly 20 years of experience working with visual artists including hundreds of curated exhibitions, Katie is dedicated to supporting artists careers and continuing to grow her community. Under her leadership, Red Arrow is a vital platform for artists, showcasing their work locally and at global art fairs.
TERRY THACKER
Terry Thacker has been an artist and educator for over forty years. He recently retired as Professor of Fine Art at Watkins College of Art where he was department chair from 2006 to 2011. Prior academic positions have been, Professor of Art at Savannah College of Art and Design and Associate Professor of Art at Middle Tennessee State University. He is a founding member of COOP, a regional cooperative gallery and curator of several exhibitions there and for Watkins College of Art. Also, active as a lecturer and reviewer he has written for Art Papers and Number, lectured at the Southeastern College Art Association, University of Oregon, and spoken at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts.
Mr. Thacker received his BFA from Austin Peay State University and his MFA from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He later studied at Long Island University and was an associate at the Atlantic Center for the Arts with resident artist Alice Aycock. Additionally, he has been a resident at Stove Works’ Artist Residency.
Mr. Thacker has shown in numerous national and regional exhibitions including exhibitions at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Brooks Museum, Hunter Museum, Dulin Gallery, and Cheekwood as well as solo installations at Vanderbilt University, Western Kentucky University, Murray State University, Alexandria Museum, and the Memphis Center for Contemporary Art.
