The artwork was display from February 11until March 14, 2014. 

 

There was a reception, open to the public, February 27th in the Rotunda of City Hall, Murfreesboro.

 

Steve Matthews, a Murfreesboro resident and owner of Steve’s Fine Art Gallery located at 415 S. Academy St. Murfreesboro, is a self taught artist. He paints with oils in a photo-realism style. His portfolio consists of a variety of portraits, landscapes, murals and animals. Steve says, “It is my desire to preserve a portion of (African) American culture on canvas. This will enable future generations to view who we are: past, present, and future. … I want the younger generation to be inspired by my struggles and ambitions, to know that they too can follow their dreams.”

 

Robert Gerhardt received his M.F.A. from Lesley University College of Art and Design in Cambridge, MA. His work is shown internationally. These photographs are part of his series “Muslim/American, American/Muslim” which is currently on display at Tennessee Tech University. Gerhardt says, “I desire to look into the stories, people and places that others simply glance at, or overlook completely. For me, it is not a matter of visiting a place, making photographs and leaving. It is about getting to know the people and places I photograph, which can only be accomplished over extended periods of time. It is about trying to step out of my world and into theirs. To sometimes stop being a photographer and know when to put down the camera, and listen and talk instead.”