Carved & Crafted: The Art of Letterpress
On view June 12–September 21, 2025

The exhibition Carved & Crafted: The Art of Letterpress explores the centuries-old printing process through the work of artist Jim Sherraden, artist and musician Jon Langford, and Hatch Show print, a renowned Nashville-based letterpress atelier. Including a selection of original and historic Hatch poster restrikes, early prints by Sherraden, and current collaborative work by the latter and Langford, viewers will gain an appreciation for the handmade. Letterpress and woodblock printing is rooted in tradition, craftsmanship, and legacy—much of which is slowly disappearing from contemporary printmaking practices as industrial and digital technologies replace apprenticeship, handwork, and practice. Sherraden and Langford, along with Celene Aubrey, the longtime manager of Hatch Show Print, and the many shop designers and printers who have trained there, are preserving the legacy of these centuries-old processes and a historic American advertising press.  

In 1879, Charles and Herbert, sons of Reverend Wiliam T. Hatch, a master printer and shop owner, established C.R. & H. H. Hatch, Printers in Nashville, Tennessee, unknowingly establishing a lasting legacy in American letterpress and advertising. Their first design, a handbill announcing a talk by Minister Henry Ward Beecher, brother to Harriet Ward Beecher, the renowned author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, launched the straightforward style that would define Hatch’s distinct look—bold typography and clear messaging, rendered with hand-carved wooden block and metal type and printed using a mechanical press. By 1920, Charles’ son William moved the shop near the Ryman Auditorium, receiving tour poster commissions from their many performers, such as Bessie Smith, Hank Williams, and Duke Ellington. However, by the mid-20th century, Hatch struggled as offset printing and digital technologies took over the market. After several ownership changes, Gaylord Entertainment purchased the shop, eventually donating it to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1992, sparking Hatch’s rebirth.

 Much of this revival is credited to Jim Sherraden, who began working at Hatch in 1984. As an apprentice, Sherraden combined his artistic training with the shop’s historic materials, creating monoprints and modern imagery that complemented Hatch’s design legacy. He retired from the floor in 2016, passing the legacy to Celene Aubrey, who continues to preserve the Hatch Show Print tradition.

A Bayou State of Mind
On view September 4, 2025–January 4, 2026

A Bayou State of Mind showcases the rich tapestry of Louisiana’s culture, traditions, history, land, and spirit, as a diverse mix of artists respond to and envision the state’s unique character. From the deep-rooted perspectives of natives such as Malaika Favorite, John T. Scott, and Elmore Morgan Jr., to the evocative impressions of those captivated during brief encounters, like Nathalie Miebach and Richard Misrach, the objects relate intimate visual responses to a complex environment.

A highlight of the exhibition is the Bayou Collection, a series of forty paintings by renowned artist George Rodrigue. Originally created to accompany a compilation of ghost stories by author Chris Segura, Rodrigue’s imaginative renderings are steeped in his signature Cajun style. His labor of love, spanning three years, includes the first appearance of Rodrigue’s iconic “Blue Dog”—his cherished spaniel-terrier, Tiffany—marking a defining moment in the artist's career. Additional artists included in the exhibition: Vitus Shell, Ronald Bechet, Ben Depp, Shirley Rabé Masinter, James Michalopoulos, Rolland Harve Golden, Carrie Mae Weems, Johanna Warwick, Will Henry Stevens, Debbie Fleming Caffery, Hunt Slonem, and many more.

The Sculpture of Scott, Payton, Hayden, and Bechet
On view October 9, 2025–January 25, 2026

They were friends, mentors, and muses. They were pivotal figures in the modern art movement emerging from the southeastern part of Louisiana. They were dedicated scholars and educators. Four men, Frank Hayden, John T. Scott, Martin Payton, and Ron Bechet—artists intertwined through a series of experiences that played out over five decades. They share a common artistic language—an exploration of Black heritage imbued with private symbolism, expression, and inspiration. Hayden reflects on his deep spiritual awareness, and reverence for faith, family, and Civil Rights. Scott’s work echoes the sights and sounds of his beloved New Orleans and his Caribbean legacy. Payton reclaims scrap metal, fabricating improvised compositions of rhythmic forms tangled with African symbolism. Bechet’s lyrical works investigate the delicacy of nature and the human experience, instilled with personal connections to the heritage of place.

Frank Hayden (1935–1988), a Memphis native, studied at Xavier University before earning degrees at Notre Dame and Iowa State, later becoming a longtime faculty member at Southern University in Baton Rouge. At Xavier in the 1950s, Hayden was mentored by Numa Rousseve and Sister Mary Lurana Neely—teachers who also deeply influenced John T. Scott (1940–2007), who returned to Xavier to teach after earning his MFA. Scott inspired Martin Payton (b. 1948), who studied at Xavier and later at Otis Art Institute before succeeding Hayden at Southern University in 1990. Scott and Payton remained close collaborators, completing major projects like Spirit House in 2006. Ron Bechet (b. 1956) first met Scott at the University of New Orleans and, after Yale, taught alongside him at Xavier, where they shared a studio and deep friendship until Hurricane Katrina displaced Scott in 2005; Bechet continues to teach at Xavier today.

This exhibition highlights the sculptural works of these four modern masters. Although individually they have their own artistic voice, they share the bonds of kinship—with each learning and gleaning inspiration from one another.