by Lewis Chapman
Home is where the heart is and in the 2026 Long Journey Home community art show, Portraits of Home, local artists explore the meaning of home. Their artwork represents the places, the people, or the feeling of where they live or where they come from.
“I used the theme Portraits of Home to paint the landscapes of Trade and Neva, in Johnson County,” said Susan Dunn. “While I’ve only lived here since the 1990s, I find that the rhythms and ridges here echo the South Western Pennsylvania hills where my ancestors settled in Fayette County. Located along the same Appalachian chain, my family farmed there beginning in the 1700s.”
The theme of Portraits of Home gave artists freedom to explore. One artist’s recollections of home took them back to a time before the modern clothes dryer and in their piece, “Backyard”, George Sanfilippo created a clothesline that takes the viewer on a journey through his drawing.
Artist Temple Reece said of her entry, “Snapshots of a Moment in Time”, that she had started the painting earlier this summer, “I kept coming back and working on it in layers, changing the light and reflections and then had to put it aside for a while.”
“Later as I was thinking about doing a painting for the Portraits of Home show several things came to mind but no real composition felt right. I had almost decided not to enter the show. Then one day I walked into my studio and there it was; the woods, the creek, siblings playing together, it was the best depiction of the theme “Portraits of Home.”
The Portraits of Home theme also attracted artists that rarely show their work such as Ralph Nielsen who said, “I’m showing the painting I did years ago of the 40 foot sailboat that I lived on for 20 years, the Riva Santo. I sailed out of southern Florida and worked as a wildlife photographer. It was my second favorite home after Johnson County and I love both places for the same reasons; they’re quiet, peaceful and you can hear the birds singing.”
Artist Catherine Black expressed her admiration for her new found home in saying “The quality of the musical and visual talent in Johnson County has always impressed me.”
Join us for the Portraits of Home show opening reception on Friday, September 4 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Johnson County Center for the Arts Gallery on Main at 129 W. Main St, Mountain City, TN. The evening will also feature Buskin’ on Main Street, with over 20 area musicians performing, local restaurants, food trucks, and a classic car event by Mountain City Cruise-In.
