About

Biography

"In some ways I believe that we are all artists, and we are ALL creatives….I think we tend to lose that sense of creativity as we grow older as we grow further away from the purity we experience as children. I want to help people see that in themselves to bring out their own creativity whether it’s in fine art, music, writing, or making the world a better place to live."

-Laura J. Pettit

Laura Jo Pettit is an American artist based in Chattanooga. Her work explores painting in texture, layers and pulling details from the larger painting to develop and focus on a small section. She holds loosely to control and form of the image and lets it move more fluidly creating a continuous conversation within the painting process. This creates a type of abstract-realism that invites mystery in the viewing and reading of the piece.

Born in Selma, Alabama into a military family, she was raised mostly in the American South, living in Paris France, and Hawaii. She graduated with a BFA from Huntingdon College, Alabama, with studies from Auburn University and Covenant College. Continued education at the Moore School of Art Philadelphia, and at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin, Ireland. She works in a non-representational style, in both painting and drawing. She has exhibited in group exhibitions in the U.S. and Dublin.

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CV

Education:

Covenant College B.F.A. 1977-1979.

Huntingdon College B.F.A 1979-1981

Auburn University Montgomery 1979-1981

Dublin College of Art and Design 2013-2015

Solo Exhibitions:

2014 Third Space Smithfield, Dublin, Ireland

2013 St. Catherine's , Dublin Ireland

Selected Group Exhibitions:

2021 ClearStory Arts - All Member Show- Chattanooga, TN

2020 Fire Hall Gallery, Paint - Chattanooga, TN

2019 Memorial Hospital, Art for Health- Abstract in Elements - Chattanooga, TN

2019 Fire Hall Studios & Gallery, “Collective Show,” Chattanooga, Tn. USA.

2015 National College of Art & Design, “Spring Student Exhibit,” Dublin, Ireland. IE.

2015 Third Space, “Creative Collective Show,” Dublin, Ireland. IE

2015 St. Catherine's: Christian one week event Creatives IE

2014 National College of Art & Design, “Spring Student Exhibit,” Dublin, Ireland. IE.

2014 Culture Box, “Conversations Reconstructed,” Dublin, Ireland.

2013 Block T , “Group Members Exhibition”, Dublin, Ireland. IE

2013 St. Catherine's Balcony Gallery, “Space & Word,” Dublin, Ireland. IE

2013 D’CAF Dublin Christian Arts Festival

2011 Clothesline Show, Historic St. Elmo, Chattanooga, Tn. USA.

2009 Clothesline Show, “Collective Exhibition,” Chattanooga, Tn. USA.

2008 Gallery 1401, “Collective Exhibition”, Chattanooga, Tn. USA.

Member of the Following Organizations:

ClearStory Arts

Hunter Art Museum Chattanooga,

AVA Chattanooga, TN