About the Artist:
 
Chatham Meade Kemp has taught painting and drawing at William Carey University for over 17+ years.  She received her Master's of Fine Arts degree in painting from Indiana University in Bloomington in 2007 and her Bachelor's of Arts degree from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2004.  From early on in life, Chatham's life was centered around making art, traveling to museums, and interacting with arts. She is the daughter of James W. Meade who has been an art faculty member at the University of Southern Mississippi for over 40 years and Myra Meade who taught art and ceramics to high school students and elementary school students in addition to being a landscape painter.  It is her pleasure and privilege both in teaching and artistic production to give back to her native south Mississippi. Recently, Chatham was awarded an artist fellowship grant by the Mississippi Arts Commission and her paintings were also selected to be a part of the prestigious Mississippi Invitational at the Mississippi Museum of Art by guest juror Carla Hanzal. Her work was also recently featured in a National Juried Exhibition at the University of Southern Mississippi and invitational exhibitions at Southeastern Louisiana University and the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art. Chatham is proud to be a member of the Hattiesburg Women's Art Collective.
 
Artist Statement

My paintings celebrate my love of making discoveries with the expressive power of color and the physical process of layering paint on canvas. Each work walks a line between representation and abstraction. Certainly, they suggest natural forms such as plants, trees and flowers, not to mention weather patterns and other natural world references. Yet, first, they are also concrete forms where I attempt to organize and harness the energies of color, shape, light, marks and patterns.
 
Fundamental to my paintings is the south Mississippi landscape that I call home. Here there is no long view of the natural world. Instead, one is perpetually staggered by the bright sun and sky and the intense, highly charged colors of trees and flowers always so close at hand, blanketed by humidity. It is my hope that the paintings are like a long walk in this environment where one is, at times, overwhelmed by the sensations of light and color, but it is the overall impact of the experience that one remembers.
 
What interests me in painting is composing an entire world made of fragments – a patch of light here, the suggestion of a color or a shape there –that flow together in a way that is not always logical, temporally or spatially. I feel, as human beings, we have an amazing ability to revise, compress and fuse together elements that constitute the memory of our experiences. The tension of making these revisions and fusions happen on a canvas, whether it is through juxtaposing one color with another or suggesting forms that seem to jump from one moment in time to another, is, what I believe, gives my paintings their bite.  Our world is increasingly fraught with instability while maintaining its beauty in spite of this. I hope my work conveys resilience despite not knowing exactly where our journey may be going. 

Chatham Kemp
Teaching Statement
    My philosophy, as a faculty member with 17 years of experience teaching painting and drawing, is to provide a visual arts education of the highest caliber where each student learns to think critically, express themselves creatively, and engage in a meaningful artistic practice throughout their lives. My teaching experience has taught me that it is essential for students to experience a rigorous foundation in the discipline of art so they can become innovative thinkers and creative problem solvers with an authentic voice and vision for their work. Upon graduation my goal is that each student has a body of artwork ready for exhibition that is situated in a critical context, with ideas that relate to the history of art and the contemporary art world. 
   In the classroom my goal is to cultivate a critical, yet supportive community where students can thrive. I strive to create an inclusive, supportive environment where all students feel valued. I respect each student’s unique development, fostering an atmosphere that encourages risk-taking, and exploration customized to the needs of each student.  I believe that students do well in an environment which encourages constructive feedback, mutual respect, and an open exchange of ideas. In this community, students engage in regular critiques that help them build the skills essential to defending their artistic ideas. These discussions allow students to reflect critically on their work, articulate their artistic decisions, and learn from their peers. By learning from one another’s experiences and feedback, students deepen their understanding of their practice and expand their creative potential.  The critique setting and classroom environment is a microcosm for their future careers: students build self-confidence, work ethic, and research skills that, later in life, allow them to interact with artists in their communities and to engage in dialogue with art patrons and galleries.
   Fostering self-reliance is central to my teaching. While freshman and sophomore students learn diverse foundational ideas in drawing, color, and design in highly structured assignments; seniors need to learn how to articulate their ideas with skill and intensity as they transition to working on their own.  From beginning to advanced levels, I encourage students to take ownership of their work and pursue their artistic visions with confidence and persistence, customizing the curriculum to meet the evolving needs of students. I emphasize the importance of creative risk-taking and developing an authentic voice, preparing students to succeed in diverse artistic and professional environments. I also model this by learning alongside my students, often expanding my own practice by engaging with new media, ideas, and experiences.
I teach students to approach creative challenges with a problem-solving mindset. Brainstorming ideation, variation, and sustained refinement of ideas give students a structure for artistic production.  In my teaching I find creating variation is very important, so students do not just lock into their first good idea. One of my strengths in teaching is helping students generate multiple versions of good ideas and to synthesis or construct then reconstruct their ideas.  In doing this, students also learn how to have good work ethic and persevere during challenges. This skillset not only strengthens their artistic practice, but also prepares them for careers in diverse, interdisciplinary fields.
  Finally, my curriculum emphasizes both historical understanding and contemporary relevance, encouraging students to relate their artistic practice to their world views. Often this comes from the visual form itself and should happen in a way that feels natural to the student, rather than superimposed. As an instructor I help students see how their work relates to a larger conversation. This approach fosters innovation, ensuring that students’ work is relevant and experimental while positioning them as active participants in an evolving art world. I encourage students to engage with the wider art world outside the classroom through museum visits, gallery exhibitions, and artist studio tours. These experiences expand their understanding of contemporary art practice and connect them with artists and curators, enhancing their artistic journey.
   In short, my teaching philosophy is grounded in fostering critical thinking, creative expression, and lifelong artistic engagement. I strive to create a supportive classroom where students develop the skills to thrive as independent artists, equipped with a strong body of work, ready to contribute to the broader art community and contemporary culture. Through a combination of rigorous curriculum, collaborative community, and individualized mentorship, I hope to inspire students to continue exploring and creating long after they leave my classroom.