"Capturing an inner essence, Casey carefully draws the roadmaps on her face and the glint in her eyes to document what’s in her soul. She bases her work on personal conflicts, their resolutions and the spaces in-between. Casey’s photorealistic portraits don’t employ the enormity of Chuck Close but point more towards Elizabeth Peyton’s work in size and sexual ambiguity. Casey Promise’s paintings are most often executed in pencil, and also combine the use of mixed media and multi-dimensional shadowboxes."
-Katie Shaw, The Red Arrow Gallery
"There is roughness and imprecision here, but it’s clearly on purpose. The work feels impulsive in a good way, and one gets the sense that the street-art sensibility of some of these pieces wouldn’t have the same pop in a more pristine presentation. On the other hand, Promise can draw. Her lines bring these characters to life, and the most technically accomplished pieces in the show are her 2D pencil-on-paper affairs. One is a portrait of a person with a squirrel on their head. You need to see it in person."
-Joe Nolan, Nashville Art Critic
"Casey Promise Thompson, known as Casey Promise, is one of Nashville’s fastest rising stars in the visual arts, and in my opinion, she is on her way to becoming a well-known name in the national art circuit. This summer, she was featured in several local publications (including the Nashville Arts Magazine), her solo exhibit at Red Arrow Art Gallery received rave reviews, and she is currently working on new material daily. Casey’s art is hypnotizing and speaks to the heart without words. Her visual captivations are stunning and refreshing, which is why I think She’s Hot."
-Jane Dupree, Out and About Magazine
Casey Promise is a mixed media artist who lives and works in Nashville, TN. She attended Watkins College of Art, Design & Film and studied independently in Santa Fe, NM. She continues to explore the possibilities of visually telling stories through organic design, dimension, varying materials, and abstraction.
CV-
Casey Promise Thompson
Nashville, TN
.
Education
2011 Watkins College of Art, Design & Film- Studio Art
1996 Governor's School For The Arts
Professional Experience
(All Custom Framing jobs consist of sales and customer service, not just the actual building of the frames, etc)
Custom Art Framer:
2004–2008 Full-time Supervisor, Michaels, Nashville, TN
2008-2009 Full-time Assistant Manager, BA Framer, Nashville, TN
2011-2012 Full-time Art Framer, Fine Art Framers, Nashville, TN
2013-2013 Full-time Art Framer, The Mad Framer, Santa Fe, NM
2013-Present Store Manager/Art Framer
Awards/Recognitions
2016 4th Annual ArtSlant Prize Showcase Winner
2015 Out & About Magazine - Voted Favorite Nashville Artist of the Year 2015
2015 1st Annual Artslant Prize Showcase Winner
2015 6th Annual Artslant Prize Showcase Winner
2013 Provost Scholarship, RMCAD (Rocky Mountain College of Art & Design), Denver, CO
2013 Academic Scholarship, RMCAD (Rocky Mountain College of Art & Design), Denver, CO
2011 Dean's List/Scholarship, Watkins College of Art, Design, & Film, Nashville, TN
2010 Raw Talent Scholarship, Watkins College of Art, Design, & Film, Nashville, TN
1996 Governor's School For the Arts, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN
Exhibition Record
2016 Group Exhibition, Plumbago, The Red Arrow Gallery, Nashville, TN
2015 Group Exhibition, OZ Arts Center, Red Arrow Gallery Guest Curates Oz, Nashville, TN
2014 Solo Exhibition, The Red Arrow Gallery, Nashville, TN 2014
2011 Solo Exhibition, Bongo East, Nashville, TN
2000 Solo Exhibition, Red Rose, Murfreesboro, TN
2013 Group Exhibition, Boheme Colectif, Nashville, TN
2013 Group Exhibition, The East Room, Benefit, Nashville, TN
2012 Group Exhibition, Hahn Ross Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
2012 Group Exhibition, F&F Benefit, Santa Fe, Nashville, TN
2011 Group Exhibition, Cummins Station, Nash
2010 Group Exhibition, The End, Nashville, TN
Online Periodicals
• Nashville Arts Magazine, May 2016, https://issuu.com/nashvilleartsmagazine/docs/ may_2016_final
• Out & About Nashville, 2015 Nashville Favorites, Out & About Magazine, Dec 2015 https://issuu.com/oanews/docs/o_an_decem ber2015-fnlweb
- Joe Nolan, "Critical i" Review, The Nashville Arts Magazine, June 2014. http://nashvillearts.com/2014/06/07/critical-4/
- Ellen Angelico, "Queer artist hopes to raise the profile of visual artists in Nashville"
Out & About Magazinre, June 2014.
http://www.outandaboutnashville.com/story/queer-artist-hopes-raise-profile-visual - Laura Hutson, "Casey Promise's 'Something Within'", The Nashville Scene, May 8, 2014. http://m.nashvillescene.com/nashville/blogs/Post?basename=casey-promises-something-within-opens-may-10-at-the-red-arrow-gallery&day=08&id=countrylife&month=05&year=2014
- Mary Hance, "Art Stroll On The East Side", The Tennessean, June 23, 2010. http://blogs.tennessean.com/cheap/2010/06/art-stroll-on-the-east-side/
- Jane Dupree, "She's Hot", Out and About Magazine, January 1, 2015 http://www.outandaboutnashville.com/story/shes-hot-visual-artist-casey-promise/50561#.VLgyEmTF97R
Collections
James Dimmick (Private Collection), Nashville, TN
Carrie Lampley (Private Collection), Nashville, TN
The Red Arrow Gallery, Nashville, TN
Technical Abilities
2004–Present Custom Art Framing Technician, Nashville, TN/Santa Fe, NM
(extensive operational and safety knowledge of a variety of woodworking power tools,
such as: table, jig and band saws; planers; drills; routers, and sanders. Knowledge and experience with dry mounting machines, sew/float mounting, archival and preservation standards, conservation methods, and design)
Travel
New York City, NY
Santa Fe, NM (lived and worked in)
Taos, NM
Chicago, IL
Denver, CO
Boulder, CO
Austin, TX
Madison, WI
Milwaukee, WI
Cedar Rapids, IA
Miami, FL
Cinncinati, OH
Philadelphia, PA
Louisville, KY
St. Louis, MO
Atlanta, GA
Newark, NJ
Gallery Affiliations
The Red Arrow Gallery, Nashville, TN