By: Shawn Daniell

As an emerging artist in the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky area https://smartdrugsguide.org/, you may be asking yourself what your options are when it comes to gallery spaces that will showcase your artwork. The Thompson House in Newport, Kentucky and the former location of the Southgate House offers up a new option for emerging artists with the Thompson House Shooting Gallery. Jennifer Feld and Jen Edwards have dedicated the space to showcasing the artistic talents of local and national emerging artists.

“It’s really fun to find an artist when they’re young and really hungry and put their work out there,” Feld said. “And it’s introducing it to the world. And it’s really fresh. That’s what both of us are really passionate about.”

Feld and Edwards both have a long history in the arts. Feld has been involved with galleries since her time as an undergraduate at DAAP where she obtained degrees in Painting and Drawing and Art Education. Her artistic professional experiences include working with the Dorothy W. and C. Lawson Jr. Reed Gallery as an undergrad, serving as the Gallery Director at the Marx Gallery in Covington, Kentucky and Gallery Director at the Thomas More College Gallery. Edwards has taught art through Artworks, Visionaries and Voices and Cincinnati Arts and Technology Center. Edwards has also gained experiences with her involvement with the Main Street Gallery in Cincinnati, as the co-founder of KraftHaus in Over-the-Rhine and working with the PAC Gallery in Cincinnati.

“Our goal is to really build a professional space that people come to that is an exciting space,” Feld said. “They come to see new artists that they’ve never seen before.”

“Our hope is to perpetuate the vision of the Thompson House as an all encompassing arts venue,” Edwards said.

Reconstruction, the current exhibit on display at the Shooting Gallery, features the artwork of local artists Cedric Cox and Maxwell Redder, and Columbus, Ohio artist Marc Lincewicz. The theme behind Reconstruction has ties with jazz music, whether they be physical manifestations or via the creative process.

“The idea was to bridge the themes of music and the newly reconstructed Thompson house, formally the Southgate House,” Edwards said. “All three artists break down and reconstruct forms while creating an atmosphere like all good music does.”

Like any major city, Cincinnati is teeming with up and coming artists and not enough galleries to go around. Feld and Edwards have taken what they love and are working to address this issue with a newly renovated space on the third floor of the Thompson House.

“There’s so much talent in the city, it’s ridiculous. People just need to recognize it,” Feld said. “ I mean it’s pretty amazing the level of work that’s out there that should be in New York and Chicago and all those places. I mean it’s just as good, in my opinion, if not better.”

The Thompson House Shooting Gallery already has a busy line-up through January of next year with monthly exhibits scheduled. Opening receptions are the 1^st Saturday of the month from 7-11 p.m. If you aren’t able to make the opening reception, visitors can make an appointment to view the gallery.

In order to be considered for inclusion in upcoming shows, emerging artists can send their artistic portfolios, a link to their website or images of artwork created within the last three years to jenniferthomsponhouse@gmail.com. A resume including the artist’s past exhibits is recommended but not required. For more information about the Thompson House Shooting Gallery you can visit their Facebook page and the Thompson House website for more details.