”I Finally Made It!” by Donna Rice will be part of “The Art of Franklin,” a special show at Generation Art and Frame focusing on work depicting the city. SUBMITTED PHOTO
The iconic landmarks of Franklin are well-known to anyone who passes through the city.
Red brick and limestone trim define downtown’s courthouse square. The Historic Artcraft Theatre’s glittering marquee is impossible to miss. Historic Old Main on Franklin College’s campus is a testament to tradition and history.
But an entirely different side of Franklin can be seen through local artists’ eyes.
“There a lot of really nice, intimate smaller areas — people’s gardens, things specific to those people. There will be a lot of places for people to discover,” said Joshua Hendrickson, whose family founded Generation Art and Frame.
Generation Art and Frame plans to show off all perspectives of the city with a newly created exhibition. “The Art of Franklin” gallery show features work entirely centered on the namesake city, from its most beloved landmarks to hidden treasures. The exhibition, which runs through Sept. 28, kicks off with an opening reception from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday.
People will be able to meet many of the participating artists, talking to them about their inspiration and learning more about their connection to Franklin.
“From the gallery side, some of our best-selling pieces depict Franklin — the places they know and the places they have fond memories of. We wanted to give our artists, even if they have pieces like that, a reason to create more work. We want to give them the opportunity to make some of those pieces,” Hendrickson said.
Generation Art and Frame has been an integral piece of the local art community for 30 years. The art supply and framing shop was founded in 1994 by Hendrickson’s father, David, and his grandparents, Doug and Jeannie Hendrickson. Their businesses had operated for years in Franklin’s Northwood Plaza, until they relocated to a spot downtown in 2018.
David Hendrickson, Joshua Hendrickson and his wife Tasha Sizemore now operate the store, hosting regular exhibitions throughout the year and serving as a launching point for artists from all over the county.
Their long history in Franklin has been important to the Hendrickson family, though. “The Art of Franklin” bloomed from an idea first planted after Generation moved downtown.
“We saw how much support the city of Franklin has given us. When we made that location change back in ‘18, we also made the switch that everything we focused on was all local artists. Doing that was a really great change for us and embraced by the community,” Josh Hendrickson said.
Organizing the show has taken a few years, but finally, Generation Art and Frame has made it a reality. A wealth of new pieces will augment the existing work already hanging at the businesses’ gallery.
Between 20 and 25 artists will be participating in the show, and many are planning on being there on Saturday to talk about their pieces.
The featured artwork is a unique blend of styles, approaches and subject matter — all based around Franklin.
People will recognize the striking architecture of the Johnson County Courthouse in Cheryl Sydzyik’s drawing of the structure. David Hendrickson’s “Leaning on Airport Road” depicts one of the county’s most beloved icons, the famed “Leaning Tree,” before it had to be cut down for safety reasons.
Other pieces are less recognizable but no less moving. “Dead End” by Beth Manzione captures the titular street sign outside a house on Adams Street at dusk; the bright yellow of the sign offsets and shadows and night sky.
Luke Buck, the Nineveh artist well-known for his locally focused paintings, shows a quiet moment at one of the bridges over Youngs Creek at Province Park.
Seeing the different approaches, and compiling them into an exhibition, has been a unique experience.
“It’s been a lot of fun. This show as an opportunity for me, like a lot of other artists, to create new artwork. It’s nice to do a show like this so you can rediscover Franklin,” Joshua Hendrickson said. “Living in the area, you hear so often that Franklin is such a nice city, Franklin is so great to visit. Being in it, sometimes you don’t see how special it is. So this has been really nice to do this.
“And it’s nice to support and highlight the community that’s been such a big part of our long term success.”
IF YOU GO
“The Art of Franklin”
What: An art exhibition featuring local artists’ takes on some of Franklin’s most well-known landmarks, as well as some works depicting hidden places around the city.
When: Saturday through Sept. 28
Where: Generation Art and Frame, 43 N. Main St., Franklin
Reception: An opening reception featuring artists meeting with customers will be held from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday.
Information: generationartandframe.com/whatweareupto/artoffranklin2024
