A Multifaceted Artist in Tallahassee
If you have visited the Tallahassee International Airport recently, chances are you’ve seen one of the exhibits featuring an array of talented local artists at the gallery across from ticketing. The current exhibit on display showcases five artists selected to participate in the annual Movers and Makers exhibit. Each year, the Council on Culture and Arts (COCA) selects local visual artists who have contributed as a juror, panelist, or volunteer for the organization. This year’s show runs through Nov. 3 and features Leslie Anderson, Valerie S. Goodwin, Jennifer Lange, Will Mueller, and Kenneth Reshard. I sat down with Kenneth Reshard at his Tallahassee studio to discuss his storied career.
A Mixture of Genres
Reshard is an artist who works in many mediums. He’s widely known as a sculptor, painter, and photographer, considering himself a Jack of All Trades. If we’re being honest, Reshard’s own description is selling himself a little short. He’s actually more of a Renaissance man, creating masterpieces in the art studio, kitchen, and garden.
“I’m born and raised in Tallahassee,” said Reshard. “My grandfather was a carpenter who built a lot of stuff around town… Both my grandmother and mother were really great cooks. That’s where a lot of my creative instincts come from.”
Reshard specializes in painting, ceramics, silkscreen, pottery, and photography, but he’s equally at home in the kitchen or garden.
“I mix up all the art genres,” said Reshard. “I also love to cook. My parents and siblings are all farm people, so I figured it was time for me to start.”
Reshard recently planted collards in his backyard garden and has an impressive variety of fruit trees on the property as well. He contributes the success of the garden to his husband John, who reportedly has the green thumb. The couple lives together with their five rescue cats, three of which made an appearance and proceeded to hijack the interview.
“John is from Port Huron, Michigan, and he brought his gardening talents with him to Florida,” said Reshard. In addition to his own impressive catalog of work, Reshard is a big supporter of other local artists. His home is a bona fide shrine to the artists he admires. While looking through Reshard’s home gallery, we discussed the difficulty of sustaining an art career in Tallahassee.
“Back about 25 or 30 years ago, the art scene in Tallahassee was incredible,” said Reshard. “There was the trolley that would take you around to different locations. Then things just seemed to start dying. Sometimes things have to run their course and implode, so they can be reborn again.”
Thankfully, organizations like COCA are here to help usher in and sustain the new era of arts in Tallahassee.
Unique Eye Behind the Camera
“My current work is more decorative these days,” said Reshard. “I’m really focusing more on my photography.” Part of that inspiration came from one of Reshard’s professors at Florida A&M University. The professor, a photographer himself, recognized that Reshard had a unique eye behind the camera.
“The majority of the work I have on display at the Airport are photographs,” he said. “The theme is focusing on one singular object in each photograph.”
Reshard could easily spend the rest of his career just focusing on photography. He currently has over 60,000 photographs saved on his hard drive and has slowly begun the daunting process of reviewing and cataloguing his collection. Yet, between his active art commitments and day job, there just aren’t enough hours in the day.
On his last vacation alone, he took over 6,000 photos while visiting Amsterdam, Switzerland, and Italy. Always thinking outside the box, he plans to use some of his photographs as part of mixed media pieces that he’s currently envisioning.
Although he’s had numerous grand exhibits in Tallahassee over the years, one of his favorite shows was at a small cafe and performance space that no longer exists in Midtown. The Om Café was a beloved hangout spot for people who appreciated good food, art, and music. It was undoubtedly ahead of its time, but so were many of the people who performed and displayed their art in the popular space.
Another favorite exhibit was Reshard’s first solo show at the original airport gallery.
“I sold every piece,” he said.
Although Reshard makes selling art seem easy, things don’t always go so smoothly. A few years back, he had a collection of ceramic pieces scheduled to go on display at the Leigh Gallery in Chicago. Unfortunately, all of the pieces got destroyed during shipping. Lucky for Reshard, he had everything insured. He was able to produce more pieces relatively quickly, which worked out well for both him and the gallery. His original shipment sold out, and he had to create even more to send.
As far as upcoming shows, Reshard’s busy schedule makes it difficult to commit to new endeavors. He currently has some of his work on display at Bella Bella restaurant, and also has the outline for his next exhibit sketched out in his head.
“The work is going to be very representative of a lot of things going on in society,” he said. “I plan to have ceramics and photographs.”
While we’re waiting for the next great show, you can check out Kenneth Reshard’s work at the Tallahassee International Airport Gallery’s Movers and Makers exhibit.
If You Go
What: Movers & Makers
When: Through Nov. 3
Where: Tallahassee Artport Gallery, Tallahassee International Airport, 3300 Capital Circle SW
Contact: 850-224-2500 x6 | Email: info@tallahasseearts.org; For more information about artist Kenneth Reshard, visit reshardgallery.com