Area museum opens exhibit focusing on how people deal with illness (copy)
Para(site)dise by Jocelyn Mathewes.
William King Museum of Art (WKMA) in Abingdon has announced the opening of Jocelyn Mathewes: Para(site)dise. This new exhibition will be on view from Aug. 20 through Jan. 10, 2027, in WKMA’s United Company Contemporary Regional Gallery.
Mathewes’ work, ranging from photography, to assemblage, to paper sculpture and video, centers on the theme of illness and corporeality: how do humans deal with illness, especially chronic illness, in our day to day lives? In what ways are individuals allowed to be sick and in what ways are they expected to be strong? Above all, how do people navigate illness in a world which is not made to accommodate disabilities or, indeed, times of weakness? In this region, as in the rest of Appalachia, those who deal with pollution, addiction or disabilities face this struggle every day.
In her work, Mathewes uses cyanotype prints and the manual work of quilting and paper folding to make her process mirror the labor that goes into caring for one’s body when it is weak or in pain. That manual work becomes a source of comfort and reassurance, even as it begins to take on the character of penitence and purification. It is an effort to remain human in the face of a world that sees the sick body as a parasitic one.
Russell Facemire, curator of Fine Art & Worrell Collection of Wildlife Art, said, “The artworks are objects to be seen, but they are also objects generated by the act of living. They’re made up of the day-to-day things we touch and handle every day, each one forming a cellular unit of an ersatz body.”
Mathewes is an artist, curator and arts organizer living and working in Eastern Tennessee. She obtained her BA in Fine Art and English Literature from Messiah College and exhibits across the country. Regionally, she is an active member and leader in the arts scene, starting the Eat/Art Space project in 2020, and organizing regular newsletters, exhibitions and artist meet-ups.
Para(site)dise is a William King Museum of Art original exhibition and is part of the museum’s McGlothlin Exhibition Series. A special thank you is extended to WKMA’s annual sponsors: Ballad Health Johnston Memorial Hospital, BurWil Construction Company, and The Martha Washington Inn & Spa.
Visit williamkingmuseum.org for a listing of events, related programming, and campus construction updates.
The museum, at 415 Academy Drive, off Russell Road, in Abingdon is open six days a week: Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday from 1-5 p.m., and closed Monday. Admission is free. For information on exhibitions or events at William King Museum of Art visit williamkingmuseum.org or call 276-628-5005. Register for classes and events on WKMA’s website. Mailing address: PO Box 2256 Abingdon, VA, 24212.
