Debaris Tumpkin
Painted Aluminum and Stainless Steel, 9’ x 6’ x 4’Verina S. Baxter, Flintstone, GA
Location: The Downtown Center
The Tumpkin series is a group of sculptures — always on wheels — with one or several cut-out plates either suspended or hanging inside the structure. I'm interested in the play of light and shadow produced by the sculpture and the cut-out shapes as the sun or other light sources change based on the time of day or the season. Because Debaris is one of the Tumpkins tall enough for the viewer to move under the structure, I also find the view of the sky and the movement of clouds very interesting.
Verina Baxter's career as a professional artist began in the early 1990's. After working exclusively in stone for several years, Verina began incorporating painted aluminum and, more recently, stainless steel, into her artworks. While stone remains her material of chioce, several of her new works are all metal.
In addition to her career as a sculptor, Verina has a deep commitment to the arts community. She is a founding member, and currently president of the Mid-South Sculpture Alliance (MSA). For Allied Arts of Greater Chattanooga, she served as secretary in 2007 and 2008, and as fundraising co-chair for 2006 and 2007. She served as selection committee co-chair in 2007 for Spectrum for the Hunter Museum of American Art, where she is currently on the Audience Development Committee. Verina was a member of the City of Chattanooga Public Art Committee, the City of Chattanooga Public Art Master Plan Steering Committee, and the Public Art Transition Committee for the 21st Century Waterfront.
Verina's international education includes the University of Tennessee at Knoxville; the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, Tennessee; the Loveland Academy of Fine Arts in Loveland, Colorado; and the Abruzzi Mountain Art School in Anversa degli Abruzzi, Italy. Her artworks are exhibited internationally and included in numerous private and corporate collections.