“Good Hope: A Celebration of Creativity and Connections” is an engaging exhibition featuring the dynamic works of Gayle Hurley, a multimedia artist from Birmingham, Alabama. Join us for a special reception on April 10 from 5:30-7pm to meet Gayle and delve into her creative process. The exhibit will be in the Merkle and Price Galleries from April 7 through May 9, 2025.
“Good Hope” is a celebration of artistic diversity, showcasing a vibrant collection of paintings, drawings, sculptures, and mixed media. This exhibition serves as a testament to the power of creativity to inspire, uplift, and unite individuals from all walks of life. Each piece in the exhibition reflects a personal journey—moments of joy, beauty, and challenges overcome—collectively weaving a narrative of optimism and shared humanity.
As Gayle describes, “At its heart, ‘Good Hope’ is an open invitation to explore, to feel, and to find inspiration in the many ways art can express hope in all its forms.” She fondly recalls her early artistic influences and the encouragement she received from her husband’s family. Ed’s father, who owned a printing company in El Dorado, graciously invited Gayle to help herself to any extra paper stacked in the warehouse. She shares, “I can’t tell you how much that gift of paper came in handy over the years as my interest in doing art grew and grew.” Ed and Gayle shared their first married summer in El Dorado while Ed worked as a seminary intern at First Presbyterian Church.
The SAAC galleries are free and open to the public Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM.
About the Artist
Gayle Hurley is a graduate of Vanderbilt University, holding a B.A. in French and Business Administration. Her artistic journey includes a postgraduate semester at the prestigious Cordon Bleu Cooking School in Paris and then later studied watercolor and pottery in Edinburgh, Scotland.
With over 30 years of experience in a painterly and representational style, Gayle Hurley is currently exploring a new phase in her artistic practice, focusing on looser, more abstract and expressive works, as well as the captivating medium of encaustic art. Her strong foundation in portrait painting continues to inform her approach as she integrates a diverse array of styles and techniques.
A dedicated member of the Alabama Plein Air Artists community and the Mountain Brook Art Association, Gayle’s passion for outdoor/landscape painting allows her to stay connected with nature and her artistic peers. Through her teaching of watercolor portraiture and plein air painting in oil, she has inspired countless students across all ages through various workshops.
More on the Web
Website – gaylehurley.com
Instargram – gaylehurleyart
Facebook – Gayle Hurley Art