Yard pARTy 2025
A one-day community potluck pop-up art show where community artists are invited to demo, talk, perform, display their work in the gallery and on the lawn.
The third and final Yard pARTy took place on a hot summer day. Over 100 people RSVP’d to take part and celebrate, and 24 regional artists shared their newest work and experiments. Attendees brought food and drinks to share and enjoyed a free-flowing enthusiastic environment.
Yard pARTy happens at EAT/ART space, a private home in Johnson City, Tennessee. This intimate, everyday venue encourages informal and personal engagement with living artists.
Yard pARTy attendees spill out of the home onto the backyard lawn.
Yard pARTy puts out a call for artists in the spring, inviting artists to submit anything they’re excited to share with the world and believe are in the spirit of the event.
Over the years, artists have shared painting, drawing, printmaking, graphic design, film/video, digital media, augmented reality, photography, textiles and fiber art, ceramics, sculpture, installation, performance, woodworking, and more.
Applying is free, and artists are welcome to sell their work with no commission fees on any sales. By soliciting experimental work and lowering the barrier to entry EAT/ART space seeks to champion the new and emerging artist or project.
CURATOR’S STATEMENT
“I hope this is new work you’ve never seen before. I hope you experience something unexpected. I hope you make a new friend (or two). I hope you ask a question that you’re a little scared to ask. I hope you discover something new to try. This space is for everyone. Art is for everyone.” – Jocelyn Mathewes, July 2025
A hot, festive summer evening.
Exhibit View
Yard pARTy’s exhibit featured work by Adriana Dew, Jai Gervin, Molly Ison, Rebecca Miller, Jen Otey, Spice Pate, and Anna Whitted.
Here’s what happened—
Guests were fed with potluck offerings and catering from Southern Craft and Groovy Grover’s.
✨Featured Artists & Activities✨
Aria Asbury (website | instagram) / Live Portraits
Catherine Ballew (instagram) / Zine Making
Kayla Byrd (facebook | instagram) / Enamel Jewelry Demonstration
Brett Marcus Cook (website | instagram) / Life Drawing/Painting
Adriana Dew (instagram) / Painting
Jai Gervin (website | instagram) / Mixed Media
Travis Goyette (website | instagram), Lyberarchelulo (website | instagram) & Guest Musician / Video Installation & Musical Performance
Bird Honeycutt (website) / Block Carving
Vianna Isbister (tiktok | instagram) / Storytelling
Molly Ison (instagram) / Pysanky
Brittannie Khaysavang (website | instagram) / Joyful Kawaii Cute Stuff
Rebecca Miller (instagram) / Block Printing
Alejandro Odom (tiktok ) / Robot Dancer
Jen Otey (website | instagram) / Watercolor & Ceramics
Spicey Pate (instagram) / Painting
Devin Renshaw (website | instagram) / Zine Making
Rock Me Mamas (email | instagram) / Mocktails, Photo Booth, Custom Scarves
Erin Simons (website | instagram) / Traditional Broommaking
Kassandra Strangeways (profile | instagram) / Whimsy Machine
Rebecca Tolley (website | instagram) / Collaborative Embroidery Project
Anna Whitted (website | instagram) / Painting
Attendees gather around a custom sewing station.
Art supplies offered by Brett Cook.
A collaborative embroidery project hosted by Rebecca Tolley.
A mocktail bar quenched thirst in the heat.
Unique beverages on offer.
Kayla Byrd demonstrates her enamel jewelrymaking process.
Bird Honeycutt discusses her block carving technique for relief printmaking.
Devin Renshaw & Catherine Ballew offered a zine-making station.
Brett Cook led a figure drawing session with a live model.
Attendees participated in live figure drawing.
Resultng figure drawings.
Travis Goyette, Andrew Gibbens, & musical guest perform together.
Alejandro Odom performs to the live music.
Travis Goyette’s video installation becomes a part of the music.
Celebrating 5 years of EAT/ART space with a birthday cake.
Making s’mores around the campfire.
Vianna Isbister concluded the evening with a story around the campfire.
Gallery of Artists
A few smiling faces of our artist participants.
Spice Pate, artist
Aria Asbury, artist
Erin Simons, traditional Appalachian broommaker
Catherine Ballew & Devin Renshaw, zine-makers and artists
Stacie Williams, artist & screenprinter
Eric Drummond-Smith, artist
Kayla Byrd, metalworker & jewelrymaker
Rebecca Tolley (with friend), textile artist and professor of art
Dillon Williams, magician
Credits & Acknowledgements
First and foremost, thank you to all the artists who participated in Yard pARTy.
A very special thank you to all the guests who came in support of the artists.
Gratitude to Anna Hedges for photographing the event so beautifully.
Thank you to Southern Craft and Groovy Grovers for catering services.
Special thanks to Clay Bush and Aaron Free of 123 West Main Gallery, and Karlota Contreras-Koterbay of ETSU’s Slocumb-Tipton Galleries for their partnerships.
Yard pARTy is a volunteer, self-funded, crowd-funded, and (when we’re lucky) grant-funded project. Huge thanks to everyone who donated to help offset expenses.
Additional acknowledgement to Waymakers Collective for their support of past Yard pARTy events, providing fuel for this community.
