The title for this show is inspired by a Zora Neale Hurston essay. We are each “a jumble of small things priceless and worthless.” I use small things to convey stories about relationships with family, place, love, faith, nature, self, and time. I describe myself as a narrative found object assemblage artist. During the process, I go beyond my personal stories and the narrative becomes universal. All our stories are connected: we are each a similar jumble of priceless and worthless things. I hope that something from my story will cause you to reflect on your own narrative and perhaps influence you in a positive way. Reflection on personal narratives in order to better understand one’s self and others is a powerful experience that continues to draw me to my studio and my work.
I am especially excited to share my work with art educators because this process of working with found objects began as a prototype for a high school art lesson. I asked my students to explore the symbolism of objects in order to create a portrait of a meaningful person in their lives. My prototype was Anne’s Angel, a portrait of my mother. I became totally hooked by the process and have never turned back. Over the years I have explored many themes, discovered new techniques, and enjoyed the challenges of assemblage sculpture using found objects.
Artist Biography
Linda Popp is originally from Chicago but has lived in the Baltimore area since 1974. She retired in 2016 after a forty-one-year career teaching visual art with Baltimore County Public Schools. She then taught in the Maryland Institute College of Art for one year. Popp supervised art education student teachers at Towson University, then retired again in 2021. She was on the Maryland Art Education Association (MAEA) Council and has an MAEA leadership award named in her honor. Popp has served on the National Art Education Association Council as the secondary division director and Eastern Region vice president and was named a distinguished fellow in 2018. She has been recognized on the state and national levels for her exemplary teaching and supervision.
Since retiring, Popp has been able to shift her focus to her studio work. She exhibits her work in numerous galleries in Maryland and on the East Coast. Popp maintains a website, www.lindapopp.com, and also presents her work on Twitter and Instagram @lpoppart. Her YouTube channel features several videos documenting aspects of her assemblage process that have been used in the classroom and by individuals.
A Jumble of Small Things Priceless and Worthless
by Linda Popp
Opening Reception
Monday • July 10, 2023 • 4:30 - 6:30 PM
Leu Art Gallery (Lila D. Bunch Library)
A Jumble of Small Things Priceless and Worthless
Linda Popp
Artist Talk
Monday • July 10, 2023 • 5:15 PM
Leu Art Gallery (Lila D. Bunch Library)
The TAA Professional Art Exhibition is co-sponsored by the Watkins College of Art at Belmont University and is made possible by a generous gift from the Tennessee Arts Academy Foundation.
Leu Center for the Visual Arts
Gallery 121
The Tennessee Arts Academy is pleased to offer a student art exhibit as part of its summer enrichment experience. Tennessee’s Best of the Best Student Art Exhibition is a collection of the best pieces in various media by student artists from the three grand divisions of the state. The students whose work will be featured have won college scholarships for their achievements and have had their work exhibited in museums throughout the state of Tennessee. The work displayed to the left is the East Tennessee Best of Show winner. Click here to see the West Tennessee and Middle Tennessee Best of Show winners.
Leu Center for the Visual Arts
Lobby Gallery
The Tennessee Arts Academy is very proud to exhibit the work of practicing artists-teachers alongside the exemplary work created by their students. Connections: Tennessee Art Education Association Member Exhibition is a juried show featuring the work of kindergarten through higher education art educators from across Tennessee. The work displayed to the left is the First Place winner. Click here to see the other winning pieces.
Belmont University
Daily Exhibition Locations Throughout Campus
The STARS exhibition showcases the talent and hard work of K-5 grade level art students and teachers from across Tennessee. Nineteen pieces of art were selected by a panel of judges based on the alignment of the artwork to visual art standards, technique, personal expression, and composition. This year's inaugural exhibition was held at the Tennessee State Museum. The Tennessee Arts Academy STARS exhibition features the first-place winners at each grade level as well as the Best of Show winner.
Tennessee’s Best of the Best Student Art Exhibition is co-sponsored by the Tennessee Arts Academy and the Tennessee Arts Education Association and is presented in partnership with the Watkins College of Art at Belmont University.
Connections: Tennessee Art Education Association Member Exhibition is co-sponsored by the Tennessee Art Education Association and the Tennessee Arts Academy and is presented in partnership with the Watkins College of Art at Belmont University.
The STARS exhibition at the Tennessee Arts Academy is sponsored and organized by the Tennessee Art Education Association and co-sponsored by the Tennessee Arts Academy.
Special thanks to Katie Mitchell, Watkins College of Art at Belmont University Director of Galleries and Programming , and to Jim Dodson, the founder and creator of the Best of the Best and Connections exhibitions.
Belmont Mansion
As part of the TAA Art Crawl, participants are invited on Tuesday afternoon at 5:00 p.m. for a tour of the historic Belmont Mansion. The event features Susan Ramsay playing hammered dulcimer. Light refreshments will be served.
Lila D. Bunch Library, First Floor
Participants are invited to view the Frederick Hart Studio Museum and the Gallery of Iconic Guitars (GIG) Museum as part of the TAA Art Crawl. Both are located on the first floor of the Lila D. Bunch Library.
Leu Art Gallery (Lila D. Bunch Library)
Leu Center for the Visual Arts
Gallery 121
Leu Center for the Visual Arts
Lobby Gallery
July 8 - July 14, 2023
Belmont University
Daily Exhibition Locations Throughout Campus
Tuesday • July 11, 2023 • 6:00 PM
Leu Center for the Visual Arts
Tennessee’s Best of the Best Student Art Exhibition and Connections: Tennessee Art Education Association Member Exhibition are co-sponsored by the Tennessee Art Education Association.
Special thanks to Watkins College of Art at Belmont University Director of Galleries and Programming, Katie Mitchell; and, Watkins College of Art at Belmont University Dean, James Pierce.
