Artistic Style: Figurative
Hometown: Baton Rouge & St. Francisville, Louisiana
How long have you lived in Oxford/Water Valley? Almost 10 months
Early art experience: I took an art class every year from 6th grade until I graduated high school.
Art school? I got my BFA in Painting & Sculpture from Louisiana State University and my MFA in Painting from Indiana University in Bloomington.
Favorite book or author: This is a question I could spend paragraphs answering. To keep it quick, One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Gárcia Márquez and Maurice by E.M. Forster are two that I feel like I’ll always be able to return to.
Do you work out of a studio? Yes, I’m currently set up in the back space at Bozarts Gallery in Water Valley.
How many hours do you spend in your studio each day? It really depends on what projects/deadlines I’m working towards. A light day might be four hours, a long day could be up to nine.
Favorite project you’ve completed: Every time I finish a painting, it’s my favorite painting I’ve ever made. As far as fully realized projects go, I’m still proud of my MFA thesis exhibition from Spring 2022.
Three ideas you want to explore in art: I’m interested in the intersection between history, memory, and intimacy as it pertains to contemporary representations of queerness. Since moving back to the South, I’ve been thinking more about how place affects those themes; it’s something I’d like to more fully incorporate into my work in the future.
Besides your booth at Double Decker this year, where can we see some of your art on display? I recently helped curate an exhibition at Bozarts Gallery called The Welcome. It is a tribute to Water Valley author Hubert Creekmore, in conjunction with the re-release of his 1948 novel of the same name. The show runs through May 13.
Do you have a “day job”? If so, where? This is always in flux, but for now I’m teaching Art Appreciation at Northwest Mississippi Community College in Oxford.
Favorite music/bands: True crime podcasts. Also, melancholic queer musicians like Ethel Cain, Orville Peck, and boygenius are in regular rotation.
What are some of your other hobbies? I read as much as possible.
Where do you hang out in Water Valley? I spend a ton of time (and money) at Magnolia Coffee Co. in Water Valley.
Aspirations: I have experience working in museums and galleries and was recently involved in curating the show currently up at Bozarts, so doing more work like that would be awesome. I guess a long-term goal might be to own my own gallery, but that would no doubt be way down the line.
Website and/or social media: jameskaneart.com, @jameskaneart on Instagram
Do you have a “day job”? If so, where? I have a few! I have a passion for sustainable agriculture, so I’ve worked at Yokna Bottoms Farm for a few years. I also work at End of All Music selling records, love it there as well. Other activities include teaching private art lessons to budding artists around town and occasional bartending/serving with a catering company.
