On March 20, AVA and the UTC Department of Art invite you to this year's Muse: Artist Lecture featuring Bill Thelen, a.k.a. Lump Litshitz, founder of Lump gallery/projects and Team Lump.

In 1996, Bill Thelen established the innovative Lump gallery/projects and, by default, Team Lump. Located in Raleigh, North Carolina, Lump combines the rigor and professionalism of a commercial gallery with the experimental attitude of an alternative space. Dedicated to the promotion of emergine, mid-career and under-recognized artists, Lump is committed to the exhibition of challenging and thought-provoking contemporary art that falls outside the confines of the commodity driven art market and conducts itself without commercial compromise. Team Lump, an ever-evolving collective of artists, works organically to adapt to each new exhibition space, combining paintings, drawings, sculpture, wall drawings, and video to create installations laden with biting commentary.

Thelen's work, as well as his collaborative projects, has been exhibited in London, New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Miami and Seattle and has been featured in the New York Times, Seattle Times, Artnet, the Drama and Art Papers.

Thelen will be speaking on his work and on the connection between innovation and creativity within the context of community. For additional information, please contact Mark Bradley-Shoup, Director of Arts Education at 423-265-4282 ext. 104 or email mshoup@avarts.org.

(Text via alliedartschattanooga.org)