A New Exhibition by Gwen Meharg
Janette Kennedy Gallery
Suite #105 inside South Side on Lamar
1409 Botham Jean Blvd. Dallas, TX 75215
January 3rd to 31st, 2026
Opening Reception: January 3rd, 2 to 5 pm
Artist talk 3 pm
Dallas, TX — Four years ago, I began a new body of work exploring hope. Facing a new day is hopeful. A warm cup of tea is hopeful. Turning sixty-five is hopeful. Wresting beauty from chaos when life is difficult is hopeful.
In fraught times, hope is a form of resistance. Resistance can be as simple as please, thank you, and excuse me. Scooting over. Listening. Voting. Using indoor voices indoors. Even letting a Tesla merge into traffic.
Appreciating and creating beauty in 2026 is a hopeful act. I play with scale, color, pattern, texture, and materials to craft intimate narratives of the power of hope. Stories expressed through paintings, installations, and sculptural pieces exploring what has been, what is, and what might be.
Women make things beautiful. Limited by access to materials, education, and by societal prejudice, women’s arts have been deemed less than. Incorporating the arts of my grandmothers into my art practice has brought new freedom.
Do you know the difference between men’s art and women’s art? Frames. Men’s art is framed while women’s arts keep their families warm, nourished, and breathe life into homes. So, I did the only thing I could do. I crocheted paintings and framed them. Women, like our creative works, don’t fit neatly into frames. Framed, these female arts call across generations to honor the beauty and the quiet resistance women find in doing hopeful things.
The stories we tell, the stories we believe, shape who we are and how we move through the world. Abstraction is an invitation to a safe space where stories may unfold. Suspended in the physicality of abstract work of art, familiar stories are made new, and in newness, we ask:
Why this story? Who benefits? Who is bound? Who is set free? Does this story serve me in 2026? Is it time for the story to evolve or for a new story to emerge?
Turning sixty-five has me looking back at what was, taking stock of what is, and imagining what might be. My niece Lauren had only twenty-five years. I might have twenty-five more. Or, I might not wake up tomorrow. What I have is hope, ADHD, and passion to wrestle beauty from chaos. I believe my art can change the world – sometimes. Ultimately, my work is a declaration of hope, a declaration that a story can evolve, and that a beautiful story is possible.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Gwen Meharg – Greetings, Doing Hopeful Things is part of my 65th birthday celebration. I am glad you are here.
Remember, birthday desserts don’t have calories.
I use abstraction to give form to the unseen. My work explores the interplay of hope, time, and beauty emerging from chaos. Beginning with abandon, chaos reigns. Following the fun is the fight, as I slowly transform chaos into beauty.
Beauty and pretty are not equivalent. Beauty is imperfect. Beauty is transformational. Transformation requires faith in the process.
Art and life unfold through layers of decisions and revisions. Each choice, mistake, and revelation contributes to the story that becomes the finished work. Each layer, mark, or stitch influences, but does not determine the final result. As a mother of six, I am intimately acquainted with chaos. Parenting and my studio practice have taught me similar lessons: trust the process, keep going, and believe that beauty can emerge from chaos. My work is a reflection of this journey toward beauty, a reminder that from disorder, hope can triumph.
Through abstraction, I create room for viewers to consider their personal stories anew. Does the narrative still serve, or is it waiting to be rewritten?
Do I believe art can change the world? Sometimes. I’ve seen my art change hearts, bring healing, and open conversations that matter. Every painting, installation, or sculptural piece is an exploration of what has been, what is, and what might be. Each is a declaration of hope.