The Premier Art Exhibit by Sisters of the Brush on Display through Feb. 23, 2022

The Premier Art Exhibit by Sisters of the Brush, Barrie Foster, Ann Brown Thomason, MD, and Jana Jones, are on display at the Dyersburg State Community College (DSCC) Jimmy Naifeh Center at Tipton County through Feb 23, 2022. The exhibits are located throughout the Ripley Power and Light Company Lobby inside the Learning Resource Center and are available for purchase.

Barrie Foster was born in Alexandria, Virginia, but grew up in foreign countries. She always had a creative side, but did not begin painting until she was 40 years old when she started taking watercolor classes in Memphis. When she turned 50, Foster began studying French and Italian at the University of Memphis. Foster has won numerous awards both regionally and nationally for her artwork. Foster holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance and a master’s degree in Business Administration. In the summer of 2013, she studied Italian Language and Culture at the University of Bologna, Italy. In 2014, Barrie became the director of the Tipton County Museum in Covington.

Ann Brown Thomason, MD has spent her education and career in medicine in the Greater Memphis area since 1975. Retiring from medicine in 2020 allowed Dr. Thomason to become more involved in creating art and being active in many art organizations in Memphis, TN and Florida. Dr. Thomason is self-taught, except for several Plein air lessons in Florida and occasional group lessons with local artists.

Dr. Thomason is primarily an oil and acrylics painter and paints portraits of people, pets, and landscapes. Her “Escape to Water and Sky” portrait was displayed at the Memphis Botanic Gardens earlier this year. She has exhibited with Artists Link in various venues, including the Benjamin Cook Library, Incognito, Memphis Botanic Gardens, WKNO and St George’s Episcopal Church in Germantown. As a member of the Bartlett Art Association, Dr. Thomason has received awards at Business Achievement Awards (BAA) with 1st place, 2nd place, and Honorable Mention in all painting categories. She has shown at MBG and WKNO Gallery 1091, both live and virtually for BAA. Dr. Thomason was one of three women who had an online show for WKNO Gallery 1091 in the summer of 2021. She currently serves as the Exhibition Chair for Bartlett Art Association and in the Germantown Art League. She is happy to participate with “Sisters of the Brush” with Barrie Skoda Foster and Jana Jones in their premier exhibit “A New Perspective” at Dyersburg Community College at the Jimmy Naifeh Center in Covington.

Jana Jones is a native Memphian and a registered nurse. She has over 30 years of experience in healthcare administration and management. Jones served as the Chief Operating Officer at Eye Specialty Group from 2009 until 2018, providing operating operational management of the merger of the Eye Specialty Group and South Eye Institute during her tenure. She is a current member of the Medical Group Management Association and the American Society of Ophthalmic Administrators.

Jones, who is a self-taught artist, began painting in 2018 as a means to relieve stress. She paints primarily in watercolors but does enjoy painting in other mediums as well, especially oil pastel. Jana stated, “What began as a creative diversion from the pressure cooker world of corporate administration soon became an obsession as ideas began flowing from mind to paint and paper. I appreciate the quiet serenity of sharing ideas through a visual context. Nothing makes me happier than bringing a smile to someone’s face, provoking new perspectives, or sharing remembrances. My work never turns out just as I envisioned, but that’s what makes the process new and exciting every time I pick up a brush. There are no limits. I love that!”

Jana is a member of Artists’ Link and the Tipton Art League. In February 2020, Jana’s first solo exhibit was displayed at Art, Body, and Soul in Memphis.

For more information, contact Barbara Flowers McBride at 901-237-4006.