Meet Morganne Allen | Visual Artist & Curator of “Artsy Fartsy”

We had the good fortune of connecting with Morganne Allen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Morganne, why did you pursue a creative career?
I’ve always had a creative streak. I mostly just grew up a weird kid with a habit for collecting trinkets and music/art memorabilia and displaying them around my room. I started writing music at a very young age and was committed to being a successful musician until my mom passed in 2019 and I couldn’t write anymore. The feelings were too complex and great, and I found that the only way I could express myself was through visual art. My mother was an artist, she painted flowers like Georgia O’Keefe and dragged me to art museums all my life. When she left, it was the only thing that truly made me feel connected to her. In fact, a lot of the women in my maternal line were painters and when I pick up a brush it feels like I’m picking one up for all of us. After I started, I never stopped, and began a path I’m still meandering through.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
After the pandemic, I decided to change my major to Studio Art and go full in on this passion. But, I quickly dropped out. I found that working full time and going to art school full time at a liberal arts college that requires significantly more time on campus than a regular one was not feasible or fair to me or my very energetic German shepherd. I felt lost and like a failure, so I promised myself I wouldn’t be idle. That’s when I started Artsy Fartsy: a mini fest. I named it the stupidest name I could think of and threw the first one in my front yard with my visual artist extraordinaire best friend Kat Parmalee. Three bands played and 3 or 4 of my friends came and shared their work. Two people came that we did not know and that was success for us. And then my landlord texted me that he would evict me if I did it again. So I found a venue to do it at and hired all my friends to work it and from there we just kept growing. This last Artsy Fartsy we had over 100 people show up and artists like Presley Tucker and Lilly Hiatt share their endless talent and 9 visual artists ranging from portraiture to photography to handcrafted jams and thrift finds. The most important thing to me, which was instilled by my mom, is to create a place for people to be happy and be themselves. The priority of these events, reflected in the name, is accessibility to all types of talent at all levels and the celebration of such. There is a burgeoning art scene in Nashville that most people don’t realize and it goes hand in hand with the music industry. Artsy Fartsy creates a space for all people, just as they are, to appreciate one another, find new friends, and learn about the creatives working tirelessly in our town.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My favorite spot in the city is Brooklyn Bowl. It’s fun and filled with a lot of great people and shows.
I’d also make sure to take them to all my favorite restaurants like Deg Thai and show them stores like Starland Vintage.
A night at Zanies after would be great.
And of course hit my favorite bars after like Inglewood Lounge and Wilhagans.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Shoutout to my mom and grandma for inspiring me, Kayla Howell, Kat Parmalee, & Redford for encouraging me, and all the endless strong women around me that I get to call my best friends.

Instagram: @madebymorganne / @morgannetv

Image Credits
Image credits: Morganne Allen