New Solo Art Exhibition by Natalie Harrison Opens at BPL

The Birmingham Public Library (BPL) is excited to announce Fragments, a solo exhibition by artist Natalie Harrison, now on view in the the Central Library’s Fourth Floor Gallery. 

 Fragments presents a selection of Harrison's most recent paintings. Richly hued and textured, the featured works are inspired by the diversity and often intricate designs of jewelry and fabric. A reception for the artist will take place on Friday, May 15, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the gallery. 

  

Harrison says her attraction to jewelry and fabric stems from their association with femininity. The distinctive texture of her paintings is created by various manipulations of acrylic paint to the extent that it becomes almost three-dimensional in form.  

  

In Fragments, Harrison's focus was on "recycling the unused fragments of paint from [previous] pieces into new molded forms. While the molds themselves remain consistent, the paint allows each form to have individuality." After incorporating the pieces into single works on specially made panels, Harrison's creations take on the appearance of tapestries or quilts. 
 

 

 

 

Natalie Harrison - Green Square Quilt 1 

2026 | acrylic paint on panel | 6 x 6 inches 

 

 

Natalie Harrison was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee. She received her BFA from Middle Tennessee State University in 2009 and her MFA from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in 2013. 

  

Harrison’s work has been featured in solo shows at the Gadsden Museum of Art, Lowe Mill (Huntsville), and the Samford University Gallery, as well as in group shows around the country. She lives and works in Birmingham, Alabama, with her husband Alex and her Chihuahua Ginger. 

  

Read more about Harrison and her work on her website at natalie-harrison.com or on Instagram @natalie__harrison.  

 

Fragments is made possible in part by a grant from the Alabama State Council on the Arts. The exhibition is the latest in BPL's Art for Everyone visual arts series.  

 

 

 

Natalie Harrison - Purple and Cream Tapestry 1 

2026 | acrylic paint on panel | 24 x 18 inches 

 

 Written by Margaret Splane, Library Assistant III for  Art for Everyone,

Community Engagement, Fundraising