Bethany Moody, a full-time instructor in UA art studio foundations, was selected to be the spring artist-in-residence for Studio By The Tracks (SBTT) in Birmingham, a nonprofit art studio that serves adult artists with autism spectrum disorder.
“As a neurodiverse person, it can be challenging to find communities where I feel a true sense of belonging,” Moody wrote, “where I can deeply connect with people and build relationships that feel enriching and sustainable. Generative, accessible systems of support are typically a low priority in our hyper-individualistic culture, which leaves many people, particularly those with marginalized identities, feeling isolated and powerless. I often use my creative practice as a way to examine this community deficit and imagine embodied community support. I believe SBTT is an expert in this matter and that much could be learned from SBTT’s in-built community.”
Moody was awarded Best in Fine Art Crafts in the 2023 Robin Nance Metz Art Competition at Shelby County Arts Council, Columbiana, Alabama. The exhibition is open now through February 29, 2024. She has exhibited her work nationally, most notably at COOP gallery (Nashville, TN), Waiting Room (Minneapolis, MN), Albright-Knox Art Gallery (Buffalo, NY), Collar Works (Troy, NY), The Overlook Place (Chicago, IL), and Little Berlin (Philadelphia, PA). Moody is currently an artist-member of Ground Floor Contemporary (Birmingham, AL) and co-founder of Studio Support Group, along with K. MacNeil and Julia Rose Sutherland. Read more about Bethany Moody’s work.
For more information about The University of Alabama’s programs in studio art and art history, visit our Degree Programs page.